Category: Beverages

• 3 cups strawberries, hulled
• Juice of 2 lemons
• 1 teaspoon superfine sugar
• Handful ice cubes
• 2 cups ginger ale
• 4-6 whole strawberries, for garnish

Chop 1 cup strawberries into pieces; set aside. Place 2 cups strawberries in blender with lemon juice, sugar and ice; blend until smooth. Pour mixture into a pitcher and stir in chopped strawberries and ginger ale. Pour into glasses and garnish with whole strawberries. Makes 4-6 servings.

(Pumpkin Spice Martini)

• 2 ounces Bailey’s Irish Cream
• 2 ounces vanilla vodka
• 1 ounce Pumpkin Spice Syrup (recipe below)
• Garnish: Whipped cream, nutmeg, cinnamon stick

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake vigorously for 10 seconds, then strain into a coupe or martini glass. Top with whipped cream, a sprinkle of nutmeg and a cinnamon stick.

Pumpkin Spice Syrup:
Combine 1 cup of water with 1 cup of brown sugar in a saucepan. Whisk in 1 tablespoon of pumpkin spice blend (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves) and 1/3 cup canned pumpkin. Stir continuously over medium heat until sugar has dissolved completely. Allow to cool before using.

Recipes by Hailey Etzel

• 8 cups water
• 3 cups granulated sugar
• 8 peaches, peeled, cored and chopped
• 1 cup lemon juice
• 1 cup vodka
• Fresh fruit for garnish

In a saucepan, add 3 cups of water, sugar and chopped peaches. Place over medium heat and stir occasionally until sugar has dissolved. Purée in blender to make a peach simple syrup. In a pitcher, add remaining water, peach simple syrup, lemon juice and vodka. Pour over ice and garnish with fresh fruit.

Recipe and photo courtesy of Katelyn Youngblood
sweetandsassyapron.com
facebook.com/sweetandsassyapron

• Fresh blackberries
• 3 shots limeade
• 1/2 shot lime juice
• Juice from half an orange
• 1 1/2 shots tequila
• Lime slice for garnish

Muddle fresh blackberries in bottom of a glass that has a salt (or sugar) rim. Shake limeade, fresh lime juice, fresh orange juice and tequila in a jar filled with ice. Pour over muddled blackberries, stir and garnish with fresh berries and lime.

Recipe and photo courtesy of
Katelyn Youngblood
sweetandsassyapron.com
facebook.com/sweetandsassyapron

• 750 milliliters white rum
• 750 milliliters vodka
• 1/2 gallon orange juice
• 1/2 gallon lemonade
• 1/2 gallon Hawaiian Punch
• 16 ounces pineapple juice
• 3 ounces lemon juice
• 3 ounces lime juice
• 4 ounces Durty Gurl Margarita Mix
• 1 can lemon sparkling water
• Slices of strawberries, fresh oranges, lemons and limes

Mix first nine ingredients in a large pitcher; top with sparkling water and fresh fruit.

Recipe and photo courtesy of Katelyn Youngblood
sweetandsassyapron.com
facebook.com/sweetandsassyapron

Cocktail:

• 1 ounce coconut rum
• 1 ounce Blue Curaçao liqueur
• 2 ounces pineapple juice
• 1 ounce Sprite (optional)
• 1 cup ice
• Pineapple wedge
• Maraschino cherry

Pour rum, curaçao, pineapple juice into a cocktail shaker and shake until combined. Pour over ice in a chilled glass. Garnish with a wedge of fresh pineapple and a maraschino cherry. Makes 1 drink.

Mocktail:

• 7 ounces Sprite or 7-Up
• 3 ounces pineapple juice
• 1/4 teaspoon coconut extract
• 1 drop blue food coloring
• Pineapple wedge
• Maraschino cherry

Pour Sprite or 7-Up into glass and add pineapple juice. Stir in coconut extract and add 1 small drop of blue food coloring. Stir together until combined. Taste and adjust flavors as desired. Add ice and stir to chill. Garnish with a wedge of fresh pineapple and a maraschino cherry. Makes 1 drink.

• 1 (750-ml) bottle red wine
• 2 cups apple cider
• 3 tablespoons grand mariner
• 1 large orange, sliced
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 4 star anise
• 6 whole cloves
• Honey (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a large pot over medium heat. Once it starts to steam, reduce to a simmer (do not let boil) and cook 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and let cool 5 minutes. Remove oranges, cloves, anise and cinnamon sticks. For a sweeter mulled wine, add a little honey. Ladle into glasses or mugs and garnish with fresh orange slices, cinnamon sticks and star anise.

• 25.4 ounces sparkling white grape juice
• 2 cups Sprite
• 1 cup lemonade
• 1 small watermelon
• 1 small cantaloupe
• 1 small honeydew melon
• Juice of 1 lime
• Fresh mint leaves

Pour grape juice, Sprite and lemonade in a pitcher and stir until mixed. Place in fridge to chill. Use a melon baller to scoop out flesh of the watermelon, cantaloupe and honeydew melon.

Place melon balls on a cookie sheet lined with foil and freeze. Once frozen, add 3-4 cups of the melon balls to the pitcher. Stir in lime juice and a few fresh mint leaves. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to blend. Place remaining frozen melon balls in individual glasses for ice cubes and pour in spritzer. Garnish with fresh mint and serve. Makes 6 servings.

• 1/4 cup water
• 1 envelope (1/4 ounce) plain Knox gelatin
• 4-5 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 cup espresso (or strong coffee), hot
• 1 1/2 cups of half-and-half
• Cocoa powder for garnish
• Chocolate covered espresso beans for garnish
• Mint leaves for garnish

Place the water in a small bowl and sprinkle evenly with gelatin. The gelatin will begin to absorb the water and swell in size; let stand 5 minutes. Heat in microwave for 30 seconds to dissolve. In a separate medium bowl, mix together sugar and hot espresso until dissolved. Stir in gelatin mixture until combined. Stir in half-and-half. Pour into 4 small serving glasses and refrigerate at least 3 hours to set. Garnish with cocoa powder, chocolate covered espresso beans and mint leaves before serving.

Makes 4 servings.

• 2 cups milk
• 1/4 cup pumpkin purée
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup hot black coffee
• Whipped cream

Place milk, pumpkin purée, maple syrup, spice and vanilla extract in a saucepan. Whisk together constantly over medium heat until heated through. Stir in hot coffee until well blended. Pour into mugs and top with whipped cream. Garnish with a light sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice. Makes 2-3 servings.

• 4 cups cubed, seedless watermelon
• 1 cup ice cubes
• Juice of 1 lime (or more, to taste)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Place watermelon and ice in a blender. Add lime juice, sugar and salt. Blend until smooth. Serve immediately. Makes 2-3 servings.