The perfect complement to your Memorial Day cookout is a summer cocktail! Here are are few amazing drinks (recipes included) that you can create at home to celebrate the beautiful weather, the Americana spirit, and good times with friends and family.
BOLD + MINT TEA
Bold + Mint Tea
Nothing says summer quite like an ice tea, and this curious cocktail takes ice tea to a whole new level. New York-based mixologist, Pamela Wiznitzer, takes hibiscus teabags from local tea company Brooklyn Tea and infuses them into Ecco Domani wine. The concoction is sweetened with simple syrup, creating a boozy afternoon treat that’s sure to impress. Add to that the impressive visuals of the ruby drink with its lime wedges and mint, and you have an ice tea that’s not only delicious but also visually stunning!
Ingredients:
~ 4 oz Ecco Domani
~ .5 oz simple syrup
~ .75 oz lime juice
~ high-quality hibiscus tea bags (Brooklyn Tea has a phenomenal one).
~ Fresh Mint
~ Garnish: Lime wheels along the inside of the glass
Directions:
~ In a glass, add one teabag with 4 oz of Ecco Domani wine. Allow to sit for 15 minutes.
~ In a highball glass, add ice and place the lime wheels alongside the inside of the wall of the glass (being held in place with the ice).
~ Add the simple syrup and lime juice into the infusion after 15 minutes. Stir and pour over the highball glass. Garnish with fresh mint on top.
STRAWBERRY LEMONADE
Who says that great drinks always require alcohol? Lemonade is easily the most iconic drink of summer. Essentia, known for their premium 9.5 pH alkaline water, has kicked up their lemonade (developed by Essentia Water Registered Dietitian Jessica Bippen) with the addition of summer’s favorite fruit, strawberries. Better yet, the drink gets its sweetness from honey (and the natural sugars in strawberries). What that means is that this lemonade is packed with vitamins from the lemons and strawberries, minerals from the honey, and hydrating properties, thanks to the alkaline water. Could there be a more delicious way to stay hydrated?
Essentia’s strawberry lemonade
Ingredients:
~ ½ lb strawberries
~ ⅓- ½ cup honey
~ 1 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (approx 2lbs lemons)
~ 1 liter Essentia
Directions:
~ Add the strawberries, honey, and 1 cup Essentia water to a blender, and blend on high until smooth.
~ Pour the lemon juice and blended strawberry purée into a large pitcher.
~ Stir in the remaining water.
~ Place the lemonade in the refrigerator to chill for 1-2 hours before serving.
~ Serve over ice and enjoy!
RED, WHITE & BOOM PUNCH
For a lush, star-spangled cocktail, you can’t beat Svedka’s Red, White & Blue Punch. Svedka uses their 80 proof vodka and combines it with triple sec, lemonade, cranberry juice, and lime juice. It’s a sweet and tart cocktail that’s perfect for finishing off a Memorial Day barbecue. To really add some flair to the drink, Svedka tops it all off with berries, which creates a cocktail that truly is red, white, and blue!
Svedka’s Red, White and Boom cocktail
Ingredients:
~ 1 3/4 Parts SVEDKA Spirit Edition 80P
~ 1/2 Part Triple Sec
~ 3/4 Part Lemonade
~ 1 Part Cranberry Juice
~ 1 Part Fresh Lime Juice
~ Berries for garnish
Directions:
~ Combine all ingredients in a punch bowl.
~ Add 5-6 cups of ice.
~ Garnish with blueberries and sliced strawberries.
BLUE RASPBERRY MARGARITA
Seagram’s Blue Raspberry Margarita
With a mesmerizing, electric blue color, this cocktail is sure to be eye-catching and delicious. Plus, this sweet and frozen drink is perfect for keeping you cool during even the hottest July swelters. It all starts with Seagram’s Escapes new summer collection of Italian ice-inspired drinks. You can buy cases of blue raspberry (blue), cherry (red), and lemonade (white) to create an instant festive feel for any get-together. This margarita blends the blue raspberry drink (which has been frozen in an ice cube tray!) with tequila and lime to create a frozen margarita like no other.
Ingredients:
~ 1 bottle Seagram’s Escapes Blue Raspberry Italian Ice
~ 2 oz tequila
~ Juice from 1 large lime (and a little extra for the rim)
~ 1 tbsp kosher salt
~ Lime slice and raspberries for garnish
Directions:
~ Pour the Seagram’s blue raspberry Italian ice into an ice tray and freeze until solid.
~ Prepare the cocktail glass by dipping it into lime juice and salt to create the salted rim.
~ In a blender, mix the tequila, lime juice, and half the Seagram’s ice cubes until smooth.
~ pour into the rimmed glass to serve, and garnish with lime and raspberries (and the extra ice cubes can be used to re-cool the drink if it has been in the sun too long).
DIPPIN’ DOTS STRAWBERRY DAIQUIRI
The massive and stunning JW Marriot resort in San Antonio’s Hill Country is taking cocktails to the next level. Their poolside bar serves up these freshly blended daiquiris topped with Dippin’ Dots ice cream, or as the JW Marriot calls them, “fireworks in your mouth!” It’s a fun and festive way to celebrate the holiday. The cocktail itself is redder than the stripes of Old Glory herself, and with the magical addition of Dippin’ Dots ice cream, it offers a more flavorful fireworks display than anything in the night sky.
Dippin’ Dots Strawberry from the JW Marriott San Antonio
Ingredients:
~ 4 oz. light rum
~ 1/2 c. fresh strawberries
~ 1/2 c. frozen strawberries
~ 2 oz. fresh lime juice (approximately one lime)
~ Dippin’ Dots ice cream for garnish
Directions:
~ Add rum, fresh and frozen strawberries, and lime juice to a blender.
~ Blend until smooth.
~ Top with Dippin’ Dots flavor of your choice.
