Simple Seasonal

Healthy Seasonal Recipes Inspired by Your Local Farm and CSA

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Recipes
  • How-To
  • Farm to Table
  • Playing With Food
  • Contact

Summer Apricot Cocktail

July 21, 2015 By Daniel 5 Comments

Share
Pin7
Tweet
Yum
Share
Flip
7 Shares

Summer Apricot Cocktail – Why is the humble little apricot held in such high esteem all over the world? This sweet and tangy summer sipper may hold some clues to the mystery!

With fresh, delicious apricots ripe on the trees, I knew it was time to get to work on a new seasonal cocktail.

While I’ve never considered the apricot an especially remarkable fruit, I uncovered some information about them during my research that I found to be quite surprising. As it turns out, this humble little fruit that so often plays second fiddle to the peach has quite an interesting back-story.

apricot cocktail with blue flowers

If you’re thinking that apricot trees were growing wild when the pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock, you’d be mistaken. In fact, subsequent English settlers brought seedlings along with them, introducing the trees to the Colonies of the New World.

Meanwhile, on the west coast, Spanish missionaries had also introduced the fruit with great success. So much, in fact, that to this day the overwhelming majority of all US commercial apricot production is done in California.

apricot cocktail downward shot

The origins of the fruit are disputed, but the most popular notion is that they are native to Armenia, nestled between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea and flanked by Iran to the East and Turkey to the West.

The fruit eventually found its way to Greece, purportedly thanks to the armies of Alexander the Great, and from there spread throughout the Greco-Roman world into Europe.

Apricots are “stone fruits,” like peaches and plums, which contain a large kernel or pit in the center. The oil of the apricot kernel is very sweet and used in ways that may surprise you. For example, did you know that pressed apricot kernels, not almonds, are used to make amaretto liqueur? This despite the fact that most amaretto is packaged with images of almonds adorning the bottles.

apricot cocktail tall with flower

Perhaps the most enjoyable information I uncovered about the apricot is the variety of ways in which it is referenced culturally around the world.

In Egypt, for example, you’ll hear the expression “maybe in apricot season” used as a sarcastic retort when someone makes a brash claim that they’ll do something. A close American equivalent would be something along the lines of “yeah, we’ll see about that.”

The Chinese associate apricots with education and medicine. There is a poetic expression that can be found in Chinese writing which refers to physicians as “expert of the apricot grove.” This is largely due to the medicinal use of apricot kernel oil.

The fruit has medicinal implications in other cultures as well, including everything from treating tumors to relieving constipation (hint: don’t eat more than three in one sitting).

Shakespeare even attributes an aphrodisiac quality to the apricot in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. This goes rather hand-in-hand with another historical European belief that apricots can induce childbirth. Of course, this is a cocktail recipe, and too many of those have been known to induce childbirth as well. But I digress…

apricot cocktail with blue flower and apricot

Hopefully you learned something today and discovered that there’s more to the apricot than you may have thought. The next time you have friends over, why not serve some delicious apricot cocktails? You’ll be able to share all of the interesting facts you learned about apricots. I’m sure they’ll leave thoroughly impressed and will tell all of their friends and coworkers how charming and intelligent you are. Well, maybe in apricot season…

Summer Apricot Cocktail
 
Print
Prep time
5 mins
Total time
5 mins
 
Why is the humble little apricot held in such high esteem all over the world? This sweet and tangy summer sipper may hold some clues to the mystery!
Author: Daniel Hanawalt
Recipe type: Beverages
Cuisine: American
Serves: 1
Ingredients
  • 1 whole apricot, pitted and quartered
  • 1 tsp light brown sugar
  • 2 oz gin
  • ½ oz dry vermouth
  • ¼ tsp hazelnut extract
  • Squeeze of lime juice (from a ⅛ lime wedge)
Instructions
  1. In a cocktail shaker, muddle the apricot and brown sugar until all the juices have been released.
  2. Fill the shaker ¾ full with ice.
  3. Add the gin, vermouth, and hazelnut extract.
  4. Squeeze a small amount of juice from a lime wedge (about ⅛ of a lime) on top and shake vigorously.
  5. Strain with a Hawthorne strainer into a hurricane glass and enjoy!
3.5.3251

More Apricot Recipes…

Homemade Duck Sauce

Homemade Duck Sauce

golden-apricot-jam

Golden Apricot Jam

Almond Apricot Brie Cups

Almond Apricot Brie Cups

Get Your Next Meal In Your Inbox!

Enter your email address to get the latest recipes and relevant seasonal content on the blog!

I agree to have my personal information transfered to AWeber ( more information )

I will never give away, trade, or sell your email address. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Share
Pin7
Tweet
Yum
Share
Flip
7 Shares

Filed Under: 4th of July, Apricots, Beverages, Dairy-Free, Father’s Day, Gluten-Free, Mother’s Day, Recipes, Spring, Stone Fruit, Summer, Vegan / Vegan Options, Vegetarian Tagged With: alcohol, apricot, cocktail, Drink, gin, Summer, vermouth

« Leek and Zucchini Fritters
Grilled Pork Chops with Blueberry Compote »

Comments

  1. pam (Grey is the New Black) says

    July 21, 2015 at 8:03 pm

    Apricot is one fruit I haven’t use yet in my cocktails! I would love it if you would link this up to Tipsy Tuesday at Grey is the New Black – a weekly cocktail link up!

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      July 22, 2015 at 9:05 am

      I hadn’t give fresh apricots much though until recently. They have AMAZING flavor but their texture isn’t as pleasant as say a peach or a nectarine. That’s why we decided to put this tasty little fruit into a cocktail. The drink still showcases the freshness of the fruit minus the funky texture. And thanks for the invite to Tipsy Tuesday. My cocktail is added!

      Reply
  2. Allie | BakingAMoment says

    July 21, 2015 at 8:52 pm

    What a lovely cocktail! Apricots are one of my favorite fruits. I never knew there was so much history behind them!

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      July 22, 2015 at 9:07 am

      Haha! My husband wrote this post and he loves his history! I have to say, I love when he contributes to Simple Seasonal because I learn so much! And this cocktail really is lovely and showcases the freshness of the fruit. Great work Dan!

      Reply
      • Daniel says

        July 22, 2015 at 9:47 pm

        Thanks babe! XO

        Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Hi, I'm Rachel! Welcome to Simple Seasonal, a resource for simple, healthful, and delicious recipes that help you make the most of seasonal produce from your local farmer's market, CSA, or home garden. Simple Seasonal is committed to a whole foods diet. With an occasional cookie... ;)


Recipes in Your Inbox!

Sign up to get free updates!

Search

Connect With Us

  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Connect With Us!

If you're active on social media, you'll find Simple Seasonal there as well. Feel free to connect, share, and say hello!

  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Discover Winter Recipes

Creamy Pearl Onion au Gratin
Chocolate Flourless Cake with Raspberry Sauce
kohlrabi apple salad
Creamy One-Pot Chicken, Carrot and Spinach Orzo
Chocolate Dipped Orange Shortbread Cookies
North Georgia Candy Roaster Squash

Discover Winter Recipes

Banana Split Breakfast Sundae Bowl
Lemon Pepper Roasted Cauliflower Florets
Chocolate Orange Cocktail
Opal Apple and Red Cabbage Slaw
No Fuss Apple Wrapper Pie
Scalloped and Candied Sweet Potatoes and Apples

Copyright © 2023 · Simple Seasonal · Privacy Policy · ↑ Back to top

Privacy Policy