Like most, you’re preparing to party your 3-day weekend away with good food, good friends, and GREAT drinks. While you’re sure to have your bar stocked with old favorites (red + white wine, beer, and a few stronger libations), why not make a signature cocktail on one of those days? Instead of having to break away from the fun to constantly mix individual drinks, whip up a few batches of a specialty drinks to tide guests over.
Here are a few easy recipes I found (you probably have most of the ingredients lying around):
1/4 cup mint
1 cup Grand Marnier
2 peaches, cut into thin wedges
1 bottle Viognier
1/3 cup water
1 mango, chopped
1/3 cup sugar
In a saucepan, cook the sugar and water until the sugar dissolves; transfer to a pitcher and refrigerate until cold.
Stir in the Grand Marnier, Viognier, mango, peaches and mint and serve over ice.
Cointreau Berry Rickey
8 oz cointreau
2 oz fresh lime juice
8 blackberries
8 raspberries
20 mint leaves
12 oz club soda
Muddle the berries and mint in a carafe.
Pour remaining ingredients into the carafe with ice and stir vigorously.
2 parts SVEDKA Strawberry Lemonade
1 part cranberry juice cocktail
½ part frozen lemonade
1½ parts lemon-lime soda
Pour ingredients into a pitcher and stir.
Garnish with strawberries and lemon slices.
80 mint leaves, torn or thinly sliced
8 ounces light rum
8 ounces aged rum
8 ounces fresh orange juice
8 ounces mango nectar or juice
4 ounces pineapple juice
Ice
8 pineapple wedges
In a pitcher, combine all of the ingredients except the ice and pineapple wedges and refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours.
Stir well and serve over ice in red wine glasses. Garnish each drink with a pineapple wedge.
What’s your favorite summer cocktail?