Summer Shakedown

Pomtini

Trula Restaurant, Mayo Hotel

115 W. 5th St.

Trent McCutchen's signature summer martini is created with relatively simple, off-the-shelf ingredients, but a great cocktail doesn't need complicated components. McCutchen's Pomtini is all about pairing complimentary flavors with spot-on proportions.

McCutchen has tended bar for nine years and poured and served at the Mayo's Trula for more than a year. He started playing with mixing orange/pomegranate flavors along the way. After taking the Trula post, he got curious about incorporating some of the bar's less-used liquors.

"The vanilla vodka and PAMA just weren't moving, so I tried it out," he said.

McCutchen's final mix includes Absolut Vanilla, PAMA Pomegranate Flavored Liqueur, orange juice and bar-made simple syrup. The sweetness balances out the tartness of the orange juice and pomegranate and the drink is shaken and strained into a frosted martini glass.

"If a customer is more into sweet than tart flavors, I can add just a little bit of Sprite, which makes it bubbly and takes some of that bite out," he said.

The Pomtini isn't on Trula's menu yet, but don't hesitate to order one, McCutchen said. The fruity, fun martini will be a prominent part of the restaurant and bar's summer drink menu, which is due out any day now.

Cucumber Martini

Waterfront Grill

120 S. Aquarium Dr., Jenks

Waterfront's summer martini makes absolutely no sense -- until you taste it.

Lime and cucumber juices and Mexican fruit seasoning?

It's a strange and surprising potion that tastes nothing like its salady ingredients.

The drink recipe was a collaborative effort, said bar manager Darren Jones, who has worked at the Jenks bar and restaurant since it opened.

Unlike with Trula's Pomtini, the key for the Waterfront bar crew is using odd, uncommon and labor-intensive ingredients.

"A lot of places use flavored liquors, but we wanted a really strong cucumber and lime flavor," Jones said.

The limes are fresh-squeezed, the cucumbers are juiced by hand and the mix is blended with bar-made simple syrup and Skyy vodka, then shaken and strained. The most offbeat component of the Cucumber Martini is its dry element: Tajín fruit and snack seasoning, a spicy lime and chili powder that rims the glass and floats on a peeled cucumber garnish in a frosted martini glass.

The Cucumber Martini is cool and refreshing. As you sip, the Tajín seasoning mixes in and sinks to the bottom, adding a tangy zip to the smooth cucumber and lime infusion.