It’s a long summer and if you’re new around here, or just hot (probably bothered) and in need of a refreshing cocktail, we’d like to recommend a few ways to swizzle like a local with drinks that put South Florida in a glass.
Many of them, not surprisingly, feature notes of tropical fruit you’d expect to find here — including lychee (the harvest just about over), mangoes (unavoidable now) and guava — in sips that linger as sublimely tart and sweet or with simmering heat.
First up is a drink that makes use of the bountiful commodity most associated with South Florida: We’re No. 1 in weird.
From the fertile minds of maniacal mixologists at the Palm Room in downtown Fort Lauderdale, The Old Gregg is a shot served in a Croc. Yes, the kind you wear on your feet. The glass is attached to the inside of the shoe with a magnet, allowing customers to lift the Croc and pour the shot into their mouths with theatrical flair.
The Old Gregg, a mixture of coffee-infused Volcan Tequila and Baileys Irish Cream, costs $12.
Tamara Jovanovic, beverage director at the Palm Room and sister properties including Rhythm + Vine, The Wilder and Roxanne’s Liquor Bar & Kitchen, calls the shot part of the bar’s “homage to old-school Florida.”
Old-timers may be forgiven if they assume a drink called Old Gregg, which combines hard liquor and a beach shoe, served in a Fort Lauderdale bar, is a salute to Fort Lauderdale icon “Crazy” Gregg Newell, the father of Spring Break.
In fact, the drink takes its name from a minor character on a loony British comedy that aired briefly on BBC TV in the mid 2000s, “The Mighty Boosh.” A wise-cracking, murderous merman who lived in a swampy lake, Old Gregg went viral for a single line that has become cultural code. Either you get it or you don’t.
“Old Gregg was famous for saying, ‘Ever drink Baileys from a shoe?’” Jovanovic says. “You would be surprised how many people recognize it and take pictures.”
Here are a few more attractive cocktails that look and taste like South Florida. No code necessary.
THE ROSIE
The Katherine, 723 E. Broward Blvd., Fort Lauderdale; TheKatherineRestaurant.com
A stimulating combination of dry rosé, peaches, orange, lemon and sage. Celebrated for his dynamic food, it’s easy to forget the cozy bar at chef Timon Balloo’s buzzed-about downtown restaurant.
WATERMELON SUGAR HIGH
Burlock Coast at The Ritz-Carlton, Fort Lauderdale, 1 N. Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd.; BurlockCoast.com
A sweet-meets-spice combination of rum, watermelon juice, lime juice, Fee Foam, cubed watermelon with tangy Tajín seasoning. The Harry Styles earworm is a bonus.
LOCAL HEAT
Roxanne’s Liquor Bar & Kitchen, 823 N. Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale; RoxannesFTL.com
Never shy, the divey Roxanne’s spicy spin on the margarita is composed of Herradura tequila, blood orange, Fresno chile pepper, agave and lime.
SISTRUNK SOUR
Sistrunk Marketplace & Brewery, 115 NW Sixth St., Fort Lauderdale; SistrunkMarketplace.com
Beginning with Shady Vodka, made at the in-house distillery, this multilayered cocktail combines lemon juice, lime juice, simple syrup, a couple of dashes of Angostura bitters, with a Cabernet floater and a cloud of egg white.
LYCHEE MARTINI
Brimstone Woodfire Grill, 14575 SW Fifth St., Pembroke Pines, and 8300 NW 36th St., Doral; BrimstoneWoodfireGrill.com
A balance of sweet and tart, it includes vodka infused with butterfly pea flower extract, Giffard Lichi-Li liqueur and lime.
THE MARLINS GUAVA MULE
Brightline’s Mary Mary Bar in West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Miami; GoBrightline.com
A bracing mix of Tito’s vodka, ginger beer, fresh lime juice and guava, this drink can be enjoyed while you’re waiting to take Brightline’s discounted weekday Home Runner train — $10 each way, $5 for kids, with free shuttle service to and from the Miami Marlins game at loanDepot Park.
WEST INDIAN HANDSHAKE
The Wilder, 701 E. Broward Blvd., Fort Lauderdale; IntoTheWilder.com
A summer favorite at this stylish, intimate boîte in downtown Fort Lauderdale, the striking cocktail combines Brugal 1888 rum, Plantation pineapple rum, Giffard Banane Du Brésil, almond orgeat, Florida mango puree and fresh lime juice.
SHADY HOUSE
The House On The River, 301 SW Third Ave., Fort Lauderdale; TheHouseOnTheRiver.com
This delicate sipper combines Shady Vodka, St-Germain elderflower liqueur, housemade lemongrass syrup and lime juice, served in a coupe glass garnished with an edible orchid.
GUAVA LYCHEE MARTINI
Chef Adrianne’s Vineyard Restaurant and Bar, 11715 Sherri Lane, Miami; ChefAdriannes.com
Celebrity chef Adrianne Calvo’s upscale Napa Valley-inspired eatery offers an unfussy combination of Grey Goose vodka, guava and lychee.
Staff writer Ben Crandell can be reached at bcrandell@sunsentinel.com. Follow on Instagram @BenCrandell and Twitter @BenCrandell.