Austral Summer

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Cocktail History

The Austral Summer is a modern cocktail that was created by Eryn Reece at Banzarbar in New York City, New York. It’s meant to be a tiki-inspired blend of the classic Champs Elysees and Cameron’s Kick cocktails that mixes the brandy, Green Chartreuse, lemon, and aromatic bitters of the former with whiskey from the latter. It then adds in some airy coconut liqueur and wraps the glass in a banana leaf for more tropical flair. This version also drops in a dash of cinnamon syrup for more balance and complexity.

Cocktail Ingredients

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:

Cognac: This is a type of brandy made in the Cognac region of France with grapes and yeast, which are distilled and then aged in oak barrels to develop a smooth, complex flavor.

Lemon Juice: This is the liquid extracted from the flesh of ripe lemons that has a sweet, tangy flavor and light yellow color.

Irish Whiskey: This is a spirit made in Ireland with malted or unmalted barley and yeast, which are distilled and then aged in wooden barrels to develop a smooth, oaky flavor.

Coconut Liqueur: This is a liqueur made with coconut, distilled alcohol, water, and sugar, which are blended and infused to develop a sweet, tropical flavor.

Green Chartreuse: This is a liqueur made in France with a blend of 130 plants, bark, roots, spices, and flowers, distilled alcohol, water, and sugar, which are macerated, blended, and then aged to develop a complex, herbal flavor.

Cinnamon Syrup: This is a sweetener made with cinnamon sticks, white sugar, and water, which are heated and infused into a syrup with a spiced, aromatic flavor.

Aromatic Bitters: This is a concentrated flavoring made with a blend of herbs, spices, roots, and botanicals, and distilled alcohol, which are macerated or steeped to develop an aromatic, bittersweet flavor.

Banana Leaf: This is a type of leaf with a smooth, flexible texture and mild, grassy flavor that’s harvested from the banana plant and used for presentation.

Brands I Used

• 🔗 D’USSÉ VSOP Cognac
• 🔗 Hatch Distilling Company Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• 🔗 Gabriel Boudier Liqueur De Noix De Coco
• 🔗 Green Chartreuse
• 🔗 Woodford Reserve Aromatic Bitters

Bartending Tools

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:

Bar Mat: This is a rubber or silicone mat that’s placed on the bar surface and used for catching spills, providing grip for glasses and tools, and keeping the workspace clean and organized.

Jigger: This is a small double-sided tool with different volume measurements on each side that’s used for accurately portioning ingredients.

Boston Shaker: This is a two-piece cocktail shaker made with a large metal tin and a second tin or mixing glass that’s used for shaking and chilling cocktail ingredients.

Hawthorne Strainer: This is a flat metal strainer with a handle and a coiled spring around the edge that’s used for straining shaken cocktails from a shaker while holding back ice and solids.

Cutting Board: This is a flat, durable kitchen surface made from materials like wood or plastic that’s used for slicing ingredients and preparing garnishes.

Paring Knife: This is a small kitchen knife with a narrow, sharp blade that’s used for peeling fruit and trimming garnishes.

Electric Citrus Juicer: This is a kitchen appliance with a motorized reamer that’s used for quickly extracting juice from citrus fruits.

Fine Mesh Strainer: This is a mesh metal strainer with a tightly woven bowl and handle that’s used for straining out small ice shards and other solids while pouring cocktails from a shaker or mixing glass.

Measuring Cup: This is a kitchen tool with a handled cup and marked volume measurements that’s used for accurately measuring and pouring liquid ingredients.

Tweezers: This is a long, narrow tool with angled tips that’s used for precisely placing delicate garnishes and small ingredients.

Straw: This is a thin tubular utensil that’s used for more slowly sipping cocktails and mixed drinks.

Highball Glass: This is a tall, slim glass that’s used for serving mixed drinks made with a larger proportion of non-alcoholic mixers.

Tools I Used

• 🔗 A Bar Above 18×12 Premium Bar Mat
• 🔗 A Bar Above Stainless Steel Japanese Jigger
• 🔗 A Bar Above Stainless Steel Boston Shaker
• 🔗 A Bar Above Stainless Steel Hawthorne Strainer
• 🔗 OXO Good Grips 2-Piece Cutting Board Set
• 🔗 OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife
• 🔗 BLACK+DECKER 32 oz Electric Citrus Juicer
• 🔗 Barfly Silver Stainless Steel Fine Mesh Cocktail Strainer
• 🔗 OXO Good Grips 2 Cup Angled Measuring Cup
• 🔗 Stainless Steel Food Tweezers Set
• 🔗 Compostable Bamboo Paper Straw

Tasting Notes

This cocktail has the following flavor profile:

• Appearance: Golden yellow color

• Aroma: Faint garden-inspired notes

• Taste: Noticeable whiskey malt at first followed by coconut, citrus, and cinnamon

• Finish: Cozy herbal accents

Kendall’s Take: “I really wanted to like the Austral Summer because on paper it sounds so good, but there just isn’t enough sweetness in the original. I made a second version with sone cinnamon syrup, and it was a lot more palatable. The first one just tasted like whiskey mixed with coconut, in my opinion, and that made it a touch too bitter for me. All that aside, I did really love the look of the banana leaf and hope I get to utilize those as a garnish more often in the future. It added a nice leafy aroma and makes for quite the looker of a cocktail.”

Recipe

This cocktail recipe was found in the book Easy Tiki: A Modern Revival with 60 Recipes by Chloe Frechette.