Summer Spirits

If you've ever come by the store around 5:00 you know we like to have Happy Hour with a little champagne! As we get closer to the official first day of summer and the heat and humidity rise we thought we'd share a few of our favorite summer cocktails with y'all!

 

You can't go wrong with a classic margarita! Here's a simple recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 lime, halved
• Coarse salt
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice, from about 4 limes
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/4 cup orange-flavored liqueur (recommended: Grand Marnier)
• 1/4 cup Triple Sec
• 1 cup gold tequila
• Ice
• 1/2 can good quality lager-style beer
• Lime wheels, for garnish

Directions:

To salt the margarita glasses, rub the outside rims of 4 big glasses with a cut lime and press them lightly into a plate of kosher salt, to coat.

Combine the lime juice, sugar, orange liqueur, Triple Sec, tequila, and a big handful of ice in a cocktail shaker (or blender). Shake the margarita really well, for a good 20 seconds, add a splash of beer and strain into the salt rimmed glasses filled with ice. Garnish with a lime wheel.

Blackberry Bourbon Iced Tea, a great twist on a fabulous fruit tea:

Ingredients:

• 3 cups fresh blackberries
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint, plus mint sprigs for garnish
• 6 good-quality black tea bags
• Good-quality bourbon, to taste (Bobby likes Woodford Reserve)

Directions:

Combine the blackberries, sugar and chopped mint in a large bowl and mash with a potato masher or wooden spoon; let sit while making the tea.

While the blackberries are macerating, bring 1 1/2 quarts cold water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Remove from the heat, add the tea bags and let steep for about 3 minutes. Remove the tea bags and pour the tea over the blackberry mixture. Let the mixture sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour to let the flavors meld.

Pour the mixture through a strainer into a pitcher, pressing on the solids. Cover and refrigerate until cold, at least 2 hours. (You can also pour the mixture into a bowl set over an ice bath to cool it faster.)

Serve the blackberry tea over ice in tall glasses and float a shot of bourbon on top of each. Garnish with fresh mint sprigs

 

 

How amazing does this tropical sangria sound?

Ingredients

• 2 blood oranges, halved and thinly sliced
• 2 kiwis, peeled and cut into wedges
• 1 cup seedless red grapes, halved or whole
• 1 mango, cut into bite-size pieces
• 2 bottles sauvignon blanc wine, chilled
• 2 ounces orange liqueur, such as Cointreau
• 8 ounces fresh strawberries, hulled and halved                        

Directions

1. In a 1/2-gal. pitcher, combine the oranges, kiwis, grapes and mango. Stir in the wine and liqueur. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 6 hours.
2. Just before serving, stir in the strawberries.

What do y'all think? What are some of your favorite summer cocktails? Let us know!

Cheers,

Cose Belle