Every year, without fail, the masses want to crown one cocktail the Drink of Summer. A couple of years ago, it was the Hugo Spritz, which echoed the Aperol Spritz’s popularity five years before that. (Both are still going strong.) Somewhere along the way, a Garibaldi was on every cocktail menu and the Dirty Shirley had its day in the summer sun, too. (I’m still seeing the effects when I order a Shirley Temple and bartenders ask, “With vodka?”)
So with the official start of summer barreling toward us like an ocean wave, curious drinkers are beginning to wonder. A case could be made for the Carajillo, which is poised to dethrone the Espresso Martini, and we’re seeing a lot of Jungle Birds floating around out there. But a nostalgic flavor is popping up on seasonally minded menus all over the country: Creamsicle.
Though it’s not tied to any particular drink, the flavor has been making the rounds. Newly opened Daisy Margarita Bar in Sherman Oaks, California, has a Creamsicle version of its eponymous drink—mixing reposado tequila, mezcal, tangerine, mole and coconut to achieve the creamy citrus effect. On the opposite coast, Little Fino in Brooklyn, New York, debuted with Campari Creamsicles, a slush of grapefruit, orgeat and vanilla bean panna with an upturned mini Campari bottle protruding from its glass. Nearby in the West Village, the relaunched Bandits Burger & Dive pairs its smash burgers and crinkle fries with a marshmallow vodka–based Creamsicle cocktail topped with egg white foam.
Perhaps it’s not surprising that a comforting childhood treat is finding its way onto our drink menus. Life is a lot right now. And if sipping a creamy Margarita can transport us back to the days of a carefree, untroubled summer, I’ll take it.
Want to try a Creamsicle cocktail at home?
This is an excerpt from our Saturday newsletter, a weekly dispatch from our editors on the latest news in the drinks world. Subscribe for more takes like this in your inbox.
