​Apricot Aperitif

A batch of this summer refresher is perfect for a vacation get-together.

Dubbed The Recipe by its creator, Kemit Lawing Sr., this drink has been a celebratory staple for quite a while in the Lawing, Scott and Burris families (profiled in our Summer 2020 Issue of South Brunswick Magazine). The members of this family have been friends of mine my entire life. They have been vacationing on the Brunswick County coast for more than 30 years from western North Carolina, and each time they make The Recipe. Not only is this drink a tasty and refreshing concoction, but also it brings about camaraderie.

Whether they’re playing cornhole at the beach house, cooking in the kitchen, tossing washers on the beach, dealing cards inside or just sitting on the deck watching the waves, this drink is usually in hand. It makes a large enough batch that it serves the entire family for a few days right out of the freezer.

Apricot is the star ingredient in this recipe mainly because it offers a sweet but tart flavor, unlike the other ingredients in this cocktail. One sip and you will be wondering what that unique flavor is. Apricots contain a single large seed in the center and grow on trees much like a peach. They offer a moderate amount of vitamin A, C and potassium.

Beat the heat this year by serving this refreshing and frozen cocktail to your friends and family. Who knows? The Recipe might become your new go-to vacation drink as well.