The other weekend I was out celebrating my sister’s birthday at Central Social Hall in downtown Edmonton when my girlfriend and I ordered the two most ahhhh-mazingly refreshing summer cocktails!
Hers was the Santana – a tart and tasty tequila cocktail made with fresh grapefruit and lime juice, and a hint of white chocolate.
Mine was the Radiant Lady – a sweet and sip-worthy daiquiri riff heightened with Cocchi Americano and basil.
Lucky for me (and all of you!) Central Social Hall was kind enough to share the recipes for these refreshing summer cocktails – and right in time for Cinco de Mayo, too. Let’s check them out!
The Santana
Yields: One 1.5 ounce cocktail (or you can axe the tequila and opt for a delicious mocktail!)
You’ll need:
- 1.5 ounces Jose Cuervo Silver Tequila
- 1 ounce fresh grapefruit juice
- 1 ounce fresh lime juice
- 0.75 ounces white chocolate syrup
- Rose water
- Fresh mint leaf
Directions: Add the tequila, grapefruit juice, lime juice and white chocolate syrup into a cocktail shaker and shake with ice. Fine strain the beverage into a coupe class. Garnish with one mint leaf and spritz with rose water.
The Radiant Lady
You’ll need:
- 1.5 ounces Havana Club 3 Year
- 0.5 ounces Cocchi Americano
- 1 ounce fresh lime juice
- 1 ounce simple syrup
- 4 fresh basil leaves
Directions: Muddle the simple syrup and three basil leaves in a cocktail shaker. Add the remaining ingredients and shake. Fine strain the beverage into a coupe class. Garnish with one basil leaf.
Simple syrup recipe
Boil equal parts sugar and water in a medium saucepan until the sugar fully dissolves. Remove from the heat and allow it to cool before using.
When making simple syrup for cocktails, I usually use one cup of water and one cup of sugar. The simple syrup can then be stored in the refrigerator for up to three weeks.
Summer cocktail shaking supplies
#SaturdaysAreForTheGirls
Okay, okay… I know I’ve already made you thirsty with these two refreshing summer cocktails. But now I’m going to make you hungry, too! I was lucky enough to be invited by Central Social Hall for a chef’s table brunch the other week. Long story short: we ate SO much delicious food.
The offerings covered both sweet and savoury, as well as breakfast and lunch. It’s hard to choose any specific stand-out plate, as everything was so amazing! Although I can tell you I’m already planning my next visit to get my hands on these Belgian waffles again.
…And I doubt Aaron will be able to go anywhere else for burgers ever again!
Here’s a few snaps of all the delicious food we tried – from oil country bennys to albacore tuna tataki + won tons and made-to-order doughnuts.
As you can tell, it was a fabulous selection. If you’re in the Edmonton or St. Albert area, I suggest you stop by! Their patios alone are worth the trip.
Thanks so much for reading about my chef’s table experience AND for checking out Central’s refreshing summer cocktails . Now for the tough question – are you going to make the Santana or the Radiant Lady first? Not going to lie, I sure didn’t mind taste testing both of them!
Please note, this was not a paid post though Central Social Hall did provide the chef’s table experience free of charge.
Xo Holly Hunka
[…] Plus, if you’re still in the mood for more drink ideas, you can check out my full list of cocktail recipes – from grapefruit rosé sangria to the smooth and delicious Radiant Lady. […]