I swear I wasn’t trying to get my Momma drunk, but you certainly wouldn’t know that by the number of cocktails we attempted in the last 10 days. Cocktail Week proved to be more daunting than I thought.
Lava Flows – frozen cocktails made from pineapple, strawberries, hooch and half & half? Not good.
Pineapple Upside Down Cake Daquiris – sounded great in theory, but our fresh pineapple was flavorless and the chunks of pineapple & strawberry kept getting stuck in our straws; too gooey sweet; poor sipping factor.
Hurricanes – too many items to purchase at the liquor store; I already have a pantry shelf full of booze, and I’m not really a drinker. Plus, it’s Houston and we’re allergic to the word ‘hurricane’.
Sex on the Beach Popsicles – I was all in for the peach factor; I was all out for waiting 2 days for them to set up.
Big Sis’s Frozen Slushies – I don’t even know what’s in it. I just know that it was frozen, delicious and died a quick death. She brought them in an ice chest, so I didn’t witness their creation and unfortunately, it won the ‘most un-photogenic cocktail’ prize. Still, it will need to be shared this summer. For sure.
Cherry Amaretto Granitas & Spritzers – this one worked. Mom sampled it as a granita and a poptail, but I think my favorite version of it was the spritzer with ginger ale. You can see that one by clicking HERE.
Raspberry Mojitos – Mom’s pick for favorite cocktail of the week. I have to say, she’s right on the money with this one. It was a great balance of sweet (berries) and sour (lime). It also created a light summer beverage that was still remarkably flavorful. This is the kind of cocktail you could sip often and not tire of. In my book, that’s a keeper.
Here’s how we did it. And you know what? You should do it, too.
Mom’s Favorite Raspberry Mojitos
Makes 2 large mojitos over ice
the juice of 1/2 a lime (freshly squeezed)
1 cup fresh raspberries
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 ounces rum
1 ounce raspberry liqueur
3-4 fresh mint leaves
Simple syrup, to taste
1/4 to 1/2 cup of lime seltzer
ice
lime slices & mint leaves, for garnish
Begin by placing the lime juice, berries, sugar, booze & 3-4 mint leaves in a deep glass container. If you have a muddler, put it to good use. If not, use a sturdy wooden spoon and smash all the ingredients to a pulp. Literally. Place the container in the fridge and allow your fruit sludge to chill for at least one hour. The theory is to let the fruit macerate in the booze and sugar until the flavors are beautifully infused.
While your fruit is macerating, make a simple syrup by placing one cup of water and one cup of granulated sugar into a small saucepan. Heat to a boil, then remove from the heat and allow it to cool completely.
To serve, strain the fruit mixture equally into two serving glasses. Add simple syrup to taste, then add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of lime seltzer. Stir with a spoon and sample. Tweak the simple syrup or seltzer to your personal preference. I like them a little on the sweet side. You may like them with more seltzer. Garnish with a slice of lime, a fresh mint leaf and a colorful straw. If you’re feeling fancy schmancey, toss in a few fresh raspberries. Then pull up a lawn chair and sip until you forget it’s 103F outside.
We’ll be in the back yard drinking until we can’t hear the neighbor’s dogs barking.
Now, don’t forget to visit Wanna Be A Country Cleaver and enter to win that sexy new fabulously blue KitchenAid blender. She’s wrapping up Cocktail Week today with a lovely Lavender Blueberry Lemonade, and has also done a great job of re-capping all of our Cocktail Week shenanigans, so what are you waiting for? Shake a leg, and tell her NanaBread sent you.
While you’re at it, drop by Bakeaholic Mama‘s blog to see her cocktail finale – Funfetti Milkshakes. She’s celebrating her first blog anniversary by creating a party in a glass, and she’s giving away presents in the form of a Le Creuset giveaway you will not want to miss.
Fifteen gloriously refreshing cocktails just in time for summer AND two fabulous giveaways? I call that an unqualified success and a fabulous way to wrap up Cocktail Week. Thanks for joining us, and thanks to my fellow bloggers for another winning collaboration. Happy summer everyone!
Inside NanaBread's Head 
Most unphotogenic, because they were sucked down too fast to photograph! Ha! I’ll send you the recipe. Pretty delish, weren’t they?! I’ll have to try the raspberry mojitos, those sound yummy.
Your slushies aren’t exactly the prettiest color, but they are super tasty which totally makes up for it. Send me the recipe soon. I think it’s time to unleash it on the rest of the world while it’s still hot outside.
When we invade The Compound, Mama needs to come. This is not a suggestion. This is the Way It Will Be. And, from the sounds of it, Big Sis needs to be there, too.
Mama would be happy to join the fun, but if you really want a party, you’ll want to meet All of The Sisters and The Grand Daughters. When all of us get together, it’s a riot. Quite literally. If someone throws in cocktails and disco music, you’d better hang on to your butt!
Done deal!
Zooey asked me if she was allowed at The Compound. I told her if she was good. She is trying; she likes to get petted by lots of riotous, fun people, as she’s noticed they tend to give her treats, too.
Cheers to you and your Mom and to these great mojitos!
Thanks, Paula!
Sounds perfect for summer! Thanks for all your hard work testing!!! Need any help – all you have to do is ask! :)
Haha, thanks Anita! We were happy to take one for the team with all of that ‘research’ but I think it will be a while before I’m ready to go again. I’m going to need some recovery time before I attempt another ambitious tasting week like that one. Perhaps a Chocolate Week will inspire me.
This looks like it would be my fave…(Love the lawn chair pointers in the picture too. :))
FUN week I missed…Already looking forward to next one!
Aloha, and Cheers!
We missed having you along for the fun this time, Monica. We’ll have to start planning our next collaboration so you can jump back in. Chocolate Week, anyone?
Happy Summer, indeed! Your laundry list of cocktails and qualms killed me this morning. There was just so much truth going on there. Also, will remember the chilling/maceration tip for life.
I’m thinking I might need to keep a jar of fruit macerating in rum in the back of my fridge for the rest of the summer. Just in case.
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Loves me a fruity mojito, but I’ve never-ever-ever allowed the fruit to macerate in the rum/sugar first. You. Are. Brilliant! I admire your tenacity in developing the right cocktail recipes to share. Most impressive. Not sure if I could hang for the duration with you girls, but it sure would have been fun to try. ;)
Honestly, I don’t care if I see another cocktail for at least a month, especially since I’m not a big drinker to begin with. Cocktail Week just about killed me. That’s how devoted I am to my readers and fellow bloggers. :)
Ha! I’ll bet! I about gagged when I even read the name Sex on the Beach. Had a bad experience with that one in college. The cocktail, not the…! Well, you get what I mean. I hope. Because I would never….sigh. There’s no getting out of this Painted-in Corner. ;)
Ahahahahahahahaha{snort!}hahahahahaha…
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