Tangerine Drinks

the appetizer:

These tangerine-based cocktails are a sampling of the drink recipes found in Drinkology EATS.

Tangerine Drinks

Our Hearts Belong...

...to tangerines, especially in the dead-of-winter. Here are three twists on cocktail classics that are made even classier by their use of fresh-squeezed tangerine juice.

Tangerine Drop

The famous cocktail known as the Lemon Drop—which, amazingly, tastes just like a lemon-drop hard candy—has long been a Drinkology favorite. For our citrus-drenched brunch, we tried our hand at creating a Tangerine Drop cocktail that has the same tongue-tingling mix of sweet and tart. This recipe does the trick.

small wedge of tangerine
superfine sugar
1 ounce orange-flavored vodka
1 ounce Mandarine Napoléon
1 ounce fresh-squeezed tangerine juice
1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice
1/2 ounce simple syrup
half tangerine slice

Rim a chilled cocktail glass with the tangerine wedge and superfine sugar. (Discard the wedge.) Combine the liquid ingredients in a cocktail shaker, with ice. Shake well, and strain into the prepared glass. Garnish with the half-slice of tangerine. (Note: It's simple to make your own simple syrup. Mix together 2 cups granulated sugar and 1 cup water in a saucepan, and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat, and simmer—gently bubbling—for 10 minutes. Let the syrup cool, after which it may be bottled and stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.)

Tangerine Mimosa

More than any other drink besides, perhaps, the Bloody Mary, the Mimosa means brunch. Made with tangerine juice instead of orange juice and Mandarine Napoléon instead of triple sec, it's irresistible.

two or three mandarin orange sections
1 ounce fresh-squeezed tangerine juice
1/4 ounce Mandarine Napoléon liqueur
about 5 ounces brut Champagne

Pour the tangerine juice and liqueur into a champagne flute, and drop in the mandarin sections. Now, very carefully (and tilting the flute as you do so), top with the Champagne.

Lillet Midi

In Chapter 3 of the book, we sang praises to the French aromatized wine Lillet. Here's a "midday" Lillet Blanc cocktail that snazzily complements our brunch menu. (To intensify the harmony, you might try substituting leftover juice from the ambrosia recipe for the plain tangerine juice in the recipe on page 121.)

2 ice cubes
2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed tangerine juice
3 ounces Lillet Blanc, chilled
tangerine slice

Place the ice cubes in a white wine glass. Pour in the tangerine juice and Lillet. Stir briefly, and garnish with the tangerine slice.

Buy the Book

from:
Drinkology EATS
A Guide to Bar Food and Cocktail Party Fare
by James Waller and Ramona Ponce
Stewart, Tabori & Chang
55 line drawings, 384 pages; $22.50
Hardcover; ribbon marker
ISBN: 1-5847-9529-8
Recipe reprinted by permission.