We are thrilled to have Frank Gabriel join the PRINT and Press Lounge teams as our new Director of Service. He has jumped right in to our locavore culture by creating stunning seasonal cocktails with regional ingredients. Because of this, when Grow NYC asked us to participate in their Rockefeller Center Green Market demo recently, we sent Frankie to show off his talents. His summer mocktails and stage presence made the perfect complement to Rockefeller Center’s bustling traffic. Additionally, it also didn’t hurt that Frankie was the lead singer of a rock band in his former career. Therefore he is far from shy on stage and in front of a mic.
It was one the last hot and humid August afternoons when we headed to set up at Rock Center. This made it perfect for serving our refreshing Berry Basil Cooler. The drink features I am a Weed Sumac Tea, made by our forager friend Tama Matsuoka of Meadows and More. Frankie worked the crowd while simultaneously shaking drinks. Overall, we got a lot of delighted feedback and refreshed smiles.
If you’d like to try your hand at these at home, below are the recipes for both the mocktail version of the drink and the cocktail rendition. Both of them are still available at the PRINT bar for a few more weeks until the autumn solstice. If you want to shake a few up at home you can source local berries while they last and purchase the sumac tea at Freshdirect.
Frank Gabriel’s So Berry Cool
- 1.5 oz bourbon
- 1 oz watermelon juice
- .75 oz blackberry basil syrup (recipe below)
- .25 oz lime
- .5 oz I am a Weed Sumac Tea (available from Freshdirect) or substitute lemon juice
Berry Basil Cooler
- 4.5 oz I am a Weed Sumac Tea or substitute lemonade
- .75 oz Black Raspberry Basil Simple Syrup (recipe below)
- 6 fresh red raspberries and/or blackberries
Berry Basil Syrup
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup black raspberries or blackberries
- 1 large handful of basil
- 1 large piece orange zest
