Bay Meadows

Late summer is the time when our gardens are overflowing with produce! Mark your calendars for Dig It: Harvest and Cocktails from the Garden on Saturday, August 19th from 1-2pm to share the bounty from the garden. Come share the harvest with your neighbors, ask questions about the summer garden, and learn to make delicious cocktails.

To get your creative cocktail juices flowing, we’ve gathered 4 recipes to start you on your way to becoming the designated Bay Meadows block mixologist and host your own garden cocktail party:
(For those of us 21 years and up)

Honey Lemon Balm Spritzer
This bright and crisp recipe is easy to prepare ahead and refrigerate until ready to serve on a warm summer day.

Ingredients:
½ cup honey (orange blossom or other citrus blossom honey is nice for this recipe)
2 cups warm water
½ cup lime or lemon juice
1 cup cold water
1 cup lemon balm, lightly packed (substitute mint leaves for a minty version)
Lime or lemon slices
2 cups cold sparkling water
1 ounce/per serving of light liquor (rum or gin)

Preparation: In a large pitcher, mix honey and warm water. Add lime/lemon juice, and 1 cup cold water. Mix well. Crush lemon balm and add to mixture. Using a muddle or wooden spoon handle, smash lemon balm in bottom of pitcher. Add lime/lemon slices and refrigerate mixture until chilled (about an hour). Once chilled, add 2 cups of cold sparkling water. Stir. Pour through a strainer into individual glasses over crushed ice. Stir in 1 oz. of light liquor to each glass. Garnish beverages with lemon balm leaves and citrus slices.

Lemon & Rosemary Bourbon Sour
Fresh rosemary, lemon juice and bourbon form a trifecta of deliciousness in this bright, herbaceous sour.

For the Rosemary Simple Syrup:
3 sprigs of Rosemary, Large
1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
1/2 cup Water
For the Cocktail (per cocktail):
1 1/2 ounces Bourbon
1 ounce Fresh Lemon Juice
3/4 ounce Rosemary Simple Syrup
Ice Cubes, for shaking and serving
Sprigs of Rosemary, for garnish

Preparation:
To Make the Rosemary Simple Syrup: Place rosemary on cutting board and gently hit sprigs with back of knife to release their flavor and aroma. Transfer rosemary to small saucepot; stir in sugar and water. Cook over medium heat 4 to 6 minutes or until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat; let stand 10 minutes. Transfer to jar or container and refrigerate until completely cool, or up to 5 days. Makes about ½ cup syrup.
To Make the Cocktail: In cocktail shaker, combine bourbon, lemon juice, Rosemary Simple Syrup and ice; shake well. Serve over additional ice, garnished with rosemary sprig, if desired.

Mint Strawberry Moscow Mule
Made with vodka and ginger beer, its super easy and may become your go to drink this season.

Ingredients:
4 strawberries stem removed and cut into half
2-3 sprigs fresh mint
2 oz. vodka
Juice of 1 lime
4 oz. ginger beer

Preparation: Add strawberries and mint leaves to a glass and muddle till the strawberries are broken down into tiny pieces. Add ice, vodka, lime juice and top with ginger beer. Stir to mix well. Serve immediately.

Cucumber, Basil & Lime Gimlet
Combine basil, lemonade and vodka and you’ve got the ideal warm-weather cocktail.

Ingredients:
1 1⁄2 oz. vodka
2 slices cucumber
1 1⁄2 Fresh basil leaves
1 oz. Lemonade
1⁄4 oz. Lime juice

Preparation: In a shaker, muddle the basil and cucumber. Add the remaining ingredients and fill with ice. Shake well and strain into a rocks glass filled with fresh ice. Garnish with a lime wedge or cucumber wheel.

Experience Midurban life. Bay Meadows is a family-friendly neighborhood with lots of open space to enjoy all year long. Whether it’s growing your own vegetables in a gorgeous community garden with expert guidance, playing a game of pick-up basketball after work, team building over bocce, picnicking with family on warm summer nights or getting fit with pop-up fitness and yoga classes curated just for you, there’s no shortage of green space to explore. If you have little ones, don’t miss Momdays on Mondays in Paddock Park! Check out life out and about at Bay Meadows by following us on Instagram.