Best cocktails for weekend barbecue

May 28, 1:52 PMPhoenix Drinks ExaminerMark Nothaft

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   Keep it fresh, keep it top-shelf when hosting a barbecue.

The men huddle around the barbecue like a pride of lions. There’s meat on the grill, the kids are frolicking in the pool, and the moms are in the kitchen gathering the fixings for lunch.

What’s in our hands while we wait? Homemade wine coolers, sangria, potent Long Island iced teas and refreshing mojitos, of course. We’re in peak grilling season, and beer doesn’t sound terribly satisfying when we have succulent ribeyes and racks of ribs in the works. A power barbecue calls for serious cocktails.

Even newcomers like the humble pisco sour, a South American mainstay, deserve a place in the sun. Pisco is related to rum, but tastes more like mescal, which makes it a good candidate to mix. I lump it in with two other summertime classics, the mojito and the mint julep, as a strong drink to cut through meat.

Many of the drinks below are easy to make in a large format for barbecue get-togethers. Their strength whets the appetite and gets parties started in the right direction. Use fresh citrus for mixers and garnishes, and have plenty of ice on hand.

Time to refresh. The steaks are coming off the grill.

LONG ISLAND ICED TEA
1 ounce vodka
1 ounce gin
1 ounce light (white) rum
1 ounce silver (white) tequila
Juice of 1 lemon
2 ounces cola
Ice
Lemon wedge for garnish
Preparation: Fill a cooler glass with ice and add vodka, gin, rum, tequila and lemon juice and stir. Add cola and stir again. Garnish with lemon wedge.

PLANTER’S PUNCH
Ice
2 1/2 ounces light rum
Juice of two limes
2 teaspoons powdered sugar
Dash of bitters
1 teaspoon grenadine
3 ounces club soda
Lime wedge for garnish
Preparation: Fill a cooler glass with ice and add rum, lime juice, powdered sugar, bitters and grenadine and stir. Add club soda and stir again. Garnish with lime wedge.

MOJITO
(large format)
24 sprigs fresh mint
8 ounces simple syrup
16 ounces light rum
8 ounces fresh lime juice
Club soda or seltzer water
Ice
Lime wedges and mint leaves for garnish
Preparation: Muddle springs of mint in bottom of pitcher. Add simple syrup and muddle some more. Add rum and lime juice and refrigerate overnight. Strain into presentation pitcher, add club soda and stir. Serve in collins glasses filled with ice. Garnish with lime wedge and mint leaf.

MARK’S HOMEMADE WINE COOLER
(large format)
1 750 ml bottle off-dry white wine such as riesling
8 ounces fresh lime juice
8 ounces orange juice
8 ounces collins mix
8 ounces club soda
4 ounces orange liqueur such as Cointreau
4 ounces simple syrup
Ice
Orange wedges for garnish
Preparation: Combine white wine, juices, collins mix, club soda, liqueur and simple syrup in a pitcher and stir. Fill rest of pitcher with ice and stir again. Serve in white wine glasses or cooler glasses and garnish with orange wedge.

CHILEAN PISCO SOUR
3 ounces pisco
2 ounces fresh lemon or lime juice
1 ounce simple syrup
1 egg white or 2 tablespoons pasteurized egg white product (optional)
1 dash bitters (optional)
Ice
Preparation: Fill shaker with ice and add pisco, juice and simple syrup. Peruvian version adds an egg white and bitters. Shake vigorously until frothy. Strain into old-fashioned glass.