"Kitchen Sink" Long Island Iced Tea

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This may resemble a Long Island Iced Tea in look and taste, but the ingredient list is much more forgiving. You see, when I received some Iced Tea flavors in the mail from Tradewinds, I was determined to whip up something that was delicious and familiar. But, I was tired of finding cocktail recipes that required specific ingredients that I never have on hand.

What ever happened to kitchen sink drinks? Throw in everything but the kitchen sink, they say. A little of this, a little of that, times that by two or three, and voila. You've got yourself a cocktail.

"Kitchen Sink" Long Island Iced Tea

Note: 

• While there is no specific ingredient list you must use for this cocktail, there are a few guidelines to follow so that your flavors turn out well balanced and... well... appetizing.

Ingredients:

• 2 oz Iced Tea. I used Tradewinds Iced Tea, and I combined sweet and unsweet, at a ratio of about 1:3 (meaning a bit more unsweet than sweet, because I was trying not to load this baby with sugar). Feel free to adjust as you see fit!
• 1 oz Citrus. I used lemon juice, but feel free to use anything you have on hand. Fresh lemon, lime, or orange? Squeeze that baby! Have some "Real Lemon" on hand? I'm not judging. That works!
• 1 - 1.5 oz White Liquor. I used Bacardi white rum because, you guessed it, I had it on hand. Also great would be Vodka or Blanco Tequila!
• 1 - 1.5 oz Brown Liquor. I used Fireball Whiskey, which I cannot recommend enough due to its ability to add a cinnamon taste to the tea. That said, other great contenders include unflavored Whiskey, Dark Rum, and Bourbon.
• .75 oz (1/2 shot) Sweet Liqueur. Any liqueur that has been sweetened with a fruity flavor will work here! I used Triple Sec, but Chambord would be delicious, too!
• Sweetener, to taste (Optional). I added 4 drops of NuNaturals Liquid Stevia, but you could also either opt out of this or add a half ounce of simple syrup or a half packet of sugar.
  
   

Directions:

1. Set a highball glass aside. Use a second glass and fill with ice, then add ingredients above.
   
   
   
2. Pour into your highball glass and serve plain or with a straw!
   
    

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

• Do you have any favorite "kitchen sink" foods and drinks? I love kitchen sink salads! They are such a great way to use up any produce you are worried you won't be able to finish. Throw it in there!
• Do you have a favorite drink of summer? I used to love Chardonnay as a summer beverage, but last summer I was totally into Effen Cucumber and anything cucumber/lime/mint flavored was my summer jam! Check out this Effen Cucumber Mint Martini if you're jonesin' for one right now!

1920s Champagne Punch (Speakeasy Party Part 3)

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Despite having a pretty full array of cocktail options at our Speakeasy party, we noticed that our guests were pounding the Champunch (Champagne + Punch = Champunch). 

At first, I thought this was the result of my frequent bragging that the punch was low sugar (I used NuNaturals and naturally sweet tea, see below). But, when I realized it was men and women alike who were pounding the punch, and I actually had to scramble to re-make a second batch to avoid a mutiny (ha), I figured something out:

This sh*t is actually just down right delicious.

On Saturday morning, I started googling around for 1920s Champagne Punch recipes. I didn't plan on legitimately following a recipe (what do you think I am, a grown up or something?), but I wanted to get an idea for what might be unique about punches during that era. The answer? Tea.

Every single 1920s recipe I found incorporated some sort of tea. So, with that in mind, I hit up my pantry in search of the most delicious tea. I have on hand four kinds: Green Tea, Mint Green Tea, Chamomile/Sleepy Time, and a Red Tea that is "Good for your skin." After about 30 seconds of contemplation with my cousin ("Do you want to be feeding people caffeinated tea at 12am?" or, really, "Do you want people staying alert and awake and thus staying at your apartment until breakfast?" I love my friends, but... no thanks), we opted for the non-caf Red Tea. It ended up being perfect because red tea is significantly sweeter than its bitter cousin, Green Tea, so it sweetened up the punch naturally.

We also added a few bottles of champagne, some white wine, rum, and some Orange-flavored NuNaturals, then topped it off with slices of oranges that we peeled to make the orange twists. In the end, we ended up with this delicious recipe:

1920s Speakeasy Champagne Punch

Ingredients:

• 3 peeled Oranges
• 3 cups Brewed Red Tea
• 1 bottle White Wine
• 1 cup Dark Rum
• 1/2 Tablespoon NuNaturals Orange (Can substitute with 1 tablespoon sugar/stevia and 1 tsp Orange extract, if absolutely necessary!)
• 1/2 Cup Rum
• 5 NuStevia Quick Dissolve Tabs (Can substitute with another tablespoon of sugar/stevia)
• 3 bottles Champagne

Directions:

1. Slice oranges horizontally (hold the orange so would naturally separate into vertical slices, then slice it the other way). Place in a bowl and put in the freezer as you prepare the rest.
2. In a large bowl, combine red tea, white wine, rum, and sweeteners (NuNaturals Orange and NuStevia, or sugars) and mix well.
3. Add Champagne and Orange slices just before serving (or before guests arrive).
4. We dumped about 5 cups of ice into the bowl, just to keep it nice and chilly!

"Rumon Ale" Ginger and Rum Cocktail

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In my taste tester's words, this cocktail is "de rishus." A combination of sharp gingerale, dark aromatic rum, citrus and coconut.

Happy Friday! Are you excited for your obligatory Friday drink recipe? To be honest, after totally binging out at the Fat Tire Memorial tour (14 beers in 14 hours), I thought I was ready for a break from beer. I just don't want to see it for a while. Or smell it. Or hear the word beer, really.

So, instead of beer, which generally is higher calorie anyway (plus, unless I start brewing, I sure can't give you any beer recipes), here's a cocktail! Yay :)

Just because fall is upon us doesn't mean we have to give up on the beach. Rum and gingerale combine to getcha excited for some real beach loving! ...even though it's already cold.

"Rumon Ale" Ginger and Rum Cocktail

Ingredients:

• 1.5 Shops Dark Aromatic Rum
• 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
• Diet Gingerale or Gingerale
• Optional: 1/2 tsp Coconut Extract
• Lime Wedges

Directions:

1. Fill a glass with ice.
2. Add 1.5 shots rum.
3. Add approximately 1 tbsp Lemon Juice.
4. Fill to the top with Diet Gingerale or Gingerale.
5. Add Coconut Extract, if desired.
6. Garnish with a lime. Squeeze lime juice and mix before drinking.

Mixed Berry Coconut Smoothie (And Wildberry Coconut Cocktail)

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I was sick as a dog last weekend. I'm not even sure what "sick as a dog" means, but whatever it is, I was it. Headache, throat ache, nasty cough bark, the whole sha bang.

So what'd I do? Darn right, I made myself a smoothie! My mom used to make fruit smoothies when I was sick so I "Pulled a Bonnie" and did the same.

Only a sick person has much less energy than her energizer bunny mom. So, I couldn't even think about combining lots of freshly cut up fruit. Enter frozen fruit, my best friend. And coconut milk, my other best friend. When combined, the two make a lovely child.

Note: This would be to die for with rum. Malibu is high in sugar but might be worth it if you like it sweet. Otherwise, stick with a light rum that is either normal flavored or berry flavored.

Mixed Berry Coconut Smoothie

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Frozen Fruit (I used a bag of mixed berries, including strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries)
• 1/2 cup Coconut Milk
• Optional: 1 tablespoon Agave Nectar

Directions:

1. Combine in a blender and mix well. If the blender gets stuck and won't mix any further, add coconut milk in small increments until you are successful!
2. Serve!

Wildberry Coconut Cocktail

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Frozen Fruit (I used a bag of mixed berries, including strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries)
• 1/2 cup Coconut Milk
• 1 1/2 shot, White Rum

Directions:

1. Combine in a blender and mix well. If the blender gets stuck and won't mix any further, add coconut milk in small increments until you are successful!
2. Serve!

Blueberry Rhubarb Martini (or Blueberry Cranberry Martini, if it's cold out!)

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Guess what I learned this morning? This will be a cool August. Cool as in cold. As in... we're lucky in Chicago if it hits 70 today. I'm going to cry. Somebody bring me a tissue. This is sad news to me.

If you're wondering, I'm one of those people who hates winter. I hate, hate, hate it, and living in Memphis, Tennessee for four years of college didn't help. They don't get much snow there. In fact, one February morning, I was awakened at 5 something A.M. because it was snowing and my freaking-out-roomates wanted to drive to the grocery store to stock up. It was like we were being invaded. By snow. So no, I'm not happy about it getting chilly. Thus, I will allow myself the month of August to grieve the warmth... and then I will suck it up, move on, and warmly slip into my fall clothes. 

Why am I telling you all of this in a post about blueberry rhubarb cocktails? Because, people, it means the rhubarb will be going away! For good (or at least until next summer). So get to the store or into your garden and grab it all. Then make these cocktails.

P.S. If you stumble on this post during the winter, I dare you to try boiling cranberries instead of rhubarb for the syrup. Methinks it will be delicious.

P.S.S. In my opinion, if you serve it in a martini glass, it's a freaking martini. Put a margarita in there? It's a Margtini. Pour in some Guinness? Well, I'll let you name that one...

Blueberry Rhubarb Martini

Ingredients:

for blueberry infused vodka mixture...

• 1/2 cup blueberries
• 1 cup Vodka

for rhubarb syrup...

• 2 Stalks Rhubarb
• 1 1/2 cup water
• 2 tbsp Truvia or Sugar

remaining ingredients...

• Malibu Rum (optional)
• Seltzer water (optional)

Directions:

1. Make blueberry infused vodka: Combine blueberries and vodka in a container. Muddle blueberries, breaking them all apart and mashing them together with the vodka. Let sit overnight.
2. Make rhubarb syrup: Strip rhubarb and cut into small pieces. Heat water on the stove until boiling, then add rhubarb and truvia/sugar and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and puree. Let cool before using in this recipe.
3. Combine ingredients in the following ratio: 1 part blueberry infused vodka, 2 part rhubarb syrup, 1 part Malibu rum (optional, for added sweetness), 1 part seltzer water (optional, to add effervescence and lower alcohol content per ounce). Shake in a mixer and then serve cold.

Basil Moonlight Mojitos... All for 50 Cal?!

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Floating in an almost glowing glass of delicious mojito, fresh mint and basil leaves combine to leave a light, refreshing, yet somewhat complicated flavor hanging on your palate. This drink will quench your thirst and cool you down, but not without inspiring you by way of fresh, minty goodness with a twist of basil. 

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I love a good late afternoon cocktail... When I ran into Crystal Light's alcohol-free Mojito mix in Jewel last week, I was inspired. My mother's favorite cocktail at my ever-favorite Memphis martini bar is called the Butterfly, a brilliantly crafted love child of a mojito and a basil martini. It is refreshing, light, and has only the slightest hint of alcohol. The rest just tastes like... well, perhaps a summer breeze.

Picture me sitting on my parents' patio in the early evening. Dusk is settling down over the horse farm across the way and there we sit, sipping on mint and basil mojitos. What better way to spend your aftern-evening (or to spend 50 calories), I ask you?

Basil Mint Mojito

Prep Time: <5 Minutes

Calories: 50-70 (Depends on the alcohol you use. There are 5 calories per glass in the mojito mix and a very negligible amount in the basil and mint leaves, so that leaves you with only as many calories as are in the alcohol you add! A typical shot of rum is about 64 calories, according to Livestrong, but each drink has only 1oz, as compared to a typical 1.5oz shot)

Servings: Recipe makes 8-10

Ingredients: 

• 1 packet Mojito Mix, Crystal Light (See notes below the recipe for an alternate if you can't find the Mojito Mix at your local grocery store)
• 7 cups cold water
• 1 cup White Rum (or Vodka if you're anti-Rum)
• 10-12 leaves Mint
• 8 leaves Basil
• Ice

Directions:

1. Combine Mojito mix, cold water, and alcohol in a large pitcher and mix well.
2. Chop 1/2 of the Mint and Basil leaves into small pieces, then add to the pitcher.
3. Muddle (smash) 1/2 leaf each of mint and basil in each glass, then fill glasses with ice and pour mojito over the ice.
4. Garnish with extra mint and basil leaves if desired.
5. Enjoy!

Notes:

• Can't find the Mojito Mix (or don't have time)? Alter Step 1 the following way: First, in a small cup, muddle 8 mint leaves with the juice from 1 full lime and add this to an empty pitcher. Add 4 tablespoons of sugar or Stevia sugar substitute (for a lighter version). Instead of 7 cups of cold water, add 3 cups of water and 4 cups of sparkling/seltzer water (or soda water if you have no sparkling water around, though sparkling/seltzer water will be lowest in calories).
• If you're looking for a mint-garnished dessert to go with this fabulous cocktail, try this Fresh Lime Chiffon cake with Mint Sprigs on top from Smak!

Strong and Skinny Strawberry Daiquiris

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Never settle for pre-made daiquiri mix again. The natural sweetness of strawberries makes this delicious island cocktail sugary and sweet, (almost) hiding the fact that it has enough alcohol in it to knock you on your feet and take you for a ride! Have fun at the beach!

I should begin this post by apologizing to Justin's family for accidentally getting everyone drunk over Memorial Day weekend...

It was meant to be. Everyone had their sweet tooth set on strawberry daiquiris. At one time or another,  at least four of us had individual epiphanies that centered around the utter importance of sipping strawberry-flavored cocktails on an early summer day. 4 cups of Bacardi later (that would be two batches), the party had more than begun.

While I began with an apology, I should end with... yes, "You're Welcome," I did manage to get you all drunk.

Strong and Skinny Strawberry Daiquiris

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Servings per Recipe: 8

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Strawberries
• 1 cup Triple Sec
• 2 cups Bacardi
• 2 cups ice
• 2 tbsp Sugar (or Stevia
• Optional: 1 cup Oranges, peeled
• Optional: Sugar for garnishing rims

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a powerful blender and blend.
2. To sugar-rim glasses, pour sugar into a shallow bowl that is wide enough to put the rim of the cup in. Use a lime or orange to wet the rim, then tip upside down and rub in the sugar. After adding sugar to the rim, pour daiquiris into cups and serve!