‘What better way to drink wine in the summer than over ice?” asks Bryan Schneider, head bartender at General Assembly (Park Avenue at 26th Street), a new restaurant in the Flatiron District.
And what better way to celebrate the Fourth of July than with a red-white-and-blue libation?
To create a perfectly patriotic summer cocktail, Schneider and General Assembly beverage director Mark Passer crafted a playful spin on the Kir Royale called the Rushmore Royale.
The recipe uses various orange-flavored liqueurs — Campari, blue Curaçao and Cointreau — to make red-white-and-blue ice cubes called “freedom cubes,” which are then topped off with bubbly.
“It’s sort of a natural pairing: citrus fruit with sparkling wine. The longer the cubes sit in the wine, the more flavor the drink will pick up,” says Schneider. But he admits, “the majority is a visual thing.” Here’s how to make a holiday cocktail that looks good enough to drink.
Rushmore Royale
1. Using a small tray, make ice cubes with Campari (red), Curaçao (blue) and Cointreau (white).
2. For each, mix 5 parts water per 1 part liqueur, then pour into molds.
3. In a wine glass, pour 4 ounces sparkling wine over 3 cubes, one of each color. Serve and enjoy!