cocktail

The Best Hydrating Cocktails For A Hot Weekend

Published

1 week ago

June 21, 2024

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What can you do – the heat is raging but you want a cold cocktail – here are some of the best to keep you semi-hydrated

The temperatures are soaring, but it is still summer – time for beach trips, parties poolside and bbq. You want a cocktail, but you have to be careful about dehydration. Here are the best hydrating cocktails for a hot weekend. Alcohol will dehydrate you some – but here are some better choices. And try to drink a glass of water for every drink you have.

Coffee, tea and energy drinks are to be avoided. According to the Mayo Clinic, “As a chemical, caffeine increases production of urine, which means caffeine is a diuretic.” Which means the espresso martini is definitely a no no. Also, beer is consumed in larger volumes, which may give a false sense of hydration.

Vodka & Soda

The best, hydrating drink in the heat is a vodka with club soda and fruit. The minerals in the club soda are hydrating and vodka has fewer amounts of byproducts making it less likely to lead to major dehydration or a hangover.

Ingredients

Fill glass with ice
Add vodka and soda
Garnish and enjoy

Gin Negroni

Gin was the drink for the British in the heat of tropics. This refresh drink can also be a delight to your system. The grapefruit Negroni sticks with gin, sweet vermouth and Campari, but it tweaks the ratio, calling for more gin and less Campari. This adjustment yields a less bitter drink than the original.

Ingredients

2 peeled ruby red grapefruit segments (or 1 ounce fresh ruby red grapefruit juice)
1 1/2 ounces gin
1 ounce sweet vermouth
1/2 ounce Campari
Garnish: long, wide swath of grapefruit peel

Create

Squeeze the grapefruit segments into a shaker and drop in the fruit (or add fresh juice)
Add the gin, sweet vermouth and Campari to the shaker with ice, and shake until well-chilled
Place ice in a rocks glass and curl the grapefruit peel around the inside of the glass
Strain into the prepared glass

Pink Gin Spritz

The Gin & Tonic is the classic drink of the hot, humid, envoricemewnt. Originally made to hide the taste of quinine, the power was mined with soda and sugar, creating tonic water. And then they mixed it with gin. Here is a fun update for a hot day for you – something summer, fresh and a delight!

Ingredients

1 oz Pink gin
1 oz Tonic
2 oz Prosecco
1 Strawberry
1 Mint sprig
Ice

Create

Muddle strawberry in a glass
Fill glass with ice
Add gin and tonic
As splash of Prosecco
Garnish with mint

The Oaks Lily

The cocktail hero at Churchill Downs during the heat, the Oaks Lily is a great replacement to the heavy mint julep. The juice is good for your system and the taste is easy without being too sweet.

Ingredients

1 ounce vodka
½ ounce orange liqueur
½ ounce simple syrup (See Notes)
½ ounce fresh lemon juice
3 ounces cranberry juice
Lemon wedges, for serving
Fresh blackberries, for serving

Create

Fill a Collins or highball glass with ice
Add vodka, orange liqueur, lemon juice, simple syrup and cranberry juice
Stir to combine
Garnish with a lemon wedge and a fresh blackberry

Remember to be careful on your consumption and drink plenty of water. Have a great summer.

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bourbon

The Best 4th Of July Cocktails

Published

24 hours ago

June 28, 2024

admin

Independence Day is time for fireworks, family, bbqs, travel and fun! The biggest holiday during the summer is also one of the booziest – and here are the cocktails to enjoy!

The Fresh Toast – Here are the best 4th of July cocktails to enjoy at every event. These are easy and will be a big hit!

July 4th is the big holiday in the summer and people make the most of it! Travel, bbqs, fireworks, parades all on the buffet of fun! And the centerpiece for most is a good drink….it is the 4th booziest holiday of the year. It is also a big weekend for marijuana, but with gatherings, most people reach for something cold. Here are the best 4th of July cocktails embracing the hot weather, tasty flavors and simple classic.

Watermelon

Watermelon is the perfect summer fruit – crispy, flavorful and hydrating, it has been a sticky favorite for years. This cocktail gives it a great twist for outdoor actives. Just be careful – it can be lethal!

Ingredients

Firecracker Shots

This could be the most delicious shot to celebrate Independence Day. A little effort will make a big splash when you arrive these taste treats! Great to kick-off the party or an extra special dessert!

Ingredients

Blue Layer

One 1/4-ounce envelope unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup Blue Curacao liqueur
1/2 cup vodka

Red Layer

One 1/4-ounce pouch unflavored gelatin
3/4 cup grenadine
1/2 cup vodka
Whipped cream, homemade or store-bought, for garnish

Create

Squeeze the grapefruit segments into a shaker and drop in the fruit (or add fresh juice)
Add the gin, sweet vermouth and Campari to the shaker with ice, and shake until well-chilled
Place ice in a rocks glass and curl the grapefruit peel around the inside of the glass
Strain into the prepared glass

Rosé Spritz

Quick, easy and delicious – this is good for small and large groups as it can be assembled on the fly.

Ingredients

3 ounces pink Prosecco
2 ounces seltzer
1 ounce bitter orange liqueur, such as Aperol
1/2 ounce grapefruit juice
1 grapefruit twist
Mint for garnish

Create

Fill a white wine glass halfway with ice
Add Prosecco, seltzer, orange liqueur and grapefruit juice and stir
Garnish with a grapefruit twist and a sprig of mint

Mint Julep

The Mint Julep is an All-American classic drink celebrating horse racing, morning drinking and good bourbon! What better beverage to have at 4th of July BBQ?

Ingredients

8 fresh mint leaves, plus more for garnish
¼ to ½ ounce simple syrup (you can make ahead)
2 ounces bourbon
Crushed ice

Create

In a julep cup or glass, muddle the mint leaves in ¼ ounce simple syrup
Add the bourbon and fill the cup with crushed ice
Garnish with mint

Simply Syrup

Combine 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water in a medium saucepan over medium heat
Bring to a boil, stirring, until sugar has dissolved.
Allow to cool, place in fridge to be cocktail ready

Remember to be careful on your consumption and drink plenty of water. Have a great Independence Day!

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bourbon

Cool Ice Cream Cocktails For A Heat Dome

Published

3 weeks ago

June 7, 2024

admin

Summer had roared in with record temperatures across the Southern US….boozy ice cream is a perfect way to make it more

Yes, it gets hot in the summer, but toss in a heat dome and temperatures soar! It is a weather phenomenon where the atmosphere traps hot air, like a lid or cap. The heat is trapped in the day and night and soars to usually high levels. But cool ice cream cocktails for a heat dome couple become your new boozy treat!

Champagne Float

Champagne is a perfect way to toast relief from 100+ degree temperatures…or just because it is a Tuesday. When not give a chic, adult update to the classic root beer float. This quick combo can be used for an afternoon delight or post dinner dessert.

Ingredients

Have chilled champagne flutes read
Add 3-4 small scoops of ice cream/sorbet/frozen yogurt to each glase
Top with champagne, garnish with a strawberry, and serve immediately

Margarita Ice Cream Float

Margaritas are go to cool drink of the summer….so why not kick it up a notch and a little cream fun????

Ingredients

2 scoops softened Vanilla Ice Cream
4 Tbsp fresh lime juice
2 cup lemon lime soda
2 shot 100% agave tequila
lime wheel garnish
salt on the rim garnish

Create

Juice limes to produce 4 tbsp of fresh lime juice.
Wet rim of glass with lime wedge. Pour salt onto a plate. Turn glasses upside down and press rim into the salt. Scoop ice cream into each glass.
Combine lemon lime soda, tequila, and lime juice and divide between two glasses.
Garnish with lime wheel and grate lime peel and enjoy!

Martini A La Ice Cream

Take the cool, classic martini and make it a refreshing relief which laughs at the rise thermometer. You can choose a variety of flavors, but the pink of the strawberry looks great.

Ingredients

1 oz Vodka
1 oz White chocolate liqueur
1 oz Strawberry liqueur
2 scoops strawberry ice cream
Sugar
Ice

Create

Rim edge of martini glass in coarse sugar
Fill martini shaker with ice, vodka, white chocolate liqueur and strawberry liqueur
Shake well
Add two scoops of strawberry ice cream to martini glass and pour mix over top
Garnish with a strawberry

Boozy Chocolate Shake

Shakes are classic summer treats, and most people would be surprised to learn strawberry is the most popular flavor sold. Here is a classic cocktail blending the joy of ice cream and the richness of bourbon.

Ingredients

6 ounces bourbon
3 cups premium vanilla ice cream (plus more if needed)
1 1/2 cups whole milk
6 tablespoons chocolate syrup, divided

Create

Place four heavy pint glasses in the freezer to chill for 30 minutes
Add the bourbon, ice cream, milk, and four tablespoons of the chocolate syrup to a powerful blender
Add three ice cubes, and blend until smooth. If the mixture seems too thin, add another 1/4 to 1/2 cup of ice cream and blend again
Divide evenly among the prepared pint glasses, and top each with 1/2 tablespoon of the remaining chocolate syrup
Serve immediately

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alcohol

The Best St. Patrick’s Day Cocktail Recipes

Published

3 months ago

March 22, 2024

admin

It is a time to celebrate and relish in your heritage…wear green, tip a glass and enjoy some of these St. Patrick’s Day cocktail.

St. Patrick’s Day is a holiday where people wear green, make merry and imbibe…often heavily. In Ireland, up until the mid-twentieth century, the holiday remained modest and grounded in religion. It was not until the swinging 1960s when in Ireland it became the raucous celebration it is today. To help carry on the tradition, here are the best St. Patrick’s Day cocktail recipes.

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Boilermaker

You can’t get more of a St. Patrick’s Day drink than a boilermaker. Originally call the Sean O’Farrell, it was created in the 1890s in Montana. When the beer is served as a chaser, the drink is often called simply a shot and a beer.

Ingredients

1 ounce whiskey (usually bourbon or rye)
8 ounces beer

Create

Pour the whiskey into a shot glass
Fill a pint glass halfway with beer.
Drop the shot glass into the beer.
Drink

Vodka Stinger

Irish Car Bomb

A variation of the Boilermaker with a little dark history. It hit the scene in 1979 in Wilson’s Saloon in Connecticut by Charles Burke Cronin Oat.^{Originally created as a mixed shot drink called a Grandfather combining Baileys Irish Cream and Kahlúa. On St. Patrick’s Day March 1977 he added Jameson Irish Whiskey to the drink, calling this drink “the IRA.” In 1979, Oat spontaneously dropped this shot into a partially-drunk Guinness, calling the result a Belfast Carbomb or Irish Carbomb. And history was made.}

It’s rarely a good idea to chug anything, but the Irish Shot is an exception, as it benefits from quick consumption. That’s because the Irish cream will react with the acidic beer and begin to curdle if allowed to sit for more than a few seconds. And nobody wants curdled cream in their drink.

Ingredients

1/2 ounce Irish whiskey
1/2 ounce Baileys Irish cream
Guinness beer

Create

Add the Baileys and whiskey into a shot glass, pouring slowly to create a layered effect.
Drop the shot into a pint glass filled half to three-quarters with the Guinness. Drink immediately.

Vodka Stinger

While not a traditional St. Patrick’s Day cocktail, it does have a new green coloring and has the popular vodka as a base. Created ink 1890, a stinger is made with brandy, crème de menthe, and simple syrup. It is first noted in William Schmidt’s 1892 cocktail book The Flowing Bowl. Immediately popular with New York social set, it spread across the country. A “vodka stinger”, also known as a white spider, uses vodka instead of brandy.

½ oz of white creme de menthe (green if you want the Irish version)

Create

Load a shaker with ice cubes
Pop in all your ingredients, vodka and crème de menthe
Give that shaker a good and energetic whirl
Strain your cocktail mix into a glass

RELATED: Rainy Weather Cocktails

Green Beer

The Chicago River is green today and green is the color of celebrations today! So how to make green beer – well, it isn’t hard. Legend has it, Dr. Thomas Curtincreated green beer we drink today. Dr. Thomas Curtin, a coroner’s physician and eye surgeon, first colored beer for a St. Patrick’s Day party at the Schnerer Club of Morrisania in the Bronx in 1914. It has been popular every since and the green does not change the flavor.

Ingredients