There’s nothing quite like an early spring day in Sarasota. Though temperatures are starting to rise back to their normal subtropical highs, the humidity is still relatively low by Florida standards. Today also happens to be Easter–a holiday that usually means in our house baking traditional Slovak paska bread, whipping up deviled eggs, and lots of crafting. Days like these always inspire me to be super productive about things that bring me joy.
Something that definitely brings me joy is a well-crafted cocktail. I’ve always been fascinated by people that have a “signature cocktail”–something they order on the regular and can call out by name. I am not one of these people. First off, I get bored easily and like trying new things. When it comes to cocktails, I like exploring new flavor combinations. My husband and I create a ruby red grapefruit cocktail at home based on one of our favorites from Shore when we’re celebrating a special occasion, and I do enjoy having a favorite cocktail at many local places. BUT! I’ve always wanted to create my own cocktail at home—something that was both delicious and felt like me. Something I could remember how to make easily and didn’t require a bazillion ingredients. Thus, I spent today playing around with some ingredients and came up with a cocktail inspired by (what else), a piece of Sarasota history:
Herald Square Cocktail
- 2 oz Vodka
- 3 oz orange juice
- 2 oz pineapple juice
- ice
- Basil and orange slices for garnish
Instructions: In a cocktail shaker, blend together the vodka and juices. Strain over ice, and garnish with an orange wedge and basil.
Why “Herald Square”? Because that’s the name of the area where Pineapple Avenue and Orange Avenue meet. It’s also where the original Sarasota Herald was published (the building now houses the Women’s Exchange), and is part of one of my favorite areas of town.
When I first tried crafting this cocktail, I added sparkling water over top and strained over ice into my beloved vintage Holly Hobby glasses. My husband liked it, but it didn’t pack the flavor punch I prefer. Try both, and see which you like! If you’re not a fan of basil, feel free to leave it out (though the aromatics are heavenly).
If you’re looking to create your own cocktails at home, I suggest thinking about the following:
- What ingredients do you love? Vodka is one of those things we tend to have in the back of our cabinet, and it’s my preferred liquor. But I also would love to try this with rum.
- How do those ingredients go together? I knew pineapple and orange went well together. Then I realized that basil compliments both and decided to add as a garnish.
- Who am I serving this to? Since I made this for myself and my sweet hubby, I wanted to make something that was refreshing, fruity, and not too overpowering. If the people you’re serving prefer flavors that are more bitter, complex, or unusual, take that into consideration.
Cheers!
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