Virgin Mimosa: How to Make a Non-Alcoholic Mimosa

A delicious and refreshing virgin mimosa! This non-alcoholic mimosa is perfect for anyone not wanting alcohol in their mimosa, but still wants to enjoy a sweet and bubbly drink for brunch! Serve it with our favorite brunch recipes for the ultimate trea…

A delicious and refreshing virgin mimosa! This non-alcoholic mimosa is perfect for anyone not wanting alcohol in their mimosa, but still wants to enjoy a sweet and bubbly drink for brunch! Serve it with our favorite brunch recipes for the ultimate treat. You can still enjoy a sweet and bubbly mimosa even if you’re not […]

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9 Editor-Loved Cocktails to Celebrate National Tequila Day

To celebrate National Tequila Day, we’re shaking up tequila cocktails with our friends at Patrón Tequila. From lightly floral Reposado to smooth, golden Extra Añejo, their range of handcrafted tequilas are made with high-quality ingredients that’ll add…

To celebrate National Tequila Day, we’re shaking up tequila cocktails with our friends at Patrón Tequila. From lightly floral Reposado to smooth, golden Extra Añejo, their range of handcrafted tequilas are made with high-quality ingredients that’ll add an extra flavor boost to palomas, margaritas, and so much more.


Ready your cocktail shakers and mixing glasses: In anticipation of National Tequila Day (July 24) we’re coming in hot with a collection of our favorite tequila-based drinks. From creative sippers like a Raspberry Rose Paloma and a Smoky Tequila Mule to a classic lime and Cointreau-based margarita, we bet there’s something to please every palate in this list. (And hey, if you don’t want to drink your tequila, you could always pour it over watermelon.) But before diving in, it might be helpful to know your preferred style of tequila, which means knowing the differences between the three main types: blanco, reposado, and añejo tequilas.

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How to Improvise a Cocktail, Rick Martinez Style

Whether he’s pairing coconut shrimp with a pineapple-habanero salsa or drizzling fried chicken with hot honey, Resident Rick Martinez is all about sweet heat—after all, that is the name of his show. In the latest episode, our host faces a somewhat daun…

Whether he’s pairing coconut shrimp with a pineapple-habanero salsa or drizzling fried chicken with hot honey, Resident Rick Martinez is all about sweet heat—after all, that is the name of his show. In the latest episode, our host faces a somewhat daunting task: Using ingredients from the local market, Martinez must improvise three spicy summer drinks. To complicate things even further? He has to make them in the comfort of his sparsely equipped AirBnB—meaning no fancy barware or tools allowed.

So, how did the Mi Cocina author approach this on-the-fly assignment? “One of my favorite ways to cook is to go to the market and let the market tell me what it wants me to make,” he explains in the video. “I don’t want to follow a recipe to make a drink.”

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Rose Sangria

Summer in France means a lot of things in France. En masse vacations, a blissfully empty Paris, price increases (which happen during August, when everyone is out of town – of course), and vide-greniers and brocantes, known elsewhere as flea markets, where people sell all kinds of things. If you’re lucky enough to take a trip to the countryside, the brocantes are amazing. But some…

rose sangria recipe

Summer in France means a lot of things in France. En masse vacations, a blissfully empty Paris, price increases (which happen during August, when everyone is out of town – of course), and vide-greniers and brocantes, known elsewhere as flea markets, where people sell all kinds of things. If you’re lucky enough to take a trip to the countryside, the brocantes are amazing. But some small towns in France also have little antique shops that are always worth poking around in. And when your other half has a station wagon, well, the possibilities are endless. (And sometimes voluminous!)

peach for sangria

Continue Reading Rose Sangria...

Lavender Blueberry Vodka Soda.

This lavender blueberry vodka soda just screams summer. It’s refreshing, cooling and icy filled with fruity and dessert-like floral flavors. It’s delicious and pretty too! New summery drink alert! This blueberry lavender vodka soda is refreshing, fruity and fragrant with a slight hint of dessert-like floral flavor. Save this recipe below so you can make […]

The post Lavender Blueberry Vodka Soda. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

This lavender blueberry vodka soda just screams summer. It’s refreshing, cooling and icy filled with fruity and dessert-like floral flavors. It’s delicious and pretty too!

New summery drink alert!

lavender blueberry vodka soda

This blueberry lavender vodka soda is refreshing, fruity and fragrant with a slight hint of dessert-like floral flavor. Save this recipe below so you can make it this weekend!

blueberry lavender syrup

Every time I make a fun new drink for summer I call THEEEE drink for summer. Like I declare it’s the best drink you can make this summer. And it’s not that I’m wrong, I very much feel that in the moment. 

Which means that again, I’m telling you that this is the drink of the summer. THEEE drink of the summer.

It’s so cooling and icy with classic summer flavors that just work in the heat. I find a vodka soda with lots of lime to be refreshing and this is an elevated version of that. 

pouring blueberry lavender syrup over ice

Flavored vodka sodas are my thing. I’ve done a cucumber vodka soda, a cherry lime vodka soda and a clementine vodka soda! So good.

I have loved the blueberry lavender combo forever. I’ve made blueberry lavender scones, blueberry lavender chia jam, blueberry ricotta cake with lavender glaze and even blueberry mojitos with lavender syrup! Lavender complements blueberry and together you get this lovely combination that screams summer.

pouring blueberry lavender syrup over ice

This blueberry lavender syrup is delightful. I make my lavender vanilla syrup all summer long for iced coffee, and dare I say that you can probably take this and put it in your coffee too. I know some people go for more fruity flavors with coffee so it definitely works. 

The syrup is super easy and you can make it ahead of time and keep it in the fridge. I do equal parts water + sugar then a big handful of blueberries and a pinch of culinary lavender.

Oh and I find my culinary lavender on amazon – it’s the easiest place to get it. I have some at all times because I use it frequently and it lasts a very long time. 

lavender blueberry vodka soda

Once I make the syrup and it cools, I do strain it to remove the lavender and blueberry bits. I don’t want chunks of anything coming up my straw so this is the best way, plus the syrup lasts longer in the fridge this way. 

lavender blueberry vodka soda

The other ingredients?

Just your classic vodka and soda. I use Tito’s and whatever club soda I have on hand. You could use a flavored seltzer water if you have one, but I let the blueberry lavender syrup shine.

lavender blueberry vodka soda

If you want to make these for a party, I suggest making a jar of the “mixer.” So combine the syrup and vodka in a jar and shake or stir, then store it in the fridge. When it comes time to make a new drink, pour over ice and top it off with the soda.

You don’t want to make a big pitcher with the soda because you’ll lose all that effervescence for the drinks.

lavender blueberry vodka soda

These are super fun, pretty, absolutely delicious and perfect for this weekend! (more…)

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2 Corner Store Cocktails for When You Need a Lil’ Convenience

We’ve teamed up with NOLET’S Gin to share a few of the easiest and breeziest summer cocktails. These sips come together with NOLET’S Silver Gin, a floral spirit that’s been crafted with over 330 years of distilling expertise by the Nolet family using r…

We’ve teamed up with NOLET’S Gin to share a few of the easiest and breeziest summer cocktails. These sips come together with NOLET’S Silver Gin, a floral spirit that’s been crafted with over 330 years of distilling expertise by the Nolet family using real botanicals.


Living in the concrete jungle that is New York may have its perks, but it can be tough to find them in the thick of summer when the sun burns high and long. Walking even a few blocks home from the subway (essentially a mini sauna on hot days) can feel like a trek through the desert. When I can’t bear the heat, I like to pop into the nearest convenience store for a brief moment of relief, where I can cool off in the refrigerated aisles—a welcome oasis.

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Summer Tequila Fruit Punch.

This summer tequila fruit punch is perfect for a BBQ or pool party. Cherry and pineapple and orange mixed with tequila, bubbles and frozen peaches to keep it all chilled. SO fun. Grown up fruit punch is exactly what this holiday weekend needs.  This spiked fruit punch is a fun party drink that is packed […]

The post Summer Tequila Fruit Punch. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

This summer tequila fruit punch is perfect for a BBQ or pool party. Cherry and pineapple and orange mixed with tequila, bubbles and frozen peaches to keep it all chilled. SO fun.

Grown up fruit punch is exactly what this holiday weekend needs. 

summer tequila fruit punch

This spiked fruit punch is a fun party drink that is packed with pineapple and cherry and bubbly and more. It’s perfect over ice on a hot summer day and a little goes a long way! Trust me.

peaches and cherries in a pitcher

Now to be honest, if someone handed me a glass of something like Hawaiian Punch or Minute Maid Fruit Punch, something that was around when I was a kid, I’d gladly pass. Any kind of juice that is sweet enough to hurt my teeth? No thank you, I would rather have a glass of practically anything else.

BUT.

And that’s a big but. When there is a boozy punch on the menu or at the party? I can be swayed. Easily. 

pouring sparkling rose in a pitcher

A few weeks ago we took a little staycation to a local resort and they had quite the cocktail menu. I couldn’t try everything because, hello, family time! But they had fruit punch on the menu and I couldn’t pass it up. It sounded super good and refreshing. I had to try it, if only a few sips for research!

Research for us to be able to make it at home this summer and enjoy it by the pool. Or on the beach. Or the patio! 

summer tequila fruit punch

I have to say that I got the recipe to match almost exactly. It tastes almost identical. While the one I had contained a few delicious fruit purees (like peach and passionfruit), I knew that wouldn’t work here. I don’t have time to puree different fruits before throwing everything in a pitcher to drink – and I don’t think you do either.

So I kept the pineapple and cherry flavors, went with some orange liqueur, some other bubbles… and this fruit punch was born.

summer tequila fruit punch

And, um, my favorite part? The frozen peaches used as ice cubes, of course! This is my favorite summer hack. Get a bag of frozen peaches and use them as ice in your drinks. In this case, we’re using an entire bag. The peach slices not only chill the drink, but also infuse a good amount of peach flavor into the pitcher. 

They also taste amazing once you finish your glass.

summer tequila fruit punch

Here’s what goes into our tequila fruit punch!

  • Tequila, obviously. I love to use Casa Amigos blanco
  • And entire little jar of maraschino cherries. Yes the cherries and the juice.
  • Pineapple juice!
  • Grand Marnier or Triple Sec or another orange-ish liqueur.
  • Club soda for some bubbles.
  • Dry sparkling rosé (like this one) or even Prosecco for MORE bubbles. 
  • And frozen peaches, to chill the whole pitcher!

spiked fruit punch

Let’s just say that this fruit punch… packs a punch. Oh yes. It’s definitely sweet and tastes like the fruit punch of my youth, but in a good way. Aside from the booze, of course. If you are not into sweet drinks, this is not for you.

But if you like to make a summer punch and tequila is your mixer of choice? We’re good!  (more…)

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Frozen Mai Tai Slushy Pops

Chill out with these boozy summer ice pops based on your favorite tiki cocktail: the mai tai! With a unique slushy consistency (thanks to the ample amounts of rum), they’re exactly what you need to beat the summer heat! Whether you call them ice pops, otter pops, freezies, or Zooper Doopers (hello friends from down […]

The post Frozen Mai Tai Slushy Pops first appeared on Love and Olive Oil.

Chill out with these boozy summer ice pops based on your favorite tiki cocktail: the mai tai! With a unique slushy consistency (thanks to the ample amounts of rum), they’re exactly what you need to beat the summer heat!

Whether you call them ice pops, otter pops, freezies, or Zooper Doopers (hello friends from down under!) one thing is for sure: these refreshing summer treats are sure to make you smile. Especially when booze is involved (these aren’t your childhood ice pops, that’s for sure!)

Aqua blue background with metal tray filled with ice, and mai tai cocktail, bright orange ice pops, and pineapple pieces

Folks, it’s hot.

Like, really, really hot.

There are a few other recipes I’ve been working on, but they all seem to require the oven, which is the last thing I want to do in this unbearable heat. So you may have to wait a bit for those perfect M&M cookies and that unreal blueberry cream cheese coffee cake (but they’re coming, I promise!)

In this kind of heat what I really want to do is stick my head in the freezer. But since that’s not exactly energy efficient, these slush pops are the next best thing.

With a unique slushy consistency (thanks to the ample amounts of rum), these cocktail-inspired treats are a grown up version of the classic ice pops from your childhood. They’re made with pineapple, orange, and lime juice, plus a healthy dose of rum, and some orgeat (a fragrant almond syrup), all frozen together in one deliciously refreshing treat.

Overhead, Frozen Mai Tai Slushy Pops on a metal tray with a cocktail glass and pink umbrella.

Mai Tais are one of my favorite summer cocktails.

A classic mai tai features a blend of rums, orange liqueur, lime juice and orgeat (a fragrant almond syrup). It’s bright and fruity and oh-so-refreshing, which made me think it’d be a perfect candidate to be pop-ified.

(more…)

How to Make a Dirty Shirley Drink

The dirty Shirley cocktail is the drink of the summer! This vodka cocktail is a twist on the classic Shirley temple and is made with just 3 simple ingredients. It’s an easy mixed drink that’s refreshing for the summertime. So don’t wa…

The dirty Shirley cocktail is the drink of the summer! This vodka cocktail is a twist on the classic Shirley temple and is made with just 3 simple ingredients. It’s an easy mixed drink that’s refreshing for the summertime. So don’t wait any longer, mix up a dirty Shirley temple to enjoy the season! The […]

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