Drinks for summer parties: instructions from Torni’s bartender

– The most fascinating thing about making cocktails is creativity, says the head bartender of the American Bar in Helsinki’s Solo Sokos Hotel Torn Anniina Viskari.

Viskari, who enjoys creative hobbies, is both a travel restaurateur and bartender by training.

– I enjoy customer service and being with people, says Viskari. That’s why the job at the bar of the renovated hotel suits him perfectly.

The bar’s seasonally changing drink list includes Torni’s own signature cocktails as well as classics. In addition, Viskari says that by listening to guests, pleasant taste experiences can be created even outside the list.

– Communication is the key. A bartender’s job is not only about making cocktails, but also about conversation and creating experiences and tastes.

Fresh and berry

Cocktails suitable for summer parties can also be prepared at home. Viskari recommends choosing fresh-tasting ingredients for drinks, as you can find them in your own backyard and garden, for example. For example, summer berries are perfect.

It’s worth investing in the ice used in cocktails and getting them in advance, for example from a store. As a rule of thumb, never use ice twice and never have too much.

In addition to berries, suitable decorations for summer party drinks include, for example, citrus peels and edible flowers.

– You can get them in grocery stores, but edible flowers can also be picked from the backyard and fields, says Viskari.

Flowers should be stored in the refrigerator. In addition, it is worth checking that the flowers are also non-toxic.

Good options are, for example, hornwort, roses, clovers and cornflowers.

Less alcohol

When planning the drink service for summer parties, it is important to consider non-alcoholic options as well.

According to Viskar, the sparkling wine can be replaced with, for example, domestic sparkling wine or a non-alcoholic cocktail suitable for toasting.

Long drinks, such as a gin and tonic, can also be mixed in half. This way you can get into the party atmosphere with a smaller amount of alcohol.

– Smaller quantities are becoming more common, and with the right proportions you can bring out the flavor of good gin just as well.

We asked Viskar to recommend three drinks suitable for summer parties, which are also successful at home.

Raspberry-based cocktails, non-alcoholic and alcoholic, glow with a beautiful color in the summer green landscape. The trendy Whiskey Highball drink Rover, on the other hand, is a convenient choice because you can halve the portion if you wish and make the drink shorter.

The syrups needed for the drinks are boiled using the instructions below. The same raspberry-based syrup works for both Berrita. It saves the trouble of the party organizer.

Rover

4 cl Jameson Black Barrel whiskey

0.5cl pear tea syrup

alcohol-free leaf foam as an extender

For decoration:

orange peel

edible pansy

1. Pour the ingredients into a highball glass, add ice, top with foam.

2. Decorate with orange peel and violets.

Pear Tea Syrup:

pear tea

500 g of sugar

2.5 dl of water

1. Boil pear tea in water according to the instructions, but at double strength.

2. Let it simmer and add sugar. Stir until the sugar has dissolved.

Tip! If you don’t have long highball glasses at home, you can halve the ingredients and make the same drink in a shorter on the rocks glass.

Barter

2 cl of Tequila

2 cl Triple Sec

3 cl raspberry-vanilla syrup

2 cl of freshly squeezed lemon juice

For decoration:

edible pansy

1. Add the ingredients to a tight container, a shaker or even a jam jar and shake with ice.

2. Strain the drink into a small glass, for example a coupette, without ice.

3. Garnish with edible violets.

Raspberry vanilla syrup:

100 g of raspberries, frozen or fresh raspberries

100 g water water

200 g of sugar

1 teaspoon of vanilla sugar

1. Heat the raspberries in a pot. Mash the raspberries, add water and boil.

2. Take the pot off the stove and add the sugar. Mix well, then strain and let cool before use.

Tip! You can adjust the sweetness of the drink by adjusting the amounts of lemon juice and syrup.

Alcohol-free Berrita

4 cl Lyre’s London Spirit 0%

3 cl raspberry-vanilla syrup

2 cl lemon juice

1. The preparation method is the same as in Berrita containing alcohol.

Tip! Lyre’s London Spirit is a non-alcoholic drink that can replace normal gin in drinks.