Blended fruits create summery drink

Eugene Cup #1 (left) and South for the Winter. CONTRIBUTED BY CHRIS HUNT PHOTOGRAPHY

Credit: Chris Hunt

Credit: Chris Hunt

Eugene Cup #1 (left) and South for the Winter. CONTRIBUTED BY CHRIS HUNT PHOTOGRAPHY

Restaurant Eugene’s South for the Winter was a pleasant surprise. It has an appealing sweet and refreshing flavor akin to a basket of ripe, juicy berries on a summer’s day, a drink that will keep you coming back for more. Their Eugene Cup #1 was crisp and assertive on my palate. A wonderful blend of sweet fruit countered by the warmth and spiciness of the Pimm’s #1 and ginger ale. A combination sure to make this drink a crowd pleaser when entertaining and a go-to personal choice as the summer approaches. Will they share the recipes? — Aubrey Lenyard, Decatur

Sadly, Restaurant Eugene is no more, but Hopkins & Co. beverage director Alicia Yandell shared these recipes from earlier times.

South for the Winter

Make strawberry puree by blending fresh strawberries with just enough sugar to sweeten to taste. Add a pinch of salt as well. A pint of strawberries will yield about 1 cup of puree, enough for just shy of 6 cocktails.

Eugene Cup #1

The seasonal fruit puree called for here is indeed that, seasonal. Depending on when you enjoyed this drink at Restaurant Eugene, the pureed fruit might have been peach, melon, plum, apricot, fig or strawberry, or whatever else was ripe and delicious.

Mint or Garden Simple Syrup

The herb or herbs you add to this syrup determine which cocktail it matches.

From the menu of … Restaurant Eugene (now closed), 2277 Peachtree Road, Atlanta. https://hopkins-co.com/

Is there a recipe from a metro Atlanta restaurant you'd like to make at home? Tell us and we'll try to get it. We'll also test it and adapt it for the home kitchen. Because of volume, we can't answer all inquiries. Send your request, your address and phone number to fromthemenu@gmail.com and put "From the menu of" and the name of restaurant in the subject line.

RELATED:

Read more stories like this by liking Atlanta Restaurant Scene on Facebook, following @ATLDiningNews on Twitter and @ajcdining on Instagram.