Summer Drinks

I bought a bottle of Grey Goose Pear for a friend's birthday. It was his request. He thanked me.



21, I think I screwed it up somehow. I don't like pineapples, so I put all cherries in one pitcher and cherries and pineapple in another. I tried one of the cherries and it tasted like straight vodka. I don't like straight vodka. I guess I was hoping for some of the cherry juice to have sweetened the vodka. Not so much. Oh well. Plenty for the roommates.


I also managed to mess up sportschick's "strawberry sex" drink somehow. too much raspberry vodka or too much lemonade...it was weird.

 

When steeping fruit in vodka, add simple syrup. The sugar will balance out the alcohol and enhance the flavors of the fruit.
I've never tried cherries. I'm such a nut for cherries that I can't imagine putting them in a jug of vodka when I could be sitting there just horking down a two-pound bag of them.
Anyway, I like the vodka steeped with limes and mango, another fruit for which I'm crazy.
The recipe can be dicey. You've got to judge how juicey the limes are. And the mangos have to be very ripe. I like to eat them on the young side, with plenty of firmness, but for this you need them to be plenty ripe. When the flesh starts getting that vaguely cheesy, footy smell.
Add the simple syrup to taste. Try 4-1 or 3-1 vodka to simple syrup.

 

Well, the cherries are maraschinos, which come in a syrup. So that was all I figured it would need. But maybe I just added too much vodka (a term I never thought I'd use).

 

Absolutely loving Leinie's Summer Shandy ... was unsure at first if I would like it, but it goes down really easy and the lemonade/beer mix doesn't leave much of an aftertaste.

 

Beer is the king of summer drinks. Shiner Kolsch goes down very smoothly while still having a bold, hoppy taste. Very light, not sweet at all.

If you want to drink spirits...during the summer months, I'm a fan of a high-quality light rum. Bacardi will do if no better light rum is available. For the darker rums, I like Brugal, a Dominican distillation. If you want to mix it, I think pineapple juice is great with rum.

If you want to get really tropical, try a 3:1:1 mix of tamarind juice, white rum and coconut milk. Nice...goes well with black bean tacos or grilled shrimp.

Rum in Spanish is "ron"...my friend, Ron.

 

Red Stripe makes a pretty nice summer beer.

As does Red Hook ESB...

 

hawaiian punch and gin.

 

I'm enjoying the new Rasberry Tea by Smirnoff. It's got a kick, but mostly tastes like rasberry tea as long as it stays ice cold.

 

One part rum, one fresh lime juice, one part soda and one part dog blood.
It's called a Mike Vick.
Very refreshing, but watch out, it's got a bit of a bite.

 

No pot?

 

A slow and comfortable screw.

 

too lazy to run through the entire thread. my fave in the last couple of years is a mix of lemonade and any beer. a great summer drink, in any proportion you'd like. i go about 50-50. takes the bitter edge off a brewski and you can down it to quench a good, sweaty thirst. mmm-mmm. i turn folks onto it all the time!! wins over even those who don't normally like beer. 8) 8) 8) 8)