I had dream that the lake was full of orange soda.  Turns out it was a FantaSea…

FantaSea

• 1½ oz vodka
• ½ oz Aperol
• 2 oz fresh lemon juice
• 1 oz orange soda
• 3 oz ginger beer
• cut slightly with club soda, as desired
• lots of ice
• play with proportions to taste!

 

Food Pairing:  BBQ’d Pepperoni Sticks or Hotrods

This one is tricky.  There is alot going on in this cocktail — the ginger beer has some zip, the aperol slightly bitter, and the orange soda is syrupy-sweet.  Personally, I would lean into the zip (but not too far), with something strong enough to hold up to all the flavours.  Try BBQ’ing some pepperoni sticks, and then slice into medallions.  On their own, or with some crackers (Triscuit Cracker Pepper & Olive Oil were good).

 

Song Pairing:  House Party, Sam Hunt

Even when you’re staying “home” (as in, not leaving your dock), it can still become a party!

There is something about the month of June that’s unlike any other month.  Warm summer days still feel new, and there’s an anticipatory sense in the air — school is almost over, vacation is on the horizon, trees & flowers are on the cusp of their most vivid displays.  If June was a time of the week, it would be Saturday morning…a block of bliss yet to unfurl.

This post’s cocktail has the feeling of a Saturday morning paddle on the lake:  quiet, subtle, relaxed, and refreshing.  The cocktail equivalent of a happy sigh.  To June, Saturday mornings, and paddles around the lake, we give you a:

Happy Paddler

Hibiscus Simple Syrup:

• 1 cup demerra sugar, 1 cup water
• Heat & stir until it hits boil, then remove from burner
• Add 4 tea bags of any hibiscus-based herbal tea and steep (30 min)
• After steeping, stir in zest of one lime (yes, there will be floaty bits in your drinks, but it will add to it’s outdoorsy charm!)

 In a glass, mix:

• 1½ oz tequila
• 1½ oz hibiscus simple syrup (above)
• 3-4 oz tonic (as desired)
• Stir, add ice
• Garnish with a slice of lime

Enjoy, as you sunflower your face to the sun, breathe in the bliss, and sigh….

Song Pairing:  Saturday Sun, Vance Joy

Oh Saturday sun, I met someone.