North Beach Cooler
Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 8.9% ABV ∙
The North Beach Cooler shakes tequila blanco, dry vermouth and a red bitter with lime and syrup, then tops it with soda in a highball. Bittersweet and citrusy up front, the tequila's agave bite softened by soda's fizz into a light, easy-drinking finish.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake the first 5 ingredients with ice: Tequila blanco 20 mlDry vermouth 20 mlRed bitter 15 mlLime juice 20 mlSugar syrup 15 ml
- Strain into the ice-filled glass
- Top with Soda water
- Garnish with a mint sprig and a lime wedge
Tips
- Chill the glass before building so the soda topper stays cold and fizzy instead of going flat fast.
- Pour the soda water gently down the side of the glass rather than straight in, so it doesn't knock out all the fizz.
- Shake the first five ingredients hard and long enough to fully chill them, since the soda itself adds no dilution.
History
The North Beach Cooler was created in 2018 by Priscilla Leong, an Australian bartender then working at The Baxter Inn in Sydney, who won the inaugural Australian season of the Speed Rack cocktail competition with this drink. Speed Rack is a competitive series that showcases female bartenders, and the North Beach Cooler was later collected among more than 100 competition recipes in the 2024 book A Quick Drink, published by the event's founders. The cocktail pairs tequila with Campari and dry vermouth lengthened with soda, a combination bartenders have likened to a low-alcohol cross between a Siesta and a Rome with a View.
FAQ
What is a cooler cocktail?
A cooler is a long, refreshing drink built from a spirit base lengthened with a carbonated mixer like soda water, usually served over ice in a tall glass. The North Beach Cooler fits the style, with its tequila blanco base topped up with soda water in a highball glass.
What is in a North Beach Cooler?
Tequila blanco, dry vermouth, a red bitter such as Campari, fresh lime juice, and sugar syrup, shaken together and strained over ice, then topped with soda water and garnished with a mint sprig and a lime wedge.
How do you make a North Beach Cooler?
Shake the tequila, dry vermouth, red bitter, lime juice, and sugar syrup hard with ice, then strain into an ice-filled highball glass. Top with soda water and garnish with a mint sprig and a lime wedge. Pre-chilling the glass beforehand keeps the soda topper lively.
