By Patrick Evans-Hylton

It’s been a cruel, cruel summer so far (an all-time record tieing high of 105 on July 24) and, traditionally, Mother Nature really sticks it to us in August. So what to do? Pick up a cocktail and toast the roast. 

Simply, a cocktail is a mixed drink with one or more types of liquor and one or more mixers, and when the right combination comes together, a cocktail can be a refreshing way to beat the heat; usually a drink with a white liquor (gin, tequila, vodka, etc.) paired with a citrus/fruit or floral component (liqueur, juice, etc.) and served frozen or with lots of ice is just the ticket.

Across Hampton Roads, mixologists are slinging some super summer sips right now, including classics like margaritas and daiquiris, new favorites like mojitos and caipirinhas and unique twists on old favorites. We felt it our responsibility to go forth on a hot summer day to several area eateries and look for that quench-factor and report back to you; here are our findings:

 

DIABLO MOJITO

At Pasha Mezze

Behold the Diablo, a wicked blend of thirst-quenching ingredients that helps one cool down then the summer heats up. The drink presentation itself is as much an art form as the taste is refreshing – a large glass with multi-hued levels of orange and red stuffed with fresh mint leaves and wedges of lime.

One sip of the mix – the Diablo contains Patron Silver tequila, Chambord, Sierra Mist, organic sugar, organic mint and organic limes – and you feel degrees cooler, both literally and figuratively. The smooth tequila blends beautifully with the raspberry flavor, which in turn picks up on the herbal and citrus notes. A slight sweetness and effervescence comes from the soda.

Pasha Mezze is at 350 W. 22nd St., Norfolk. Call 757-627-1318 or visit www.pashamezze.com

 

HAIKU

At Zushi Japanese Bistro

When the heat sets in for the season, we like to turn to cool food at mealtimes; sushi often fills the bill. Paired perfectly with little rolled gems of vinegared-rice, nori and fatty tuna is sake, and we like ours in the Haiku sake-tini at Zushi.

The Haiku (pictured above), a take on the classic gin martini, is pure refinement and refreshment. An icy cold glass comes filled with a crystal-clear concoction of Bombay gin, Kuramatsu Hakushika sake and a splash of dry vermouth. The herbaceous qualities of the gin are slightly muted but still effective; the extreme smoothness of the sake is nothing short of poetry.

Zushi Japanese Bistro is in the Town Center of Virginia Beach at 4540 Main St., Virginia Beach. Call 757-321-1495 or visit www.zushibistrovb.com

 

HONEYSUCKLE BREEZE ICED TEA

At Rockafeller’s Restaurant

This drink harkens to many summer outings; a tall glass, packed with shaved ice and filled with tawny-hued liquid sits sweating, beads of water running down the sides like tiny streams. But this isn’t iced tea; this is a local variation of the classic Long Island Tea made with Virginia Beach-based Chesapeake Bay Distillery Honeysuckle Peach Tea Vodka blended with fresh-squeezed lemonade. 

The shaved ice gives this drink a misty quality which hits deep with a cooling, refreshing quality. The nuances of peach and the punch of lemonade marry nicely, allowing the punch of the vodka to sneak up and deliver its calming blow with a velvet hammer.

Rockafeller’s is at 308 Mediterranean Ave., Virginia Beach. Call 757-422-5654 or visit www.rockafellers.com

 

ORANGE CRUSH

At Waterman’s Surfside Grille

Waterman’s is well-known for their Orange Crush, an intoxicating blend of orange vodka, triple sec, fresh-squeezed orange juice and splash of lemon-lime soda; the sunny-hued drink even has it’s own festival each year in celebration of the elixir.

Although Crush Fest may sound over the top, it’s not. These beverages are so smooth and cooling, that it’s simply impossible to stop with one. The intense orange flavor gets a triple boost – first from the orange-infused vodka, then from triple sec and from fresh-squeezed (Waterman’s goes through a case-plus of oranges a day in season) orange juice. The citrusy, fizzy soda marries all the components together quite nicely, thank you.

Waterman’s is at 415 Atlantic Ave., Virginia Beach. Call 757-428-3644 or visit www.watermans.com

 

SOUTHERN BELLE

At Terrapin Restaurant

 

Smooth and sweet like any fine Southern lady, this drink also has a knock-you-on-your-ass quality that would make any jezebel proud. Perhaps that’s why we like it so. A highball glass is simply adorned with a handful of ice cubes, an orange garnish, and this syrupy imbibe.

And what a cocktail; the drink starts with a base of Kluge Estate Cru, a vintage from Charlottesville’s Kluge Estate Winery & Vineyard. Cru is an appertif with Chardonnay fortified with Virginia-distilled brandy and then aged for six months in Jack Daniels bourbon barrels and soars when served over ice. The elements of Cru also come alive when mixed with bourbon – the hints of flavor from the aging barrels amplify with the Woodford Reserve added, and the earthy, sweet qualities of the vanilla bean simple syrup marry it all just beautifully, y’all.

Terrapin is at 3102 Holly Rd., Virginia Beach. Call 757-321-6688 or visit www.terrapinvirginiabeach.com

 

Patrick Evans-Hylton is a food writer and food educator in Hampton Roads. He is food editor for Hampton Roads Magazine. Read more of his adventures in food at – www.patrickevanshylton.com.

 

SIDEBAR BOX – RECIPE

 

Southern Belle

From Erika Caylor, Terrapin Restaurant

 

In a rocks glass with ice, combine:

 

3 ounces Kluge Estate “Melange Nouveau” Cru

2 ounces Woodford Reserve Bourbon

1 ounce Vanilla Bean Simple Syrup (see note)

Garnish with an orange twist

 

Note: To make Vanilla Bean Simple Syrup: In a saucepan, combine 1 cup water, 1 cup sugar and two vanilla beans, split open lengthwise, and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and steep to taste. Allow to cool before use. Store in the refrigerator.

Kluge Estate Winery & Vineyard, a Virginia winery near Charlottesville, produces a vintage called Cru, which is an apertif with Chardonnay fortified with Virginia-distilled brandy and then aged for six months in Jack Daniels bourbon barrels. Cru can be found where other Virginia wines are sold.