Food is everything
the magazine

Food is everything, the magazine
YOUR DESTINATION FOR EXCLUSIVE SUMMER PRODUCTS



Article

5 mixology tips for refreshing summer cocktails

This year, enjoying happy hour with family and friends feels like a real privilege and treat (all while respecting social distancing measures, of course!). Take advantage of the occasion to learn more about mixology and discover loads of products (some local) that’ll take your drinks to a whole new level. Here’s to health and happiness for all!

1. Top your cocktails up with club soda

In addition to adding a touch of fizz to your favourite cocktails, club soda (or sparkling water) is super refreshing and can even significantly lower your drink’s sugar content. Make a delicious lemonade spritz by combining equal parts club soda and lemonade. Add some ice, one ounce of gin, and a sprig of fresh rosemary (it makes a great stir stick AND adds a touch of flavour to your drink!). Or try a cranberry version by mixing equal parts cranberry juice and sparkling water. Top with ice cubes, one ounce of vodka and a large orange zest. Stir and enjoy!

2. Flavour your sangria with lychees, peaches, or other frozen fruit

Using frozen fruit instead of ice in a cocktail is a great idea, especially when it comes to summer’s drink of predilection: sangria! You can make your sangria with red, white, rosé, or sparkling wine. Frozen lychees, peaches, melons, apples, and berries are ideal for keeping your sangria cold and for adding a touch of flavour! And for even more flavour, top with a mix of juice and sparkling water.
For those who prefer alcohol-free options, check out the Atypique line of zero-alcohol products, including their tasty red sangria. With only 75 calories per 355-ml can, you can indulge without any of the guilt! Perfect for partying and keeping a clear head!

3. Use local chasers, such as tonic and ginger beer  

Quebec distilleries have been on the rise these past couple of years. And the same is true of local chasers. You have only to think of all the mixers produced by Montreal-based company 1642: various tonics (including an elderflower one), ginger beer, and yuzu soda. They can all be used to make classic cocktails, like gin and tonic, or to create one-of-a-kind drinks. Try making a summer spritz using equal parts 1642 tonic and Les Îles aperitif. Add some lemon juice and peach-clementine juice, a touch of apricot jam, and a few basil leaves . . . it’s divine!
For a delicious spritz—minus the alcohol—try the one made by Atypique; the bitterness, acidity, and slightly sweet citrus notes will thirst your quench and save on calories. It’s like sunshine in a can!  

4. Add flavour to your cocktails with basil, mint, etc.
Mint and basil are commonly used in cocktails, but did you know that rosemary, thyme, and sage are also delicious in a drink? And some fruit/herb combos can be surprising AND tasty! Think blackberries and tarragon, apples and sage, or Monsieur Cocktail’s Triple C cocktail, made with cantaloupe, clementine and carrot juice, orange blossom water, and white pepper. Monsieur Cocktail also makes succulent syrups, such as sea buckthorn and Labrador tea tonic—sure to put a smile on everyone’s face!

5. Encourage Quebec microbreweries
What’s more refreshing than an ice-cold beer? And lucky for us, here in Quebec we have a wide selection to choose from, such as Brasseurs du Monde’s Vite sur ses patins, available exclusively and for a limited time at IGA. You can even transform your beer into a cocktail. We’re sure you’ll love the Michelada: simply run a slice of lime around the rim of your glass, dip it in celery or spicy salt (think a combination of salt, chili, and lime). Next, add a beer—ideally a light or lager beer—half a cup of tomato or Clamato juice, the juice of a lime, a few drops of hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Enjoy!

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