Summer Sips

Few things are better than a fresh, crisp drink on a hot summer afternoon…

This is exactly what I’m bringing you this fine Friday. Not only is this drink crazy refreshing, you get to use some of those fresh cucumbers!

If summer had a fabric it would be white linen. It’s a bitch to keep wrinkle free but oh so beautiful. Since we are just about a month away from the next season I thought it was a perfect moment(…a martini moment if you will), to share this perfect summer sip with you.

what you do:

1. In a cocktail shaker muddle the slices of cucumber.

   2. Add ice, fresh lime juice, Gin, and St. Germain.

   3. For the garnishes I added the thin ribboned cucumber after I added the ice to the glasses so I could see the shape of them.

   4. Shake, shake, shake! Then add to two glasses filled with ice.

   5. Top with the lime flavored soda water.

   6. Finish the garnish with a lime.

   I hope this weekend if full of fun and fabulous drinks! For me lots of work but don’t worry I’ll make time for a cocktail.

   Thanks for stopping by, friends!

Friday Fresh

Happy Friday All!

Welcome to another “Martini Moment”!

We’ve made it through another week. Now, what’s better than a super fresh delicious cocktail after a long, very hot, week?

Before we get into the drink, I wanted to tell you how to how to make any kind of simple syrup:

1 cup water

1 cup sugar (I use Stevia)

Then add in whatever flavor you want! For this drink today it called for fresh Mint. I let the Mint simmer in the sugar water mixture for about 5-7 minutes, let it cool, and then strain the Mint.

I’ll never forget the first time I had Limoncello. We were wandering around Capri, Italy and it was absolutely everywhere. Obviously I indulged and surly wasn’t disappointed. I’ve been wanting to add it to a drink recipe for a while so that’s what’s happening today!

You know I love to make things fresh and let me tell you this drink is! Believe it or not, this is my first Martini Moment using Gin. Or at least I think it is. I’ve been at this awhile guys. Gin isn’t my favorite liquor however I’m always open to new things and I was really wanting to do a cocktail that would help beat the heat. Here is what I decided on…

what you do:

Just add limoncello, gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup to a glass filled with ice. Doesn’t have to be a Collins glass I didn’t use one. Rule breaker, I know. Stir with bar spoon and top with soda. Then garnish.

This cocktail is so perfect for these crazy hot days we’ve been having!

Have the best weekend and stay cool!

Smash or Rita?

One of my favorite things about sharing drink recipes with you is that I get to switch up my usual wine and champagne. In fact, I’m sipping some champs while I type this. But, along with mixing up some fun cocktails I love to add in things that are seasonal.

This week, I have two drink recipes for you using one common ingredient, Strawberry Rhubarb Simple Syrup. Rhubarb pops up in the spring and doesn’t stick around too long. Many can be confused on how to use it but don’t be scared of it! Today, I’m making drinks with it! Here is how to make the syrup:

what you need:

• 3 stocks chopped rhubarb (plus one to garnish)

• 1 cup chopped strawberries

• 1/4 cup sugar of your choice (I used Stevia)

• 1/2 cup honey

• 1 cup water

  what you do:

Add water, sugar, and honey to a pot and bring to a simmer. Then, toss in rhubarb and strawberries. Stir while it simmers for about ten minutes. Toward the end of that ten minutes smash the fruit with the back of a spoon or spatula. The mixture should look like pie filling when it’s done. Next, put a strainer over a mixing bowl, pour, and let your syrup cool. I put mine in the freezer for just a bit.

what you do:

For both of these delicious drinks simply add ingredients to cocktail shaker (you only need a few cubes in your shaker) and pour over ice!

Honestly, I thought I would like the margarita better but I couldn’t even decide. The strawberry rhubarb syrup really added such a refreshing element to both of these drinks that you can’t go wrong with either!

I hope you’ve got some fun plans ahead of you for the weekend and as always thank you so much for popping over to Fast Fashionista!