Cold watermelon is one of the best things about summer. So sweet and refreshing, with a boost of health benefits as well! It’s super easy to blend up some fresh watermelon and create some delicious drinks. Use this recipe as a base and feel free to add a shot of rum or vodka to make it a cocktail, or add in a splash of soda water for some bubbles.
I had a delicious Lychee Smash at a Vietnamese restaurant with my girlfriend Tracy, and it inspired me to recreate the drink at home. These flavor profiles are perfect with each other; fizzy ginger and bright, fresh mint, tart lime juice and sweet lychee fruit. This drink can easily become a cocktail with 2 oz ounce of rum, making it a twist on a Mojito or Caipirinha. Let's get drinkin :)
For a little fizzy twist on the classic margarita, the Paloma is the perfect cocktail. My girlfriend Kayla introduced me to this grapefruit and tequila cocktail on an afternoon where we turned Happy Hour into a $100 outing. Needless to say, I've been ordering them ever since. The Paloma is a refreshing combination of sweet and tart grapefruit juice or soda, lime, and a nice salty rim. Top off this 5 minute cocktail with club soda for a bubbly finish. I love using fresh squeezed grapefruit juice, but you can also use Squirt or Grapefruit Jarritos! :) Let's get drankin!
Fourth of July is just around the corner! I’ve never made lemonade before because I was honestly kind of confused - is lemonade just hella lemons and water? How many lemons would you need to fill an entire pitcher? I feel like it would take a ton of lemons to make some good lemonade. But then I experimented in the kitchen and can now share with you that making lemonade is super easy and in fact, is a ton of water! This recipe is really perfect for summer - the base is just a really, really delicious lemonade. But I’ll show you how adding pureed strawberries can make the most refreshing Freckled Lemonade ever. And as usual, you can spike it with booze if you choose :)
It’s watermelon season! Watermelon is available year round, but its peak season is May through August. Watermelon is one of my favorite fruits! It has a ton of nutritional benefits, such as a significant source of the antioxidants beta-carotene and vitamin C. It contains lycopene, and is composed of 92% water, making it great for snacking on during warm weather since it helps to keep you hydrated.
Watermelon is soo versatile! You can make smoothies, salsas, sorbets, salads, on its own with lime and salt, or into a refreshing cocktail! This margarita is a crowd pleaser - the perfect mix of sweet and tart - with a good amount of booze that’ll get your party goin.
This is my one of my favorite hacks for entertaining. When throwing a party or even showing up to a potluck, a large part of the budget is generally dedicated to booze. Well, at least at any party I’d like to be at :) For large groups of people, it can get expensive to get a buzz going. I have the perfect cocktail.
This cocktail was a happy accident that came about from me experimenting with ways to doctor up cheap red wine. There are no tricks here - it’s wine & Orangina - a French Monkey! It’s the easiest little drink to throw together and tastes just like sangria with a little fizz. It’s super refreshing and you can even add fruit to it if you like! There’s not much to it - and when a bottle of wine and a large bottle of Orangina are basically the same size, there’s no annoying leftover waste. Any red wine will do; everyone knows that TJ’s 2-buck-chuck is totally passable and is actually $2.49 ;) . You can also use Sanpellegrino Aranciata instead of Orangina. Either way, you’ll have a pitcher of bright, fruity cocktails that give the perfect slow buzz for a BBQ or party.
It’s fun to explore different recipes - I have a bunch of fun and delicious ones for your weekend’s festivities here. It’s also really fun to dream up and put your own twist on the classics! One of my favorite summer snacks is sweet, ripe mango slices sprinkled with Tajín seasoning and fresh lime juice. If you haven’t tried Tajín, it’s a tangy, spicy seasoning powder made of chili peppers, salt, and dehydrated lime juice. It’s amazing on fruit, and even more delicious in micheladas. Since I’ve always loved this simple and absolutely yummy flavor combo, I thought it would be fabulous when translated into a cocktail!
Refreshing mango margaritas get the perfect salty/spicy kick from a Tajín rim. These are super tasty - a bit of a creeper, which I always love, and easy to make in large batches for a crowd. I love Cazadores Tequila Blanco - it’s 100% Blue Agave and is a smooth, easy-going Tequila. It tastes as clean as it looks, and plays well with others. The slightly sweet taste and soft finish make it highly versatile and perfect for mixing in cocktails. Margaritas also contain Triple Sec, which is a type of Curaçao liqueur, an orange-flavored liqueur. I have always loved Cointreau, perhaps because it was my mom’s favorite. Fresh lime juice and mango puree top this baby off. Enough talking, let’s start drankin :)
Summer is officially here and that means COCKTAILS. In San Francisco, summer doesn’t necessarily exist until September, when we have Indian Summer: warmer weather and beautiful sunsets. But that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy a nice summer drink after work :)
I wanted to try experiment with some different recipes that incorporated Brancamenta this summer, and here is a really delicious one that will have you reaching for another glass. It’s a nice little spin on iced tea spiked with bourbon, Brancamenta, and finished off with refreshing mint. I made a batch after work last week and I was so surprised at how well balanced it tasted, and how much of a punch it packed. I ended up making quite a few glasses that night :)
