Peach cocktails
Its peach season in Colorado, and although the Palisade peach crop is limited this year, you can still find plenty of peaches at the farmer’s markets and grocery stores. Sure, it’s fun to make jam and pies and cobbler, but we prefer to make cocktails with our fresh peaches! It’s our favorite way to mark the transition from summer to fall in Colorado. If you haven’t made it out to any farmer’s markets this year, not to worry. Many of these cocktails can be made with peach nectar that’s available at the grocery store. It’s our sneaky way of making our favorite peach cocktails super easy, and that way you can have them year-round, too!
Whiskey Peach Smash
2 oz whiskey
½ of a fresh peach muddled, or 2 oz peach nectar
.5 ounce fresh lemon
.5 ounce simple syrup
Fresh mint
Muddle the peach and fresh mint at the bottom of a shaker. Add whiskey, lemon, and simple syrup, and shake with ice. Strain into a glass over ice. Garnish with fresh mint.
Palisade Peach 75
1.5 oz gin
.5 oz peach nectar, or ¼ fresh peach, muddled
1 oz fresh lemon
.5 oz sage simple syrup
Sparkling wine
Sage simple syrup: bring equal parts sugar and water to a boil. Remove from heat and add fresh sage leaves. Allow to steep for about 20 minutes. Strain.
Shake gin, peach, lemon, and sage simple syrup with ice. Strain into a champagne flute. Fill the rest of the flute with bubbles and garnish with peaches and a fresh sage leaf.
Peach Thyme G and T
2 oz gin
.5 oz peach nectar, or ¼ fresh peach, muddled
.5 oz thyme simple syrup
Tonic water
Thyme simple syrup: bring equal parts sugar and water to a boil. Remove from heat and add fresh thyme. Allow to steep for about 20 minutes. Strain.
Combine gin, peach, and thyme simple syrup over ice. Top with tonic water and garnish with fresh thyme and peach slices.
Colorado Peach Manhattan
2 oz Laws Whiskey House San Luis Valley Rye
.5 oz sweet vermouth
.5 oz peach liqueur (we love Denver-made Leopold Bros.)
4-5 dashes Peach bitters (we love Boulder-made Cocktail Punk)
Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass over ice. Stir to chill. Strain and serve up in a couple glass. Garnish with fresh peach and/or cocktail cherry
Peach Sangria
This sangria can be made with whatever seasonal fruit you have in the fridge-and peaches of course!
Citrus slices (orange and lemon)
Fresh peach slices
Berries or any seasonal fruit
2 bottles dry white wine
¼ c sugar
½ c rum or bourbon
Combine all ingredients in a large pitcher or mason jar. This will be tastier if you let it sit a few hours or overnight. Serve over ice and garnish with fresh peaches.