ASK THE EXPERT: Mixologist Madeline Dillon solves your cocktail dilemmas
ASK THE EXPERT: Mixologist Maddie Dillon | IG @madmadethese
The question: “I’m hosting a party in my backyard and I want to make a summery batched cocktail. What would you recommend?” - Sheri G
Words: Madeline Dillon
Photos: Madeline Dillon/Special to The Dishing
We understood the assignment and asked Madeline Dillon, mixologist, author, cocktail consultant and founding partner of {pretty to think so} in Rhinebeck, to solve the cocktail dilemma for Sheri G. Madeline came up with two batched cocktails to refresh a summer crowd. — The Dishing team
THE COCKTAIL: Hot Tomato Margarita
1:1 tequila + tomato, watermelon + habanero shrub
Madeline: Hot tomato summer, that’s the saying right? This one is for the savory lovers among us but truth be told, this cocktail can transform entirely with new ingredients in the same composition – it’s fully customizable with other fruits if tomato is not your thing. This version is a Bloody Mary’s beach vacation with a little heat from the peppers and cool sweetness from the watermelon.
The build: To prepare the shrub, steep habanero peppers in equal amounts of white and apple cider vinegars to your taste and tolerance levels overnight. Cover roughly equal amounts of chopped watermelon and tomatoes with sugar, about one-third the quantity as vinegar used, and allow to macerate and combine covered in the fridge overnight as well. Your shrub – or should we say your margarita mix – comes together from straining and combining the juice and vinegar. Just add an equal amount of tequila and either shake it or batch it up. Bonus points if you pickle your watermelon rind for garnish, but a chunk of juicy watermelon and a salted rim will do just fine.
THE COCKTAIL: Peach Whiskey Sour
1:1 bourbon + lemon peach concentrate
Madeline: To achieve the proper vibe for this cocktail, laziness when drinking is a requirement. A classic whiskey sour with a summer stone fruit twist, this drink is Arnold Palmer’s cousin, visiting on the front porch at golden hour. Peachy and sweet and quintessentially summer, this one feels like late afternoon sunshine is one of its ingredients.
The build: To make it, first create a light peach syrup by simmering sliced peaches with 2:1 water and sugar. Once the syrup has cooled, combine it with an equal quantity of lemon juice to make your lemon peach concentrate. If you’re planning to mix drinks at your party, you can shake this up as a 1:1 cocktail by mixing in some Kentucky bourbon, or choose to make it even simpler by batching the whole thing in advance and pouring from a pitcher. Either way, serve over ice with some fresh thyme or sage.
About Madeline Dillon: Madeline is a mixologist, author, cocktail consultant + an original founding partner of {pretty to think so} in Rhinebeck. She is partnering with The Dishing to offer cocktail classes and her self-published holiday cocktail book is available here.