Last week a bunch of food bloggers and reporters were invited to Thai-Fresh, a fast casual Thai restaurant on W. Mary Street in South Austin. The chef/owner, Jam, and David of Tipsy Texan wanted us to check out their new class — Summer Cocktails and Thai Appetizers. They are offering the class this Thursday, May 14 if you want to check it out yourself.

I loved the Thai food but it was the inventive drinks and the history behind American cocktails that really blew me away. The Tipsy Texan makes his drinks with all natural, in-season fruit and no mixes. He keeps a simple syrup in his fridge that easily lasts a few weeks in jelly jars, or longer with 1/2 oz. of vodka thrown in. He suggests keeping the following tools around if you plan on trying your hand as a mixologist at home. These include a “Boston Mixer” (mixing glass and shaker tin), a Hawthorne Strainer, long Bar Spoon, Jiggers, a Muddler, Knife and cutting board, juice squeezer (metal hand squeezer), and a fine strainer.

Tips: Citrus fruits yield 25% more juice when squeezed at room temperature than when they are refrigerated. Use fresh squeezed juice within 24 hours of squeezing. Sweeten drinks with simple syrup (1:1 water: sugar), honey or agave nectar.

Some of the drinks we tried included:

Daiquiri
1 1/2 oz. white rum
1 oz. simple syrup
3/4 oz. fresh squeezed lime juice
Combine in a mixing glass and shake with ice; strain into a chilled cocktail glass

Papa Doble (Hemmingway’s Cuban Daiquiri)
1 1/2 oz. white rum
3/4 oz. simple syrup
1/2 oz. fresh squeezed lime juice
1/2 oz. grapefruit juice
1/2 oz. Maraschino liqueur
Combine in a mixing glass and shake with ice; strain into a chilled cocktail glass

Mojito
2 sprigs mint
1 oz. simple syrup
3/4 oz. fresh squeezed lime juice
1 1/2 oz. white rum
1 1/2 oz. club soda
Variation: Muddle fresh strawberries, watermelon chunks, or other seasonal fruit in the bottom of the glass

Margarita (the unofficial official drink in Texas)
1 1/2 oz. 100% Agave Tequila
1 oz. Paula’s Texas Orange
3/4 oz. fresh squeezed lime juice
1/2 oz. agave nectar
Shake and strain ingredients with ice into a chilled cocktail glass rimmed with kosher salt.

Inspired by watching these gorgeous and tasty drinks being made, Adam and I got ambitious. Today, we squeezed 8 fresh lemons, mixed them with tonic, honey, and vodka, and put the mixture in the blender with lots of ice and fresh strawberries that have been in the freezer for about a month. The result would have made the Tipsy Texan twist his face at the taste and the technique — but I think he would applaud our ingenuity in using what we had in the house and what was in season and avoiding the beckoning margarita mix in the top of the cupboard.

Cheers!