The six summery drinks you need to try in Philadelphia this season
From sorbet-rose floats to fresh pina coladas to flower-infused mojitos, you'll want to put these six refreshing drinks on your warm weather bucket list.
While the first day of summer (June 21) is still a few weeks away, rising temps already are causing Philadelphia to sizzle. What better way to beat the heat than with an ice-cold drink? Consider one of these six boozy options, featuring everything from raspberry sorbet to edible purple flowers to fresh strawberry puree.
Fraperitif at Good King Tavern
If you believe in dessert before dinner, you’ll want to check out Good King Tavern’s new menu of Fraperitifs. The boozy shaved ice treat draws its inspiration from the French apéro hour, designed to kindle the appetite before any food hits the table. At Good King Tavern, there are more than a handful of fortified wine options that you can turn into adult water ice. The herbaceous aperitifs, though, are more bitter than sweet, so that premeal drink will be less like a sugary frappé and more like an earthy refreshment. If interested in one with fruity notes, try the citrusy China-China Amer or the cherry-scented Byrrh. Confused by the many choices? Just ask your server to guide the way.
614 S. Seventh St., $8-$11, and $5 during happy hour (Mon.-Thurs., 5. to 7 p.m.), 215-625-3700, thegoodkingtavern.com
Sparkling rosé-inspired ale at Bar Hygge
Fairmount’s Bar Hygge is taking rosé to the beer menu with the seasonal release of Techne Cotes de Fairmount. The ale was brewed with burgundy wine yeast, blood orange juice and zest, and fresh strawberry puree. After fermentation, a few pounds of dried hibiscus flowers were also added, imparting a pink tint to the effervescent beer. It has a surprising resemblance to a sparkling brut rosé, with bright fruity notes and a notably dry finish. This beer is refreshing and relatively light-bodied, and it would be easy to miss this beer’s 8 percent ABV content. It’s on the menu through June or until supplies run out; Bar Hygge brewer Tom Baker says that another wine-inspired beer is likely to follow.
1720 Fairmount Ave., $5-$7, 215-765-2274, barhygge.com
Orange Crush Gritty Slush at Bud & Marilyn’s
An ode to Philly’s trendiest mascot, the Gritty Slush features four fruit juices (lemon, lime, blood orange, and navel orange), vodka, Aperol, and a thyme simple syrup. In true Gritty style, it’s all slushed together into a frozen treat that tastes like a mix between a wine punch and an aperol spritz. Be warned: Guzzle down too much of the bright orange drink, and you might fall victim to your own set of googly Gritty eyes. Drink up: Gritty Slush is available only until June 21. A frose will take its place in Bud and Marilyn’s granita machine next.
1234 Locust St., $10, 215-546-2220, budandmarilyns.com
Rosé Sorbet All Day at the Bourse Food Hall’s Taps Fill Station
Inside Old City’s Bourse, Taps Fill Station is serving up an affogato of sorts. Instead of coffee, Kutztown-based Pinnacle Ridge’s rosé is poured over a scoop of raspberry sorbet. Taps is partnering with fellow Bourse vendor Scoop DeVille for the frozen dessert portion of the equation, which draws out the fruity aromas of the semidry wine. The dairy-free drink makes for one of the most light and refreshing floats of the season. Swap the wine with Haymaker’s rose mead for a slightly sweeter version or with draft elderberry kombucha for a nonalcoholic take.
111 S. Independence Mall East, $11, theboursephilly.com
Frozen Mojito at PHS South Street Pop Up Garden
The PHS South Street Pop Up Garden offers a full lineup of drinks with summery ingredients, such as watermelon and cucumber, but it’s the frozen mojito that wins the award for most beautiful. In addition to the usual rum, mint simple syrup, and lime, this refreshing summertime classic has one extra secret component: butterfly pea flowers. Turned into a powder, the edible flower gives the slushy cocktail a natural lavender hue and subtle botanical tasting notes.
1438 South St., $8, 215-988-8800, phsonline.org
Fresh Pineapple Colada at Green Soul
It’s surprisingly challenging to find a piña colada in Philadelphia, and even more difficult to find a fresh version of the drink. Spring Garden’s Green Soul, however, invites guests to take a mini trip to the tropics right from its mosaicked, multicolor bar-top. The health-conscious, soul-food inspired restaurant first muddles pineapple fruit and then shakes it up with rum, pineapple juice, and coconut milk. Also added is a half-ounce of agave, a recent switchover from honey to make the creamy cocktail 100 percent vegan. Find it served over ice and garnished with a pineapple leaf.
1410 Mt. Vernon St., $10, 215-660-9600, greensoulliving.com