Spring Cocktail Trends

Spring has SPRUNG! This time of year, we’re seeing a whole new crop of seasonal food and drink trends blooming in popularity.

…and it’s time to toast to Spring with delicious seasonal appropriate tipples (that’s cocktails you’ll want to drink again and again).

Whether you’re trying to up your hosting game or looking for the deets on what all the “cool-kids” will be ordering at the bar, read on to discover the ingredients and flavors you need to taste test this Spring.

I pulled up a barstool and chatted with Catherine Lien, Lead Mixologist at Delmonico Steakhouse at Grand Canal Shoppes inside the Venetian Resort Las Vegas to get the inside info on Spring cocktail trends and what we will be drinking this season. From the rise in Instagrammable cocktails to a call for low-ABV and healthy cocktails, Catherine shares the secrets to the perfect spring libation and recipes to make three of Delmonico Steakhouse’s signature cocktails.

Q: What are the biggest cocktail trends you are seeing for Spring 2021?

CL: Health conscience drinks promoting wellness and well-being.

Q: Tell us “THE” drink all the cool kids will be ordering?

CL: Variations of classic cocktails. Anything from margaritas to old fashioneds. Also mezcal and tequila with fresh fruit.

Q: With health and wellness at the top of people’s minds these days, what types of cocktails are the best guilt-free cocktails for the health-conscious?

CL: Hard seltzers that are rich in antioxidants and vitamin C as well as hard iced teas and probiotic hard kombuchas.

Q: There has also been increased demand for carbon-negative/environmentally friendly products and packaging. How has that spilled over into the world of cocktails?

CL: People are specifically looking for brands that are environmentally friendly. Companies are now looking for ways to bottle and package their brands in an environmentally friendly way, reducing their negative impact on the environment. Anything from using biodegradable or recycled bottles, sending their leftover grains to farm for livestock feed, converting waste into energy to run production of more distillation, or using locally sourced sustainable ingredients.

Q: Over the last year, (especially with TikTok) we have all been embracing at-home cocktails. Do you have a fave cocktail to mix up at home.

CL: As far as what I drink at home it is usually a dram of whiskey. However, when I do mix up a cocktail at home I prefer one that has simple ingredients and isn’t too labor-intensive. A Manhattan or old-fashioned are my go-to’s.

Q: What should the average person have on-hand to make a great cocktail at home anytime?

CL: Spirits for one. Fresh citrus, mixers, bitters, and bar tools including a mixing tin and a jigger.

Q: You mentioned that gin, mezcal, and tequila are booming — why do you think they’re doing particularly well?

CL: I think that they are lighter spirits that can be complemented by a plethora of other flavors. Think of margaritas and tequila and mezcal with fresh fruit. Gin is a lighter spirit that has more nuances than vodka for those with more mature palates.

Q: Define the perfect cocktail.

CL: A perfect cocktail to me is one that has balance and harmony, that you want to keep drinking. It creates a symphony in your mouth and makes you really think about the ingredients and how they work together.

Q: The one thing you wish more people knew about bartending?

CL: It’s not nearly as easy as it looks.

Q: What is the weirdest drink anyone has ever ordered from you?

CL: Louis XIII rusty nails. It’s actually a classic cocktail but why would you ever mix Louis XIII with anything?

Q: Your go-to drink order right now?

CL: Any of the Glendronach single malt scotches neat.

Q: What are three must-have cocktails to order at Delmonico Steakhouse?

CL: Thyme Out of Mind, Strawberry Fields and Citrus Paradisi (recipes below)

Spring is nature’s way of saying “Let’s Party”. I hope these Spring cocktail trends have inspired you to be blissful, be creative and be daring. Most of all I hope they have inspired you to “BE” sitting on a barstool at Delmonico Steakhouse while Catherine Lien, Lead Mixologist mixes you up a signature cocktail.

Enjoy these splashes of joy, Chickees!

Delmonico Steakhouse Thyme Out of Mind

1.5 oz Thyme infused Whiskey

0.75 oz Blackberry Syrup

0.75 oz Lemon Juice

Combine ingredients into a shaker. Shake and pour over ice in a rocks glass. Garnish with a sprig of thyme and a slice of lemon.

Delmonico Steakhouse Strawberry Fields

1.5 oz Strawberry Infused Gin

0.5 oz Maurin Quina

0.5 oz Simple Syrup

0.5 oz Lemon Juice

Muddled Basil

Splash of Club Soda

In a shaker combine gin, Maurin Quina, simple syrup, lemon juice and muddled basil. Shake, pour over ice into a rocks glass and top with a splash of club soda. Garnish with a basil leaf and cracked black pepper.

Delmonico Steakhouse Citrus Paradisi

1.5 oz Pink Grapefruit Infused Vodka

0.5oz Ginger Liqueur

0.5 oz Lemon Juice

0.5 oz Pink Grapefruit Juice

0.25 oz Simple Syrup

Splash of Sparkling Wine

In a shaker combine vodka, Ginger Liqueur, lemon juice, pink grapefruit juice and simple syrup. Shake, pour into a coupe glass and top with sparkling wine. Garnish with a lemon peel.

New Year’s Eve French 75 Twelve Grape Cocktail

2020, wow this is a big one. Not only do we ring in a New Year but also a new decade! It deserves something extra special don’t you think! This isn’t the time for just an ordinary drink.

New Year’s Eve cocktails should be exceptional. They should inspire dancing and conversation and trips back to the bar. They should have bubbles and citrus, zippy flavors and bold flavor profiles.

Your drink should feel celebratory, because that’s what you’re doing!

While popping the cork on a bottle of champs is fine, why not start the New Year a little “extra” with a drink deserving of a new decade that is not only tasty AF but also delivers some luck and prosperity for the year to come.

I have combined two of my favorite things a French cocktail and a holiday tradition into a New Year’s Eve cocktail that is 2020 worthy: a New Year’s Eve French 75 Twelve Grape Cocktail.

I won’t completely take the bubbly away- you will still be sipping it but in the form of a French 75.

French 75’s are made with a standard pour of gin and topped with Champagne, so it’s a strong citrusy drink in a sparkling dress. what makes mine a little different is that I garnish it with 12 Grapes.

Why 12 Grapes?

This popular tradition is a century or so old, though its exact origins remain debatable. It originated in Spain and is celebrated all across Europe and Mexico on New Year’s eve.

As the tradition goes you’re supposed to eat las doce uvas de la suerte (“the 12 lucky grapes”) at midnight- but you don’t gobble them all down at once.

The goal is to eat them one at at a time to coincide with the twelve chimes on the clock at the stroke of midnight. It is said that if you eat all 12 by the time the chimes end then you will have good luck in el año nuevo (the new year).

It makes for a fun conversation filled way to ring in the New Year!

1.5 ounces Gin
1 teaspoon Simple Syrup
juice from 1.2 a lemon (fresh) Can add more to taste
4 ounces Champagne
Ice Cubes
Cocktail Shaker
Skewer
12 grapes

I like to make my own Simple Syrup- because I’m bougie like that. For a French 75 I craft a lemon simple syrup that is totally easy to make. Combine 1 1/2 lbs. organic lemons (chopped with peel on), 1 1/2 cups water, 2 cups sugar and a pinch of salt into a saucepan and simmer for 20-30 minutes (until sugar is totally dissolved). Remove from heat, strain and cool. Pour cooled, strained syrup into clean jar or bottle. This syrup will store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month!

…And since we are stacking up New Years traditions don’t forget to open the back door of your house just before midnight to “let the old year out” and open the front door to “let the New Year in”.

Slainte and Happy New Year!

Tags:12 Grape Cocktail 12 Grapes at midnight for good luck 12 grapes at midnight tradition 12 Grapes for prosperity Champagne Cocktails cocktail recipes French 75 Recipe Gin Cocktails good luck for New Year Holiday Cocktails New Year's eve Cocktail new year's eve traditions Twelve Grape New Year's eve Tradition.

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