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Aug 10, 2023

Savor the summer season with cocktails made from locally sourced spirits

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Photos by Victoria Caruso

Summer days on the North Fork are often associated with beach trips, date nights and vineyard visits, but sometimes the perfect day is lounging by the pool or soaking up the sun in your own backyard. We’ve carefully sourced spirits produced by the area’s best distilleries, and paired them with locally grown, fresh ingredients to create fruit-filled cocktails that can easily be made at home.

Located in the old Riverhead firehouse, Montauk Distilling Company, a family-owned-and-operated distillery established in 2013, is renowned for its bold and robust spirits. For this cocktail, we used their flagship Black Sail Rum, a full-bodied aged rum that’s distilled in traditional pot stills with blackstrap molasses and matured for four years in traditional oak barrels. Paired with sweet peach purée and a touch of rosemary, this luscious cocktail will transport your taste buds to a sun-kissed paradise with every sip.

2 oz. rum

2 oz. peach purée 1/2 oz. lime juice

1 oz. agave syrup

2 sprigs fresh local rosemary Peach slice for garnish Splash of fresh orange juice

IN A SHAKER, muddle one sprig of fresh rosemary. Add the rum, peach puree, lime juice and agave syrup to the shaker. Add ice to the shaker and shake vigorously for about 10-15 seconds. Strain the cocktail into a rocks glass filled with ice. Add a splash of fresh orange juice. Garnish with a fresh peach slice and a sprig of rosemary. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Located in Greenport, Matchbook Distilling is not only a spot where you can savor bespoke spirits but also where you can get creative and craft your own. With an impressive library that boasts over 100 single botanical distillates, Matchbook Distilling offers a cre- ate-your-own-gin program where participants can create a 750ml bottle of their own botanical blend.

For this bright and refreshing cocktail, muddled local blueberries and a touch of fresh thyme are blended with their signature Land of Muses gin, featuring Albanian juniper, rose, apricot, orris root, lemongrass and Kasu Shochu. While the recipe was made with the flavors of this flagship gin in mind, feel free to experiment with a creation of your own.

2 oz. Matchbook Distilling A Land of Muses Gin

1/2 oz. fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon agave nectar

Club soda

Handful of farm-fresh blueberries

Sprig of thyme

IN A MIXING GLASS or cocktail shaker, muddle the fresh blueberries until they release their juices and become slightly mashed. Combine Matchbook Distilling A Land of Muses Gin, fresh lemon juice and agave syrup in a shaker. Add ice and shake vigorously for about 10 -15 seconds. Strain the cocktail into a glass filled with fresh ice cubes. Top the glass with soda water, leaving room for garnishes. Give it a gentle stir to combine soda water. Garnish with fresh blueberries. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Savor the aromatic flavors of farm-fresh lavender and blackberries in this sparkling cocktail, made with Long Island Spirit’s LiV Original Vodka. Established in 2007, this microdistillery began its journey crafting exceptional vodka and has since expanded its offerings to include an impressive array

of spirits, including whiskey, gin and even fruit-based sorbetta liqueur. Distilled from 100% locally grown potatoes, Long Island Spirit’s award-winning vodka boasts a smooth and creamy mouthfeel. Combined with homemade lavender syrup, made from Lavender by the Bay’s culinary English lavender, this fragrant cocktail captures the flavors of summertime on the North Fork.

2 oz. Long Island Spirit’s Liv Original Vodka

4 tablespoons homemade lavender syrup

1 oz. lime juice Crushed iceSplash of club soda Handful of local? blackberries

LAVENDER SYRUP

1/2 cup water1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon dried culinary lavender buds from Lavender by the Bay in East Marion

TO MAKE THE LAVENDER SYRUPIn a small saucepan, combine water and sugar over medium heat. Stir until the sugar has completely dissolved. Add dried lavender buds to the saucepan and bring the mixture to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for about 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, remove the saucepan from heat and let the syrup cool to room temperature. Once cooled, strain the syrup through a small strainer or cheesecloth to remove the lavender buds. Discard the buds. Transfer the lavender syrup to a storage bottle and let it cool before serving.

TO MAKE THE COCKTAIL

In a mixing glass or cocktail shaker, muddle the blackberries until they release their juices and become slightly mashed. Add vodka, lime and lavender syrup to the shaker or glass. Fill the shaker or glass with ice cubes. Shake the mixture vigorously for about 10-15 seconds. Strain the mixture into a rocks glass filled with fresh ice cubes. Garnish with a sprig of lavender. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Quench your thirst this summer with this refreshing and fruity cocktail featuring Twin Stills Distillery’s LI o’Oldtymer raspberry-flavored moonshine. The Riverhead-based distillery, which opened its doors in 2016, is known for high-quality batch whiskey made from Long Island corn. The vibrant raspberry flavor of the moonshine mixes perfectly with the tangy lemonade, creating the ultimate summer drink.

2 oz. Raspberry Moonshine Lemonade with Twin Stills Distillery’s Moonshine

3 oz. fresh lemonade

1/2 oz. fresh lime juice

1/2 oz. agave syrup

Handful of local raspberries

IN A SHAKER, muddle the raspberries. Add Twin Stills Distillery Raspberry Moonshine, fresh lemonade, lime juice and agave syrup to the shaker. Add ice to the shaker and shake vigorously for about 10-15 seconds. Strain the cocktail into a glass filled with ice. Garnish with fresh raspberries and a slice of lemon. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Victoria Caruso is a multimedia journalist with experience telling stories through writing, podcasting and videography. She's a graduate of Brown University and a Long Island native.

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