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!
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