Properly Sauced: Explosions In The Sky Cocktail

By Kyle Thacker in Food on Jul 5, 2012 8:20PM

Burgers on the grill and a beer in hand have gone together well since time immemorial.How about, instead of popping open another brew, you iced another cocktail?

Whether you’re grilling burgers or brats, cracking open Budweiser or craft beers, a time-honored barbeque is the way we like to celebrate summer. Why not break away from your traditional beer and burger combo and switch to a cocktail? It will certainly make you appear suave, it can be a conversation starter, and think of how independent you’ll look amongst all those beer-guzzlers?

There is one xenophobic problem with cocktails for times like Independence Day: most summer light drinks come from out of the country. There are Caribbean rums, European vodka, and English gin. Who wants to be caught with a bottle of Cuban’s finest on America day?

We decided to do a slight variation on the classic mojito. We substituted Park City, Utah’s own High West Silver Whiskey for the white rum. We kept the limes, mint, and simple sugar because all those ingredients were fine and dandy with us. And we also tried a variation with ginger beer instead of soda water, which was lip-smacking delicious. But either way you take, try a cocktail this forth, and free yourself from the sluggishness of too many beers.

Explosions in the Sky

2 ounces White Whiskey
½ lime, quartered
10-12 mint leaves
½ ounce simple syrup
3 ounce soda water or ginger beer

Add lime wedges, mint leaves, simlple sugar, and a bit of squeezed lime to a glass. Muddle. Add whiskey and stir. Ice glass to fill. Add soda water or ginger beer. Enjoy!