Why not chill out with a cocktail? Go ahead. Embrace the day with a sweet or tart sip of something that doesn't fall under your diet plan. Here are seven drink ideas to get you started.
Fruity vodka martini
What you need: Your favorite vodka, fresh fruit, fruit juice and/or flavored liqueurs
Prepare: Shaken with ice, served in a martini glass
Try the Flirtini, Sex on the Beach with a Peach or a Watermelon martini. The latter consists of two ingredients -- pureed watermelon and your favorite vodka. Shake it together and serve with a piece of watermelon.
Flirtini from the Redhead Martini and Cigar Bar: 1 1/4 ounce Absolut Razz vodka; 1/4 ounce cranberry juice; 1/4 ounce pineapple juice. Shake with ice and pour into champagne flute. Then garnish with an edible orchid.
Sex on the Beach with a Peach from the Redhead: 3/4 ounces Absolut Peach vodka; 1/4 ounce Dekuyper Peach Schnapps; 1/4 ounce Dekuyper Razzmatazz; splash of cranberry and pineapple juice. Shake with ice, pour into martini glass. Garnish with an edible orchid.
Watermelon martini from the Redhead: Fresh puree watermelon juice; your favorite vodka. Shake together and serve with a slice of fresh watermelon.Sometimes you don't need fresh fruit to make a great martini, though. Several flavored vodka brands offer wide selections of flavors that go down smoothly without mixers.
Try Van Gogh's Pink Flamingo (2 ounces of the vodka and 3 ounces of pink lemonade over ice). Van Gogh Vodkas offer 19 flavors of vodka and can be ordered at most liquor stores.
Mai tai
What you need: Light rum, dark rum, apricot brandy, Triple Sec, pineapple juice, orange juice, grenadine, pineapple slices and cherries for garnish (Note: Mai tai recipes vary)
Serve: In a simple tumbler with a cocktail umbrella, if preferred
Anywhere is good enough for a mai tai. Here's Lou's Blues bartender Lauren Thomas' recipe:
Mix 1 shot of light rum such as Bacardi, 1 shot of apricot brandy, Triple Sec, and 1 shot of pineapple juice and orange juice (half shot each). Pour into a glass and half it off with grenadine for color. Pour a half shot of Myers dark rum on top and garnish with a pineapple wedge and cherries.
Anything frozen
What you need: Lots of ice, liquor of choice, fresh fruit or mixers
Prepare: In a blender
Best for: Daquiris, Mojitos, Pina Coladas. It's all available in the frozen section at your grocery store. Try canned Bacardi Mixers and just add liquor and ice to the blender. A bonus for these is you can omit the liquor for a yummy slushy.
You also might like the idea of MYOM (making your own mixer). Blend fresh fruits and juices with the ice and liquor instead of prepackaged mix.
Also worth giving a try is Wine-a-rita mix, something to blend with your favorite dry wine (available at WineStyles).
Mojito
What you need: White rum, sugar, lime juice, fresh mint leaves, club soda, fresh lime and mint for garnish (recipes vary)
Prepare: On the rocks
Best for: A trendy party
Mojitos are all the rage for cocktails. There's something about the mint-lime combo that tantalizes drinkers' taste buds.
From Mainstreet Pub in Melbourne: In a pint glass, add 3 level teaspons of sugar, 1 ounce of fresh lime juice and 6 medium mint leaves. Muddle (mash) all the ingredients. Add ice to the top. Add 1 1/2 ounces of Bacardi white rum. Using a Boston shaker or another style of shaker (Tupperware with a good closure will do), shake vigorously until well-blended.
Pour ingredients into a tall Collins glass or something similar. Top with club soda and garnish with a limewheel on the rim. On one side of the lime, put a mint sprig on top, on the other, a long straw.
Margarita
What you need: Tequila, salt or sugar, orange liqueur and/or your favorite margarita mix
Prepare: On the rocks or frozen in a margarita glass
Nothing says "party" like a margarita, frozen or on the rocks. Follow directions according to the margarita mix.
Decadent dessert
What you need: flavored vodka (chocolate, preferably), coffee liqueur, Irish cream, ice, chocolate syrup (recipes vary)
Prepare: In a blender, served in a martini glass
Van Gogh Vodka's Double Espresso Vodka Slide's got espresso vodka, chocolate vodka, coffee liqueur, Irish cream and chocolate syrup on top. Try it: 1 ounce Van Gogh Double Espresso Vodka; 1 ounce Van Gogh Dutch Chocolate Vodka; 1 ounce coffee liqueur; 1 ounce Irish Cream. Pour ingredients into blender with a cup of ice. Blend until smooth. Serve in a tall glass. Drizzle chocolate syrup into glass before adding mixture.
If you're not looking for a big drink, try a chocolaty shot with equal amounts of Rumpleminz, Frangelico, creme de cacao and milk or cream.
Sangria
What you need: wine, fruit, sugar, sparkling soda, and a combination of liqueurs and liquor
Prepare: A big batch in a pitcher or punch bowl
Sangria's fruitiness is perfect for entertaining. Manuel Rosales, owner of WineStyles at the Avenue Viera, says he puts his heart into making sangria, a mixture of fresh orange, lemon, lime and dry red wine among other ingredients (See recipe).
From Rosales: A full or 3/4 of pineapple, cored, peeled and sliced; juice by hand 1 large orange; 20-30 red grapes, sliced in half; juice by hand 1/2 lemon; 1 or 2 small oranges, sliced thin crosswise; 1 lime, sliced thin crosswise; 1 to 1 1/2 bottles of dry red wine; 2 cups sparkling soda (unsweetened sparkling water); 3 tablespoons sweet Vermouth (or Brandy or Cointreau); 2 to 3 splashes of Aromatic bitter (Angostura — my secret touch); 4 tablespoons dark-spiced rum; 5 to 6 tablespoons sugar.
Mix fruit in a large glass pitcher. Slice the lemon, lime and orange into thin rounds and place in pitcher. Pour in Vermouth, bitter, rum (or other options) and sugar. Mix and let sit in refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours. Add the bottle(s) of wine. Crush the fruit lightly with a wooden spoon. Add some ice to chill the sangria and mix. Add more sweetness and spirits to taste. Note: Use strong bold/mellow wines.
Contact Shrum at 321-242-3612 or ashrum@floridatoday.com.
