Memorial Day for most people marks the end of the school year and although it is still spring, for some it marks the beginning of summer. It is a day when families meet up to honor the brave men and women of the Armed Forces who are no longer with us. With this usually comes a cookout or bar-b-Que and with that comes drinking (both non-alcoholic beverages and alcoholic alike). So here are four Memorial Day drinks to get you on the right start.
Watermelon Sangria: (Makes 10-12 servings)
Ingredients:
1 Large sized Watermelon
1 Bottle of chilled White Wine
2 cups of clear rum
1 cup of seltzer
⅓ cup of lime juice (roughly 6-8 limes)
2 thinly sliced limes
2 cups of frozen or fresh fruit (berries, etc..)
Cut off about the top ⅓ of the watermelon. With a knife, score the inside and then scoop out with a spoon. Add to the blender and blend well.
Place blended watermelon back inside the shell. Add your white wine, rum, seltzer, and your lime juice and mix/stir well. Finally, add your lime slices and your berries/fruit of choice. Refrigerate for roughly two hours until it is chilled, then serve to your guests and enjoy.
Tequila Sunset: (Makes 1 serving per recipe)
Ingredients:
1 cup of ice
1 ½ oz of tequila (brand of your choice)
4 oz of grapefruit or orange juice
½ oz of grenadine *optional
Mandarin orange slice/ Maraschino Cherry **optional
Fill you cup with the ice. Add the tequila and juice of your choice. Add the grenadine (optional) and garnish with mandarin/maraschino cherry (also optional.
Hurricane: (Makes 2 per recipe)
Ingredients:
2 oz of clear rum (light)
3 oz of brown rum (dark)
6 oz of passion fruit (juice)
6 oz of orange juice
2 tbsp of grenadine
2 Orange Slices *optional
2 Maraschino Cherries *optional
Mix the five liquids together in a clear measuring cup. Pour the mixture into a class with ice. Use 1 orange and 1 cherry as a garnish (optional).
Blackberry Mojito: (Makes 2 servings per recipe)
Ingredients:
½ cup of blackberries
Handful of fresh mint (leaves)
Juice from 2 limes
1 tsp of sugar
½ cup of white rum (light)
Crushed ice
Club soda
Put the blackberries in a small mixing bowl, muddle them, and put them to the side. Put the mint leaves in the bottom of your glasses. With a spoon, separate the blackberries into two even sections. Place each section in glass on top of the mint leaves. In a separate glass mix the juice, sugar, and rum. Poor liquid into two glasses evenly. Add your crushed ice and then add your club soda. Garnish with mint leaves or blackberries (optional).
Now that you know what drinks to serve you can concentrate on the food! This would also free up some time that you can spend with your family and friends. After all, these drinks can be made within a few minutes, which is always a plus!