After two years of living through a global pandemic, locking ourselves in place, and not seeing anybody, it’s finally starting to feel like the world is getting back to normal. There is no better way to celebrate the return of life as we knew it and getting back to being able to see our friends than with seven super fun cocktails to kick off the summer of 2021!
Here are seven delicious cocktails to get your summer going!
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Black Russian
This is one of the easiest cocktail recipes out there, yet still delicious. For this drink, all you will need is:
- 1.5 ounces of Vodka
- 0.75 ounces of coffee liqueur
- Some maraschino cherries for garnish (optional)
Get yourself a glass filled with ice, pour in the coffee liqueur first and then the vodka, and mix. Add your desired garnish, sit back, and enjoy your drink! It’s that simple!
You can adjust the ingredient quantities to fit your taste. In fact, you can replace plain vodka with any other kind you like, and the same goes for the coffee liqueur.
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The Royal Tea
If we’re talking about a pitcher-worthy cocktail that is fun to make and even more fun to drink, look no further. For this crowd-pleaser, you will need:
- 1.5 ounces of dry gin
- 2 ounces of Earl Grey Tea, brewed and chilled
- One teaspoon sugar
- Splash of Lemon Juice
- Lemon slice (for garnish)
The quantities above are for one drink, so if you are mixing for multiple people or making a pitcher, try to maintain those portion ratios.
Fill your glass or pitchers with ice and pour in the two main ingredients (gin and tea). Mix well, then add the sugar and lemon juices for flavoring. Stir in, apply the lemon slice garnish, and enjoy!
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French 75
Back with friends once again, we are excited to clink glasses and break bread together once again. A great drink for cheers-ing is the famous French 75. To make this delicious beverage, you will need:
- 1.5 ounces of gin
- 0.75 ounces of lemon juice
- 0.5 ounces of maple or sugar syrup
- 3 ounces of champagne or sparkling wine
Note: either an ice shaker or protein shaker is required to make this cocktail.
Add gin, lemon juice, and sweet syrup into the shaker with a healthy amount of ice. Give it a hardy 15-second shake, and then strain the mixture into a fruit glass. Add the champagne or sparkling wine to the glass, and voila! You’ve got a great drink to once again clink with friends and share together.
Who knew cocktail recipes at home could be so much fun!
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Frozen Shots
This sweet, two-ingredient cocktail is going to win the hearts of anybody who has a sweet tooth and a love of vodka! They say the easier the drink is to make, the faster it goes down. That certainly holds true for frozen shots, where the only ingredients you will need are:
- A cup of frosting; you can choose from vanilla, cream cheese, or chocolate.
- 2 to 4 ounces of vodka (based on your tolerance for the spirit)
- Rainbow Sprinkles or Honey for the Rim (If you want to be extra fun)
Prep your shot glasses before you make the actual drink. Add the frosting and vodka into a shaker and mix it vigorously. Make sure they are combined properly. That’s about it, pour into your glass that has been garnished with rainbow sprinkles or honey, and enjoy!
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Orange Prosecco Slushie
This cocktail, unlike the other four described in this blog, is actually an overnight recipe, so it’s perfect if you’re planning on having friends over for a Saturday afternoon barbeque.
Grab yourself a baking tray and pour in the Prosecco so that it can be frozen overnight. The next day just before you are ready to imbibe, break the slab into chunks and blend it with orange juice (freshly squeezed or bottled), sugar, orange zest, and some ice cubes.
When done with the blending, the mixture should resemble a slushie.
Serve and enjoy!!
- Sangria
Nothing too fancy is sometimes the way to go. Easy-to-execute drinks can bring you a certain high that would be taken away if you were to spend a straight-up half-hour mixing ingredients. This is where one of the most beloved drinks, Red Wine Sangria comes into the picture.
All you have to do is let a bunch of fruits marinate in a wine of your choice for a minimum of eight hours. Grab a big jug, enough to fit in approximately two bottles of wine. Into it, you’re going to mix half a cup of orange juice, a couple of tablespoons of lime juice, a third of a cup of sugar, and red wine. Now for the fruits. Ideally, you should add apples, grapes, and pomegranates.
That’s all you need to kick back and relax on the night of. If you’re ready for a challenge, you could complete this process when you’re making your breakfast smoothie. As you carry on with a regular workday, your sangria will be getting better.
- Gin with apple juice
1½ shots gin and 6 ounces Granny Smith apple juice. Gin with 40% ABV possesses the characteristic flavor of juniper berries. It can be made using a whole range of botanicals, opening the spirit up to a wide range of flavors.
These drinks could make one nostalgic too; the times we would spend drinking in a pub and dancing all the worries away. There was something special about those days.
Life is finally coming back. Things are finally going back to normal. At last are able to get together with friends and share drinks! We hope that this blog has inspired you to invite friends over and enjoy the company of others while showing off your great new cocktail-making skills!
If your drinks and Instagram feed have both been dry during this period of social distancing, try spicing things up with a few novel cocktails. A tasty new drink concoction can help pass the time — and you may discover your inner mixologist at a moment when mastering new skills is crucial.
Like any good bartender, if you're a cocktail enthusiast then there are several classics you should know how to mix up. From their interesting history to simple ingredients, you'll be able to impress your guests by mastering these classic cocktails.
Making your own flavored drink is just as easy as any other infusion. All you need is a bottle of whiskey, the flavoring ingredient, and a little effort & time. It's quite interesting and, given the different flavor profiles available in whiskey, the possibilities are unlimited.
Author bio:
Andrew Christian works as a store manager in Arrow Liquormart, a famous liquor store in Littleton, Colorado. He loves his combination of nature, wine, and nerdy friends who appreciate his homemade wines.
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