Fruit-infused cocktail pairings

Summer’s coming! Here are tips for matching liquor with fruit to create delicious fruit cocktails, courtesy the Joey Restaurants.

From vodka to rum and gin to whiskey, there really are no limits when it comes to liquors that can be infused with fruit flavours. Knowing which liquor will complement fruit the best is helpful when serving cocktails this summer.

“There’s no better time to add fruit to cocktails than during the summer when the majority are in season,” says Jesse Sahlin, beverage director at Joey Restaurants. “If you’re looking to spruce up your cocktails with seasonal flavours, its best to find the most complementary fruit for your favourite liquor.”

Here’s a guide from the restaurant group to help you pair the right fruits with your liquor of choice this summer:

Lemon – This universal cocktail garnish pairs well with just about anything, but there are some liquors that make it shine. Infuse your vodka cocktails with lemon juice for a refreshing vodka lemonade or use lemons as a garnish for any vodka drink. Add some lemon juice to a whiskey sour or garnish any gin-based cocktail.

Strawberries – Bourbon, rum or wine-based cocktails are great to pair with fresh strawberries during the summer. Try bourbon with soda and muddled strawberries or a classic strawberry daquiri with rum. You also can’t go wrong with a strawberry-infused sangria.

Watermelon – Tequila, vodka or rum are great liquors to pair with watermelon, whether you use fresh watermelon or juice. Pour tequila and watermelon juice over ice to create a refreshing cocktail or blend vodka and watermelon with ice to make a slushy. There are really no limits when it comes to watermelon and summer cocktails. 

Blueberries – Like strawberries, blueberries are versatile when it comes to cocktails, and are that much better when they’re in season. Try a blueberry Moscow mule with vodka or infuse your favourite beer with fresh blueberries for a sweeter finish. 

Grapefruit – When pairing fresh grapefruit or grapefruit juice with liquor, gin or vodka are best suited. Infuse your classic gin and tonic with grapefruit slices or add grapefruit juice to vodka for a simple, yet refreshing cocktail.

Joey shared this recipe for a beverage available at its restaurants across Canada.

The Watermelon Drink

• 1.5 ounces vodka
• 2.5 ounces of fresh watermelon, agave, lime juice
• Fresh mint leaves
• Add ice, shake
• Strain over fresh ice
• Mint bouquet and watermelon cube garnish