Simple Summer Sips

My favorite cocktail recipes for maxin’ relaxin’.

A Foreword

Happy summer! A few items to clarify.

First and foremost, my jigger is large, closer to one and a half ounces. Adjust your ingredient measurements to your taste. 

Second, I love lime, so I always over-serve lime juice. Most of my drink recipes include limes. Try lemon, orange, or grapefruit if you don't love lime. Grapefruit is one of my favorite alternatives.

Third, always drink responsibly.  :)

High Times Margarita

INGREDIENTS

• 4oz cannabis seltzer (my favorite is pomegranate or lime)

• 1 jigger (1 - 1.5 oz) of Cointreau or Triple Sec (optional)

• 2 jiggers (2 - 3 oz) of tequila, blanco
  (or whichever tequila you enjoy)

• Lime juice of one whole freshly squeezed lime
  (the bigger, the better)

INSTRUCTIONS

Salt your margarita glass rims, if you like salt.

• Add a layer of coarse salt, like kosher salt, to a small dish. Wipe the rim of the glass with the leftover squeezed limes. Then at a 45-degree angle, gently dip and scoop the salt onto the rim as you turn the glass until the rim is thoroughly salted.

Carefully (if you salted) fill the glass with smashed ice.

• Add ice cubes to a zip-lock bag and use a meat tenderizer to smash the cubes into chunks.

Pour all ingredients into a shaker filled with ice. 

Shake your shaker until it’s nice and chilled. Pour into your glasses (again, carefully if you salted). Garnish with a whole thin slice of lime.

Enjoy!

NOTES:

This recipe should make two margaritas (over ice).

Adjust ingredients to your taste; a margarita is typically about one part Cointreau, two parts tequila, and one part lime juice. Seltzer is the bonus.

I omit contreau add a splash of Poma liqueur to my margaritas because added with the Pomegranate-flavored seltzer makes for a very yummy margarita, and I’m not a fan of contreau or triple sec. 

If you prefer frozen Margaritas, do the same routine, but blend it all in a blender. Pour into a margarita glass, garnish with a slice of lime, and enjoy!

Ginger Beer Moscow Mule 

The mule is typically a seasonally cold weather drink served as a special in bars around the holidays. It can also be served with mint instead of lime. I disagree with both. Fresh lime juice and ginger beer on ice?! What’s more refreshing than that? Serve it over ice in a rocks glass with a slice of lime, and we’ve got ourselves a summer sip!

INGREDIENTS

• 2 oz vodka 

• Lime juice, one whole freshly squeezed lime

• 4 oz Fever-Tree Ginger Beer (not ale)

INSTRUCTIONS

Pour ingredients over ice.

Stir

Garnish with a whole slice of lime.

Enjoy! 

Skinny Piña Colada

I use my small Bullet blender for this one - it’s meant for smoothies, but technically I believe this can be categorized as such. This recipe assumes a full-size blender is being used for ease's sake. Party-size!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup frozen or fresh pineapple chunks

• 4 - 8 oz pineapple juice

• Add 8 - 16 oz Malibu rum (this depends on your taste, and perhaps tolerance)

INSTRUCTIONS

Fill the blender container 2/3 full with ice. 

Add all ingredients

Blend well until smooth.

Serve

Enjoy! 

Fresh from the Garden Mojito

INGREDIENTS

• A palm-full (6 or so) of mojito mint leaves (I grow mojito mint, but you can find it in the produce aisle), plus additional leaves for garnish

• Lime juice of one whole freshly squeezed lime (no need for simple syrup with extra fresh lime juice) 

• 1 - 1.5 jiggers of rum (2 - 2.5 oz)

• 4 - 6 oz soda water, Sprite, or your choice of bubbles
  (if you like it sweeter, I recommend flavored soda, like Sprite)

INSTRUCTIONS

Fill two highball glasses with ice (I actually use mason jars). Halfway through add a few thin half-slices of lime and just a few sliced mojito mint leaves. Some people like to add salt to the rim of the glass. If that’s your thing, do it before adding the ice (see the margarita recipe for salting instructions).

In a shaker, muddle the remaining mint leaves.

Fill the shaker with ice.

Add remaining ingredients. 

Then shake that rum shaker!

Pour into glasses, garnish with a few more sliced mojito mint leaves.

Stir it up a bit.

Enjoy! 

Wake Up Call,
Not Wake Up Call

I’ve had this recipe for a looong time. It’s titled in my recipe book, “Wake Up Call,” but I think it’s a Bay Breeze. The mistitle (which I only just figured out) may say more about my experience finding the recipe than the drink itself. It pairs well on a menu with a Bloody Mary or Mimosa. 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 - 1.5 jiggers of vodka  (2 - 2.5 oz)

• A splash of Poma (cranberry liqueur)

• 1/2 - 1 jigger of triple sec (this was an old recipe, remember; you can use Cointreau instead, or omit it completely and add more Poma in its place) 

• 2 oz pineapple juice

• 2 oz cranberry juice

• Lime juice, one whole freshly squeezed lime

Add 2 - 4 oz of Sprite - or spiked seltzer (the alcoholic kind) - to jazz this drink up. 

INSTRUCTIONS

Combine ingredients over ice in a shaker.

Shake it ‘till you make it!

Pour over ice in a rocks glass. 

Garnish with a wedge of lime and a sprig of mint. A wedge of pineapple on the rim works too. Don’t forget the umbrella!

Enjoy! 

*One last note - instead of a vodka tonic, have a vodka and spiked seltzer with a wedge or lime! You’ll be maxin’ and relaxin’ in no time!

Download the recipes.

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