Labor Day Cocktail Drink Recipes for the End of Summer

3 Refreshing Labor Day Cocktail Recipes—make your end of summer a breeze!

Note that all recipes are yield one portion.

1. Minted Mango Spritz

From Nao restaurant at CIA’s Texas campus

Ingredients

• 3 springs of mint (2 to muddle, 1 for garnish)
• 1 teaspoon superfine sugar
• 1 ounce fresh lime juice
• 2 ounces mango purée
• 6 ounces club soda or seltzer
• 1 slice mango for garnish

Directions

1. In a cocktail shaker, muddle the fresh mint with the sugar.
2. Add lime juice, mango purée, and club soda or seltzer. Mix well.
3. Strain into a 12-ounce highball glass with crushed ice.
4. Garnish with a slice of mango and mint spring.

2. Lavender Lemonade

From American Bounty at CIA’s New York campus

Ingredients

• 1 ounce lavender simple syrup (see recipe below)
• 1 ounce fresh orange juice
• 1 ounce fresh lemon juice
• 2 ounces club soda or seltzer
• Lemon wheels and lavender sprig for garnish

Lemonade Directions

1. Combine lavender simple syrup, orange juice, and lemon juice in a cocktail shaker with ice.
2. Strain into a highball glass filled with ice.
3. Top off with club soda or seltzer and garnish with lemon wheel and fresh lavender sprig.

Lavender Simple Syrup Ingredients

• 8 ounces granulated sugar
• 8 ounces water
• 3 ounces dried lavender

Lavender Simple Syrup Directions

1. Combine ingredients in a pot over low heat.
2. Simmer for 20 minutes.
3. Strain. Store in covered container in refrigerator for up to two weeks.

3. Pomegranate Ginger Fizz

From Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant at CIA’s California campus

Ingredients

• Sugar in the raw
• 10 mint leaves
• 1 ounce fresh lime juice
• 1.5 ounces ginger simple syrup (see recipe below)
• 4 ounces pomegranate juice
• Club soda or seltzer

Directions

1. To coat the rim of a glass, spread or mound sugar on a small plate or tray.
2. Moisten the rim of a glass with water.
3. Lay the glass on its side so that the rim is touching the sugar garnish and rotate or roll the glass so that the entire rim is coated.
4. In a cocktail shaker, muddle mint leaves with lime juice and ginger simple syrup.
5. Add pomegranate juice and ice, shake.
6. Strain into prepared collins glass.
7. Top off with club soda or seltzer.

Ginger Simple Syrup Ingredients

• 6 ounces granulated sugar
• 6 ounces water
• 2 tablespoons grated ginger

Ginger Simple Syrup Directions

1. Combine ingredients in a pot over low heat.
2. Simmer for 20 minutes.
3. Strain. Store in covered container in refrigerator for up to two weeks.

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