End of Summer Cocktails: The Summer Shandy

Hold on to the last days of summer with four art-inspired cocktails that we will share over the weekend! Crafted by two adult education students from Carlos Rosario International Public Charter School.  COCKTAIL #2: The Summer Shandy by Tijana Gavrilovic 

FROM THE MIXOLOGIST “Summer means, in bar terms, refreshing, tangy and beachy drinks. It’s time for margaritas, sangrias, slushees—and shandy! Now, shandy does not have a good reputation. Traditionally, it consists of equal parts of beer and lemonade. Why would you water down a beer, someone might ask? Let’s break down this common misconception. Shandy, if executed well, can be your next to-go refresher during hot summer days. By adding bourbon and lemon juice (and these two love each other! Just think of Whiskey Sours) we’re adding another layer of flavor to create this beer cocktail. Black Sea looks like an upside down Summer Shandy. Bourbon represents the waves. The sand is beer with the nice froth on top. The richness of the bourbon and tanginess of the lemon juice will go great with the citrusy notes of wheat beer (which are commonly brewed with oranges). It’s simple, it makes quite an impression, and you keep coming for more. “ 

 INGREDIENTS

• Wheat Beer (Blue Moon or Shock Top Belgain White; light beers will work as well)
• 1/2 oz St. Germain elderflower liqueur
• 3 blackberries, plus more for garnish
• 1 peach
• Fresh mint (or sage—both add great aroma, mint make it more fresh and sage make it more sweet)
• 1/4 Lemon
• 1/4 oz Simple syrup (or agave syrup)
• Club soda (or Sprite for a sweeter drink)

DIRECTIONS

1. Fill up a tall glass with ice.
2. In a shaker, add bourbon, simple syrup, and lemon juice.
3. Add ice to the shaker and shake vigorously for 5-10 seconds.
4. Strain the bourbon mix into the glass.
5. Top with the beer of your choice.
6. Garnish with a lemon wedge/wheel.

* To make this into a mocktail, use non-alcoholic beer or ginger beer **Make your own simple syrup. All you need is 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water. Mix them together in a small sauce pan and bring the mixture to boil. Then take it off the heat and let it cool. ABOUT THE MIXOLOGIST Born and raised in Serbia, Tijana Gavrilovic moved to Washington, DC, in 2015. She always dreamed of being a chef. In 2018/2019, she took a Culinary Arts class at Carlos Rosario International Public Charter School. Learning about flavor profiles and the ingredients that compliment/contrast each other highly influenced her bartending style.