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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. Our 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 Cognac, France with distilled white wine. We used Courvoisier VSOP Cognac because it has a rich mouthfeel and a delightful brandy spice with notes of peach, almond, and cinnamon. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Escape Mocktails Non-Alcoholic Cognac Alternative in place of the brandy.
Lemon Juice: This is the liquid juice of a lemon. We used freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Irish Whiskey: This is a type of whiskey made in Ireland made with unmalted or malted barley, cereal grains, spices, and water. We used Hatch Distilling Company Straight Bourbon Whiskey because it’s an Irish-style whiskey that’s made locally to us. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Spiritless Kentucky 74 Non-Alcoholic Bourbon Whiskey in place of the whiskey.
Coconut Liqueur: This is a liqueur made with coconut flakes, sugar, milk, and alcohol. We used Dorda Coconut Liqueur because it has a sweet, bright flavor and a silky texture. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Escape Liqueurs Non-Alcoholic Caribbean Coconut Liqueur in place of the coconut liqueur.
Green Chartreuse: This is a liqueur made in France with over a hundred herbs and plants, spices, sugar, and alcohol. For a mocktail version of this drink, try winter herb syrup in place of the Green Chartreuse.
Cinnamon Syrup: This is a sweetener made with cinnamon sticks, white sugar, gum Arabic powder, saline solution, and water. We made ours at home using Alex’s sous vide recipe.
Aromatic Bitters: This is a food product made with botanicals, herbs, and alcohol. We used Angostura Aromatic Bitters. For a mocktail version of this drink, try All The Bitter Alcohol-Free Aromatic Bitters in place of the aromatic bitters.
Banana Leaf: This is a leaf from a banana tree.
Bartending Tools
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:
Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. We used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Boston Shaker: This is used to shake ingredients. We used the Boston shaker from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Hawthorne Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is shaken. We used the A Bar Above Hawthorne Strainer.
Paring Knife: This is used to cut ingredients. We used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.
Juicer: This is used to juice citrus. We used the ALEEHAI Manual Fruit Juicer.
Tasting Notes
The Austral Summer starts with faint garden aromas including hints of whiskey malt, has a flavor that features aged spirits front and center followed up with coconut and citrus, and ends with herbal notes accented throughout.
Our Opinion of This Cocktail Recipe: We have to admit the recipe as written in the book fell a bit flat for both of us mostly due to its lack of sweetness; all of the flavors of the spirits ended up overpowering the entire journey, in our opinion. After upping the tiki ante with a half ounce of cinnamon syrup though, we liked it a lot better. You’ll just have to try it both ways to find out which you prefer too. And don’t forget the banana leaf! It’s a fun, tropical addition that makes the Austral Summer quite the looker.
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Alex’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐
“This drink didn’t quite hit the spot for me. The combination of flavors sounds like it could be great on paper, but in practice it ends up being a bit too strong with whiskey and general bitterness that’s not balanced with enough sweetness. If one wanted to elevate it to true tiki status, a half ounce or so of cinnamon syrup would be much welcomed here, giving it the balance it needs to be a bit more palatable.”—
Kendall’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐
“I really wanted to like the Austral Summer because, like Alex said, on paper it sounds good. But I ended up siding with him: there just isn’t enough sweetness in the original. He ended up making 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 we 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 adapted from Easy Tiki: A Modern Revival with 60 Recipes by Chloe Frechette.
Arrange banana leaf around the inside of a highball glass.
Fill highball glass with cracked ice.
Add brandy, lemon juice, whiskey, coconut liqueur, Green Chartreuse, bitters, and cubed ice to a shaker.
Shake for 10-20 seconds.
Strain into highball glass.
Ingredients
Directions
Arrange banana leaf around the inside of a highball glass.
Fill highball glass with cracked ice.
Add brandy, lemon juice, whiskey, coconut liqueur, Green Chartreuse, bitters, and cubed ice to a shaker.
Shake for 10-20 seconds.
Strain into highball glass.
Make It a Mocktail: Use Escape Mocktails Non-Alcoholic Cognac Alternative in place of the brandy, Spiritless Kentucky 74 Non-Alcoholic Bourbon Whiskey in place of the whiskey, Escape Liqueurs Non-Alcoholic Caribbean Coconut Liqueur in place of the coconut liqueur, winter herb syrup in place of the Green Chartreuse, and All The Bitter Alcohol-Free Aromatic Bitters in place of the aromatic bitters to try a booze-free version of this drink.
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More Tiki Cocktails
If you like this tiki-inspired cocktail recipe, here are a few others we’ve tried that you may enjoy:
Wishful Thinking: A sloe gin and rhum agricole cocktail made with ginger syrup, lime juice, absinthe, Angostura aromatic bitters, and a mint sprig
Tia Mia: A mezcal and rum cocktail made with lime juice, orange curaçao, orgeat syrup, a lime wheel, a mint sprig, and an orchid blossom
Junior Colada: A pineapple rum cocktail made with coconut liqueur, pineapple juice, lime juice, coconut soda, and pineapple fronds
Caribe Daiquiri: A rum cocktail made with pineapple juice, lime juice, simple syrup, and a lime slice
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