Pineapple Refresher

It’s week 3 of “Cocktail Month” and I am excited to share a concoction that is new to me – but is sure to be an ongoing favorite.  This Pineapple Refresher couldn’t be easier to make and excellent on the palate during these hot summer months! 

A friend of mine told me about this and I may be hooked!  I’m sure you could use any flavored vodka to make this drink – I even saw a strawberry lemonade vodka at the store that might just be impeccable as well! 

I used a pineapple vodka made by New Amsterdam that I purchased at my local Safeway.  Topped off with some carbonated water and garnished with a slice of pineapple, it is the perfect drink for summer.  

Seltzer water was my choice, you could certainly use a mineral water such as Perrier or San Pellegrino – I just try to stick with something that doesn’t have sodium.

Another new product I tried while making this drink are silicone ice cube trays that produce perfectly square 1-inch cubes.  These were super easy to get out of the tray and the cubes look great in the glass.  There are bigger 2-inch trays you can purchase, but those are more for whiskey on the rocks – allowing for a slower rate of melting.  The name of the trays I purchased is called Elbee Silicone Ice Tray – 15 cube set of 2 and I bought them through Amazon for a mere $8.99.  These will see plenty of use!

Enjoy this one while the temperatures are warm – I’m sure you will love it!  Hint:  It’s even better in a chilled glass.

Pineapple Refresher

Makes 1 cocktail
Ice Cubes 
1 ½ ounces Pineapple Vodka 
Carbonated Water 
Sliced pineapple, for garnish

Fill chilled rocks glass with ice cubes.  Add 1 ½ ounces of pineapple vodka.  Top with carbonated water, stir, garnish and serve immediately.  

Flagarita - A Cocktail for the 4th of July

It’s that time of year again – 4^th of July!  A day we pay tribute to our brave military forces for protecting us and fighting for our freedom.  A day when we also spend time with family and friends enjoying BBQs, swimming, and of course fireworks. 

Last year I featured a Patriotic Punch cocktail to help you celebrate the day.  This year I went for another super easy cocktail you can make in no time.  This is a simple margarita recipe that swaps out the Triple Sec for Blue Curaçao still giving you that yummy orange flavor that makes a margarita perfect while at the same time coloring it blue to help celebrate our country.  Note that I didn’t add any sort of simple syrup to it – I kind of liked the tartness of the drink without it.  Play around with the recipe though – make it so that it pleases your palate!

Flagarita
Makes 1 Cocktail

1 part freshly squeezed lime juice
1 part Blue Curaçao
1 part Silver Tequila (I used Tequila Jose Cuervo Especial Silver)
Crushed Ice
Salt (optional)

Put your glass in the freezer before you begin making the Flagaritas.  If you haven’t done this and you are short on time, you can add crushed ice to your glass and fill with water to chill while you mix your drink.

Fill your cocktail shaker about 2/3 full with crushed ice.  Add the lime juice, Blue Curaçao, and Silver Tequila.   Shake!  Get your glass ready (dump out ice water if you did that) and rim with salt, if desired.  Remove the entire top of the cocktail shaker and fill glass with drink and crushed ice. 

Enjoy – and Happy 4^th of July!

Blackberry Mojitos

It’s the final week of “Cocktail Month” for my column over on The Southeast Valley Ledger and why not finish out the month with a fun drink like a Blackberry Mojito?

Mojitos are super easy and perfectly refreshing in the summer. The classic version is a mixture of light rum, limes, mint, and club soda – adding a few blackberries while muddling the mint gives the cocktail a beautiful color and fruity taste. You don’t necessarily need a “muddler” to make these, but you will need a cocktail shaker and the back of a spoon.

 

 

Blackberry Mojitos

Serves 2

 

4 ounces light rum (I use Bacardi)

12-14 mint leaves

2 tablespoons sugar

10-12 blackberries

2 limes, cut into quarters then each quarter cut cross-wise. Save a little bit to slice for garnish.

Club soda

Ice

 

To your cocktail shaker add the mint leaves and sugar. Using a muddler or the back of a spoon, mix them together, breaking up the mint. Add the blackberries, muddle more. Squeeze all of the limes into the cocktail shaker and drop them in there, muddle just a little bit more. Add rum. Put top on shaker and start shakin’!

 

Fill two rocks glasses with crushed ice. Strain the liquid into each glass, then remove top to add some of the limes and blackberries. Top with club soda and stir. Garnish with a slice of lime.

Truro Vineyards of Cape Cod - Chardonnay

Many years ago, like in 2005, my parents visited Cape Cod.  While they were there, they made their way to Truro Vineyards and enjoyed a delightful experience there. While there, my parents bought The Hubby and I a very unique bottle of wine. 

They visited us that year for Christmas with said bottle and happily gave it to us as a gift under the tree.  This was a beautiful bottle of Chardonnay that was part of Truro Vineyard’s Lighthouse Series.  What does this mean?  Well – take a look at the photo.  Isn’t it cool?  It is in the shape of a lighthouse - it doesn't get more Cape Cod than that!  According to their website, “These wines represent a bit of a departure from the traditional wine, in large part because we put them into beautiful and colorful lighthouse shaped bottles. Sent to us from Italy, these bottles not only house wonderful wines, but are kept as keepsakes and souvenirs by tourists all over the world.”

What my parents didn’t know, was that they would learn on Christmas Day that I was expecting our first child.  So, needless to say we hung onto the bottle of wine and saved it for another day.  There it stayed in our wine refrigerator for over 8 years.  We kept shuffling it around when new wine arrived – but wanted to save it. 

With the weather warming up here in the Valley of the Sun, I have officially made the switch from reds to whites.  Finally, I said to The Hubby, “Let’s open this and drink it”.  And we did.  And it was delicious.  Wow.  Like, really amazing.  It was rich, buttery, and full of all kinds of yummy Chardonnay flavor. 

Truro Vineyards still bottles Chardonnay, but not in the Lighthouse Series.  They have reserved that series for three of their sweeter wines.  After speaking with the Truro, I also learned that they are launching a distillery and will be ready to start selling Twenty Boat Spiced Rum in May.  This won’t be shipped yet, but available if you visit the vineyard.

I hope you’ll take a look at their website, www.trurovineyardsofcapecode.com, and check out their beautiful photos and wines. 

Do you have special or unique wines that you are “saving”?  I’d love to hear about them! 

Pomegranate Watermelon Rum Cooler

I recently featured this in my weekly column for the Southeast Valley Ledger, it's way too good to not add to the blog for reference later! 

One of my girlfriends and I had a lot of fun taste testing different varieties of this cocktail until we finally came up with one that we both loved.

It's a light, refreshing cooler that with just a few simple ingredients, you'll have created a delicious drink in no time.  The result is a beverage that is clean, easy to drink and makes you just a little happier too.

Pomegranate Watermelon Rum Cooler

Serves 2 (plus a little extra to top off your drink)  

½ cup pomegranate juice
2 shots light rum
2 shots sour watermelon schnapps (such as Mr. Stacks)
Juice of 1 lime
Small amount of Sprite
Ice
Watermelon slices for garnish  

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add the pomegranate juice, rum, sour watermelon schnapps, and lime juice.   Shake it!  Using the cocktail shaker’s strainer, pour into tumbler about 2/3 full.  Top off with Sprite and garnish.  Sip.  Enjoy.  Repeat.