Drinks

Made in the South Awards: Meet Judge Brooks Reitz

Two cocktails for beach season

Photo: Margaret Houston


Charleston, South Carolina-based Made in the South Awards judge Brooks Reitz is a busy guy. In addition to opening Leon’s, his new fried chicken and oyster house, he’s got a coffee shop in the works, and he’s a partner in the just-launched Khi Khi Milk Co., a globally inspired beverage company. Despite the harried schedule, though, Reitz continues to appreciate things done the old-fashioned way—slow and by hand. As the founder of Jack Rudy Cocktail Co., he’s helping to revive forgotten staples of the American bar one bottle of artisanal grenadine, tonic, and aromatic bitters at a time. To celebrate beach season, we asked Reitz to come up with a couple of refreshing summertime cocktails.

Try mixing up a batch of either of these drinks for your Fourth of July celebrations this weekend. And if you’re heading to the beach, they taste just as good in a solo cup.


White Port & Tonic
“When the mercury spikes, I like to enjoy something a little lower octane than gin, and white port is often just what I need. It’s lower in alcohol, so I can enjoy a couple, and its dry, nutty character plays so well with Jack Rudy Tonic.”

Monaco
“This is a great beach drink, and it’s easy to make for parties. Some folks like to add a little lemonade, as well. For us, beer and grenadine is as simple as it comes.”

To apply to the Made in the South Awards click here.


Ingredients

  • White Port & Tonic

    • 2 oz. White Port (like Niepoort)

    • 3/4 oz. of Jack Rudy Small Batch Tonic

    • 5 oz. of Soda Water

  • Monaco

    • An inexpensive American Lager such as PBR or Miller High Life

    • 3/4 oz. Jack Rudy Small Batch Grenadine

    • Lemonade (optional)


Preparation

  1. For the White Port & Tonic:

    Combine the port, tonic, and soda water in a collins glass. Add ice and stir.

  2. For the Monaco:

    Pour the beer into a tall glass. Stir in the grenadine, and top with lemonade, if desired.

Cocktail recipes from Brooks Reitz of Jack Rudy Cocktail Co.


Elizabeth Hutchison Hicklin is a Garden & Gun contributing editor and a full-time freelance writer covering hospitality and travel, arts and culture, and design. An obsessive reader and a wannabe baker, she recently left Nashville to return home to Charleston, South Carolina, where she lives with her husband, their twins, and an irrepressible golden retriever.


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