Liquid Assets

liquid assets Summertime cocktails with a nod to the garden

By Kira L. Bennett

Citrus fruits and other sweet, tropical ingredients are mainstays of many familiar summertime cocktails, and they are the first produce items many people reach for to liven up their warm-weather libations.

But this summer’s sought-after drinks bypass exotic fruits in favor of local fruits, vegetables and herbs. What is gathered from backyard gardens and farmers’ markets is as fit for a cocktail glass as for a dinner plate.

For inspiration, look to bartenders like Zach Wilks, owner of the speakeasy-inspired cocktail lounge the Ball and Biscuit, in the Mass Ave neighborhood. Wilks has shaped the summer cocktail menu to offer all-new concoctions and classics that are livened up with fruits, vegetables and herbs of Indiana summer.

Wilks says many bartenders today have backgrounds in fine dining and the restaurant scene that inspire their cocktail making. “I think of it as a natural progression that they just start experimenting with things—produce especially,” he says. “You name it, we use it in cocktails these days.”

At the Ball and Biscuit, that means pepper-infused tequila, horseradish vodka and a host of summer cocktails incorporating cucumber, basil and other local produce. Its signature cocktails, inspired by preProhibition-era recipes and served up in the atmosphere of a New York speakeasy, have a lot going on—they incorporate unusual liquors, innovative mixers and an assortment of fresh produce.

In addition to its classic and contemporary cocktails, the bar offers thoughtfully selected lists of craft beers and boutique wines. All but one of the beers on tap are Indiana offerings, with kegs from Upland Brewing Company in Bloomington, Crown Brewing in Crown Point, People’s Brewing Company in Lafayette, and Flat 12 Bierwerks in Indianapolis.

Chef Brad Gates has dotted the menu of small plates with Indianapolis foods, including Goose the Market charcuterie and hot dogs from King David Dogs topped with house-made kimchi.

The Ball and Biscuit bills itself as a comfortable, casual gathering place, with low benches and leather club chairs. The space is gently lit with candles and tungsten-filament bulbs, and the décor includes one of the distinctively shaped 1930s microphones for which the Ball and Biscuit was named, along with an assortment of vintage recording devices, gramophones and radios.

Wilks takes the same low-key stance when crafting cocktails. “The term ‘mixologist’ holds a lot of pretension,” he says. “I just call myself a bartender.”

Here, Wilks shares three summery cocktail recipes that are as easy to make as they are to sip.

Strawberry Caipirinha

A caipirinha, the national drink of Brazil, features cachaça (a spirit distilled from sugarcane), lime juice and sugar. The Ball and Biscuit’s twist on the classic cocktail also incorporates fresh Indiana strawberries. If cachaça can’t be found, white rum may be substituted.

2 ounces cachaça 1 lime, juiced 1 tablespoon simple syrup 2 ripe strawberries Strawberry and lime slice, for garnish

Muddle the lime juice, simple syrup and strawberries in the bottom of a glass. Fill glass with ice and add cachaça. Shake well and serve with a lime and strawberry garnish.

Cucumber Caprioska

This riff on a mojito substitutes cucumber vodka for rum and basil for mint to create a cocktail that is crisp, light and balanced.

2 ounces Square One cucumber vodka 1 lime, juiced 1 tablespoon simple syrup 6 large basil leaves Lime wedge and basil leaves, for garnish

Muddle basil leaves with lime and simple syrup in the bottom of a glass. Top off with ice and add the cucumber vodka. Shake well and serve with a lime wedge and a sprig of basil to garnish.

For the Ball and Biscuit, owner Zach Wilks creates cocktails inspired

Hot Carlita

This tequila cocktail balances sweetness, acidity and the peppery heat of Tabasco sauce. Conceived as an homage to renowned Seattle bartender Murray Stenson, it incorporates his signature technique of muddling the ice along with the other ingredients, yielding a crushedice texture that is perfect for summer.

1 ounce St. Germain elderflower liqueur 1 ounce Cazadores Reposado tequila 2 large cucumber slices 1 teaspoon simple syrup 1 lime, juiced 2 dashes Tabasco sauce Cucumber and lime slices, for garnish

Combine all ingredients in a tall mixing glass and top with ice. Muddle thoroughly until ingredients are mixed and ice is crushed. Taste and adjust proportions as needed. Pour into a serving glass and serve garnished with cucumber and lime slices.

Muddling herbs and veggies from the garden or farmers’ market gives the