COCKTAILS AND MOCKTAILS FOR ANY OCCASION

Let’s talk about cocktails and mocktails for any occasion.

I have a confession! I am in a blossoming new romance with cocktails and getting buzzed one alcohol-fueled experiment at a time. Whenever my kid sister comes to visit, we tend to spend most of our time indoors; she brings a list of dishes she wants me to make for her, and considering her endurance of my social media pages, I, of course, accommodate her! (are you following at worldlytreat? Why not beautiful?).

Once she is here, in Dallas, she goes straight to the grocery store with a list of ingredients in hand, and I welcome how much easier this makes my life. It’s fun cooking with her and sharing good old memories. There is never a dull moment, I tell ya.

We spent this past weekend in Austin, Texas, exploring the nightlife, trails, and beautiful restaurants. I ate so much meat(brisket, ribs, and quale) that my stomach was fit to burst! Without a doubt, Austin has one of the best barbeque trails in the U.S. Only food has the power to entice me from my comfy bed at the ungodly hour of 4.a.m to stand in a queue. Whenever we visit Austin, we always go to Franklin’s barbecue; it is worth every second in that line that winds around the block!

What goes hand in hand with good barbecue? You guessed it, a knock your socks of cocktail (or cocktail:) ), and Austin did not disappoint. One Austin bar awoke my taste buds to a Colorado high frozen mule, and ever since, my love of cocktails began. It could only get buzzy from here on.

Cocktail and Mocktail- The basics:

• Spirits: vodka, rum, gin, tequila, brandy, whiskey( you name it, the sky is the limit)
• Mixers: fruit juices, vegetable juice, tonic water, soda, and many combinations of all these!
• Liqueurs: sweet alcoholic drinks made from fruits, nuts, and herbs. Some popular ones include Sambuca, Cointreau, Campari, Irish mist, Triple sec, Curaçao. The list is long and oh so good!
• Flavorings and Garnishes: A flavoring or garnish can provide the perfect tasting cocktail or a nasty one, so go easy with just a splash required! Examples include Tabasco, citrus, bitters, but be careful to pair your flavor with the right spirit. Butters are perfect with an old-fashioned but throwing them in vodka not so good! For garnishing, mint, rosemary, lemon wedges, lime rinds, sugar, or for that perfect margarita salt, fruit strips, or wedges, it’s a kaleidoscope of colors and taste!

  

• Tools: shaker, strainer, a powerful blender or ice crusher, stirrer, muddler, nice cocktail glasses, knives to cut fruits and peelers. I found a complete cocktail set on amazon that is less than $20.00; see it here.

Now that we’ve gotten the cocktail basics out of the way let’s get started with some sexy summer cocktails. I will add more to the list as I experiment.

A good cocktail and mocktail is made up of strong flavors, sweet or sour, and a punch of one or more spirits, liquors, and a mixer. So, put your tired feet up and sip on some soul relaxing drinks. Please click on the links below to be directed to the cocktails and mocktails that fit your mood or occasion!

1. CYAN BLUE
2. FRENCH KISSED

3. SOFT SANGRIA

4. LUSH MINT LIMONATA

5.  PEACH AND MANGO DAIQUIRI

 6. GRAND DUCHESS (VODKA) COCKTAIL

7. CREME DE CACAO VODKA MARTINI

8. SMOKED CINNAMON GIN & TONIC

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