Sweet and Springy Pantone Living Coral Cocktails

This spring, we’re awake to color. It’s been a long, low-fi winter and we’re bounding into spring with an eye for bright chartreuse, deep orange, playful fuschia — tones to amp up our energy, and engage our senses. Inspiration is everywhere, from the blue of Lake Michigan as it melts from frozen ice caps into spring’s warmth, to the 70s burnt orange of the sesame noodles we enjoyed in NYC over a long, late lunch at Hunan Kitchen of Grand Sichuan. We – I – am finding that little pools of color in everyday settings — from spotted, brown broken egg shells to velvety mint — gives the quotidian a little chutzpah.

Truth be told: we like anything that turns the everyday into cinema.

To that end, we’re obsessed with @Pantone. Pantone is the world’s leading color trend setter – their “color of the year” is an Instagram sensation, as much as it is a forecaster for fashion, florals, and visual styling from our favorite photographers, architects, and culinary innovators.

The 2019 pick is “living coral” – a salmon pink that’s deep and bright, flirting with orange but never quite going there. It’s a punchy color, and a happy one. Did we mention it photographs beautifully?

We rounded up a few cocktail recipes, tweaked / created from scratch to be Pantone living coral and deliciously zippy.

Happy spring!

Ingredients:

• Contratto (splash) – optional
• Prosecco (2 ounces)
• Gin (2 ounces)
• Fresh lemon, lime (squeeze)
• Grapefruit juice
• Splash of cranberry
• Ice cubes for serving
• Thin lemon, lime wedges for garnish

In short glass, combine prosecco, gin, splash of cranberry (just a touch of the cranberry – anything more will turn cocktail into deep red). Mix well. Add grapefruit juice till mixture resembles coral color (should need about 1-2 ounces). In separate (serving glass) – add ice cubes, and pour in mixture you just combined. Add squeeze of lemon juice. Add very thinly sliced lemon, lime. Add dash of Contratto (optional) to round out the color. Mix and serve. Voila.

Ingredients:

• Tequila – 1 ounce
• Tonic – splash
• Regan’s Orange Bitters No. 6 – 3 drops
• Aperol – splash
• Yellow Chartreuse (optional) – 3 drops
• Grapefruit – 3 ounces
• Red onion ribbons (garnish)
• Ice cubes for chilling (pre serving)

This cocktail recipe was built on the heels of #coral giants, but quickly devolved into its own weird blend. Yes, it has a red onion ribbon garnish and yes, we feel good about it. (As it turns out, this touch rounds out the sweetness and adds a little kick. We dig it).

If you have, serve this in antique cut crystal. You’ll mix the drink separately then pour over. Let ice cubes rest in cut crystal glass – you want this cocktail chilled without actually serving with ice.

In short glass, mix 1 ounce tequila (we used Casamigos), splash of Aperol, and tonic. Stir well. Add grapefruit. If you have Yellow Chartreuse (a new booze we are into), add splash of this. A little goes a long way — this has a bright color and deep flavor. Pour into your (chilled) serving glass.

Add 3 dashes of your bitters, mix. Add slivers of red onion ribbons (you can get this effect by cutting onion verrrrry thinly, and then cutting into cross slices, or even by cutting with scissors). Your cocktail is here, and ready to be enjoyed.

Until the next mixology Pantone lesson, check out our other creative cocktail ideas here.

Arriverderci!