The 10 best summer cocktails you've never heard

It’s summer, and no matter where you are, there’s no better time to explore and enjoy the spirits of the world.

You already know the Capirinha, the mojito, and the pisco sour… it’s time to challenge the bartender with one of these exotic cocktails!

In our guide to the world’s best cocktails, we take you from the Americas to Africa in search of lesser known libations.

10. Michelada:

Legend has it that the Michelada, a Mexican cocktail that boasts beer as its unlikely main ingredient, evolved in the 1950s, when the Mexican beer company Tecate introduced beer in cans.

The marketing innovation, which allowed bars to advertise cerveza bien helada (or “real cold beer”), eventually took on the name the “chelada,” with “mi” (“my”) eventually tacked onto the front.

The practice of squeezing a lime wedge and adding salt to beer is modified in this cocktail, as a tall frosty beer glass is rimmed with lime and salt and then dipped in a chile seasoning.

Add beer to a mix concocted with a dash of Tabasco or other hot sauce and a dash of Worcestershire sauce. Sprinkle a bit more of the chile on top for a fiery finish.

Ask for one at Pachamama’s in Lower Baja California.

9. Violette Royale:

This simple cocktail is a blend of 4 ounces of champagne and a half ounce of Crème de Violette (violet liqueur), which was not available in the U.S. until recently.

Crème de Violette, which is imported from France and Austria, is made of macerated violets from the Alps and has a deep purple color that makes an impressive cocktail with a distinct taste.

Find it on the menu at Hotel Costes Bar in Paris, which has an outdoor courtyard.

8. Elderflower-Pear Martini:

The best cocktails have a back story—preferably one about how difficult the ingredients are to source—and like the Violette Royale, the Elderflower-Pear Martini is made with a liqueur made in limited quantities and which was only recently made available in the States.

St. Germain, the elderflower liqueur, is made of elderflowers that are collected for just a few days each spring. The liqueur is perfect for a summer drink; mix 1.5 ounces of St. Germain with 1.5 ounces of pear vodka and top with champagne.

Serve in a martini glass garnished with a pear slice. Ask for it at Deep Blue Bistro (which doubles as an art gallery on the waterfront) in Sydney, Australia.

7. Peppermint Somras:

Mint is a classic ingredient in many summer drinks around the world—from the Cuban mojito to the Southern U.S. favorite, the mint julep—but it’s also an ingredient in peppermint somras, an Indian cocktail.

Blend 1.5 ounces of white rum, 1.5 ounces of simple syrup, 2 ounces of cocktail sour mix, and 2 ounces of orange juice. Macerate 6 peppermint leaves and garnish.

Ask for it at the Vie Lounge in Mumbai, which offers outdoor drinking on the deck with impressive ocean views.

6. Nectar of the Gods:

Lithuania isn’t famous for its cocktails, but maybe it should be. In addition to offering a variety of local beers, Lithuania also makes its own liqueurs, including the honey based blend known as Krupnikas and the fruity Palanga and Dainava.

Krupnikas can be mixed with champagne, vodka, or gin in a dizzying number of combinations to produce cocktails that are simultaneously complex and light. Ask for Nectar of the Gods at the Sky Bar in Vilnius, which offers views of the city skyline from the 22nd floor.

5. African Obsession:

More local liqueurs can be found in South Africa, center of production for Amarula, a crème liqueur made of a fruit, marula.

To make it at home, mix 1.5 ounces of Amarula with 1.5 ounces of Crème de Cacao, 1.5 ounces of Amaretto, and 1.5 ounces of milk or heavy cream. Shake with ice and strain into a martini glass.

Belly up to the Oceanside bar at Baraza in Cape Town if you want to experience the African Obsession in the place where it was invented.

4. Cransoma:

Terrible name, to be sure, but a delicious and refreshing cocktail. Celebrate the Beijing Olympics with a nod to the key ingredient in this cocktail, lychee liqueur.

Mix 2/3 ounces of strawberry liqueur with 1/3 ounces of cranberry vodka, 1/3 ounces of lychee liqueur, 1 and 1/3 ounces of apple juice, and 12 ounces of tonic water. Shake and serve in a hurricane glass with a peeled lychee.

Going to China? Ask for the cransoma at Beijing’s Emergency Room Bar.

3. Portuguese Daisy:

Portugal, of course, is famous for its port, so it’s no surprise that porto has found its way into the country’s signature cocktails.

The Portuguese Daisy is made with 2 ounces of port, 1 ounce of brandy, 1 ounce of lemon juice, ½ teaspoon of superfine sugar, and ½ teaspoon of Grenadine, shaken with ice and strained into a lowball glass.

Try it out at Resto in Lisbon, which provides sweeping views of the city and outdoor drinking in the courtyard.

2. Tel Aviv Summer:

The name says it all. Vodka, tequila, cachaca, lemon juice, red grapefruit juice, and a hint of lemongrass are mixed together in this refreshing drink.

Ask for it at the unfortunately named Betty Ford Bar in Tel Aviv.

1. Jus de Bissap:

You probably don’t want to make this one at home, as the complexity level is high and the variety of ingredients makes the work involved intense, so swing by the Awale Bar in Cote d’ Ivoire’s capital, Abidjan, to enjoy this light, summery cocktail made of hibiscus flowers, ginger, vanilla, mint, orange flower water, lemon juice, and pineapple juice.

What’s your favorite cocktail? Come and drink it in our beachfront villa in Greece for rent. 

Read more at http://matadornetwork.com

Thessaloniki by night

"People in Thessaloniki rarely stay at home on Saturday nights. The city’s roads become very busy after the sun sets!"

Thessaloniki is a big city with a large student population and people with a work-to-live attitude. Hence, the crowd out at night is surprisingly huge. Furthermore, the fact that Thessaloniki doesn’t live from tourism, gives you the opportunity to avoid Greek-island-like situations and to experience authentic night life. Things are classy, honest and loud.

 

We are also very proud for Thessaloniki being in Lonely Planet’s top 10 Ultimate Party Cities for 2010! Thessaloniki Lonely Planet.

Some general remarks:

• People go out late. Especially during summer. Expect going out for drinks no earlier than 22:00, but expect a bar crawl to start after 23:00.
• Night spots close at 04:00 (or earlier) on weekdays and keep on until morning on Fridays and Saturdays.
• Drinking is not cheap: beers are at 5-7 €, straight drinks are at 6-8 €, cocktails and malt whiskies are at 7-10 €. If you are a large party of people, you might consider buying a bottle of your drink, as a bottle costs about € 80, makes 12 drinks easily and it comes with refreshments and some nibbles.
• If you pay for admission, it includes a straight drink.
• Of course you won’t need to learn Greek to order. Menus are in English as well and the staff knows good English. That’s except bouzoukia, of course.
• Smoking is officially banned indoors in bars and clubs, but policing this is impossible.
• Getting heavily drunk is frowned upon, unless of course you are in a “my girlfriend dumped me” situation. So, you won’t see any people shouting, urinating in public or doing stupid things just because they went out for some drinks.
• Don’t expect any plate smashing anywhere! It has been banned decades ago!
• Police are often doing alcohol-tests and driving with alcohol levels over the limit (0,05 mg/l) might cost you your vehicle and your license for some months.

Places to spend your nights out drinking in Thessaloniki are divided into 3 distinct categories: Bars, clubs and bouzoukia.

Bars

If you are going out for a beer, expect a selection of about 6-10 beers in any high-street bar, of which 1 or 2 might be draught (ask for varéli). Don’t consult the menu; ask the server, they know better. Amstel and Heineken can be found everywhere. Popular Greek brews are Mythos lager and Fix lager. Lager (if not all beer) is served ice-cold.

Cocktails are becoming rather popular during the last years. Expect every respectful bar to have their own decent Mojito and Cuba Libre, but don’t ask for too much on crowded nights. Whisky lovers are highly respected and you will find an impressive collection of malt whiskies in every bar.

Clubs

Clubs have been a popular choice among the younger ages, but their number has been declining rapidly over the last 5 years. The club area during winter is to the west, at the Sfagìa district, while during summer the club scene migrates to the east, close to the airport, next to the casino. Some rock clubs and Greek music clubs exist in the Ladadika district.

Bouzoukia

Bouzoukia are the epitome of Greek night life! They are (in their present form) large clubs with tables and proper seating, but no food, with live Greek pop and folk-pop music. You may either sit at the bar and have a drink or book a table, for which you’ll have to order a bottle of spirit per 4 people. Bouzoukia are a very interesting matter, for which we have a whole article devoted to: Bouzoukia in Thessaloniki.

Villas for rent -  nor very far from Thessaloniki is Halkidiki. You can rent luxury pool villa in Halkidiki and enjoy your stay in Greece. 

info: http://www.thessalonikiinfoguide.com

Traditional Greek Coffee

In many languages, the term "Turkish" coffee has been replaced by the local variant name as a political euphemism - as in "Greek coffee" (ελληνικός καφές ellinikós kafés), and "Cypriot coffee" (κυπριακός καφές kypriakós kafés) - or it is dropped altogether. The words for "coffee" and "coffeeshop" remained unchanged in Greek as in the other Balkan languages.

In Greece, Turkish coffee was formerly referred to simply as τούρκικος 'Turkish'. After the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974, the name soon changed to 'ελληνικός' 'Greek': "...Greco-Turkish relations at all levels became strained, τούρκικος καφές [Turkish coffee] became ελληνικός καφές [Greek coffee] by substitution of one Greek word for another while leaving the Turkish loan-word, for which there is no Greek equivalent, unchanged."The recipe remained unchanged.

Greek coffee is easy to make. First, measure the required cups of water into the briki. The measure should be one of the cups that the coffee is going to be served in. It is advisable not to make more than 3-4 small cups of coffee at a time.

Greek coffee can be made in four different ways. He can be sketos (without sugar, strong and bitter), metrios (medium, usually with one teaspoonful of sugar), glykys or vari glykos (almost honey-sweet) and glykys vrastos - sweet but boiled more then once so it loses most of its froth. Depending on which art of Greek Coffee you like, measure and add into the briki the coffee, a teaspoonful of coffee per cup, and the sugar. For a medium coffee the best balance is to add the same amount of sugar as coffee. Put the briki on a low heat and stir its contents a little, until the coffee is diluted in the water.

Hold the briki by the handle all the time as it boils so quickly and spills everywhere. Watch it starting to rise with a bubbly foam. Let it rise - and don't panic! - until it reaches the lips of the briki and then immediately withdraw from the heat. Once the coffee has been made, let it stand for one minute to allow the coffee grounds to settle at the bottom of the briki. Pour a little in each cup, to distribute the froth in all the cups. Then proceed and just fill them up to the brim.

 

Greek coffee is never stirred once it has been made and served and is drunk slowly. Serve it together with a glass of cold water. 

Greek cuisine

 

Greek cuisine is very diverse and although there are many common characteristics amongst the culinary traditions of different regions within the country, there are also many differences, making it difficult to present a full list of representative dishes. For example, the vegetarian dish " Chaniotiko Boureki" (oven baked slices of potatoes with zucchini, myzithra cheese and mint) is a typical dish in western Crete, in the region of Chania. A family in Chania may consume this dish 1-2 times per week in the summer season. However, it is not cooked in any other region of Greece. Many food items are wrapped in Filo pastry, either in bite-size triangles or in large sheets: kotopita (chicken), spanakotyropita (spinach and cheese), chortopita (greens), kreatopita (meat pie, using minced meat), etc.

The most characteristic and ancient element of Greek cuisine is olive oil, which is frequently used in most dishes. It is produced from the olive trees prominent throughout the region, and adds to the distinctive taste of Greek food. The basic grain in Greece is wheat, though barley is also grown. Important vegetables include tomato, aubergine (eggplant), potato, green beans, okra, green peppers, and onions. Honey in Greece is mainly honey from the nectar of fruit trees and citrus trees: lemon, orange, bigarade (bitter orange) trees, thyme honey, and pine honey from willy trees. Mastic (aromatic, ivory coloured resin) is grown on the Aegean island of Chios.

Greek cuisine uses some flavorings more often than other Mediterranean cuisines do, namely: oregano, mint, (For details about the mint please click here) by https://www.jenreviews.com/mint-leaves/ garlic, onion, dill and bay laurel leaves. Other common herbs and spices include basil, thyme and fennel seed. Persillade is also used as a garnish on some dishes. Many Greek recipes, especially in the northern parts of the country, use "sweet" spices in combination with meat, for example cinnamon and cloves in stews.

The climate and terrain has tended to favour the breeding of goats and sheep over cattle, and thus beef dishes are uncommon. Fish dishes are common in coastal regions and on the islands. A great variety of cheese types are used in Greek cuisine, including Feta, Kasseri, Kefalotyri, Graviera, Anthotyros, Manouri, Metsovone and Mizithra.

 Too much refinement is generally considered to be against the hearty spirit of the Greek cuisine, though recent trends among Greek culinary circles tend to favour a somewhat more refined approach.

Dining out is common in Greece, and has been for quite some time. The Taverna and Estiatorio are widespread, serving traditional Greek home cooking at affordable prices to both locals and tourists. Recently, fast-food has also become more popular in Greece and Europe, with local chains such as Goody's springing up, but the McDonald's have mainly closed down. Although fast food is gaining popularity and many major fast-food chains have opened all over Greece, the Greek people still rely primarily on the rich and extensive repertoire of Greek cuisine. In addition, some traditional Greek foods, especially souvlaki, gyros, pita such as tyropita and spanakopita (respectively, cheese and spinach pie) are often served in fast food style.