Spring Break Cocktails

Spring is finally here, life is returning to normal post-COVID, and everyone seems to have the travel bug. But, if there's no exotic destination in your plans this year, that doesn't mean you can't enjoy a staycation in a glass from the comfort of your backyard.

 

Try one of these cocktail recipes, and you'll feel like you're relaxing on a sandy beach with your toes in the ocean and the sun on your face.

 

Mai Tai

One of the most famous Tiki drinks worldwide, the Mai Tai has been a favorite of cocktail enthusiasts and Tiki aficionados for decades. Fun Fact: the cocktail enjoyed fame in the Elvis film "Blue Hawaii."

 

Ingredients

  • 1-½ ounces white rum

  • ¾ ounce orange curaçao

  • ¾ ounce lime juice, freshly squeezed

  • ½ ounce orgeat (a nuanced almond syrup)

  • ½ ounce dark rum

  • Garnish: lime wheel, mint sprig

 

Directions

  1. Add the white rum, curaçao, lime juice, and orgeat into a shaker with crushed ice; shake lightly.

  2. Pour into a double rocks glass.

  3. Float the dark rum over the top.

  4. Garnish with a lime wheel and mint sprig.

 

Peach Donkey

Sometimes names can be deceiving. A refreshing drink full of tropical taste, the Peach Donkey tastes like sunshine in a glass wherever you happen to be. 

 

Ingredients

  • 1 ounce vodka

  • ½ ounce ginger liqueur

  • 3 ounces peach puree or nectar

  • 1 ounce chilled ginger beer 

  • Garnish: peach slices (optional)

 

Directions

  1. Combine the vodka, ginger liqueur, and peach puree in a highball glass; stir. 

  2. Add crushed ice and stir again. 

  3. Top with ginger beer and swizzle by spinning a bar spoon between your hands. 

  4. Garnish with peach slices.

 

Piña Colada

A misunderstood cocktail, the Piña Colada is often considered an overly sweet concoction downed at poolside bars and on booze cruises. However, when crafted individually with quality ingredients, it's among the best tropical cocktails this side of the Atlantic. 

 

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces light rum

  • 1-½ ounces cream of coconut

  • 1-½ ounces pineapple juice

  • ½ ounce lime juice, freshly squeezed

  • Garnish: pineapple wedge, pineapple leaf

 

Directions

  1. Add the rum, cream of coconut, pineapple, and lime juices to a shaker with ice; shake vigorously for 30 seconds.

  2. Strain into a chilled Hurricane glass over pebble ice.

  3. Garnish with pineapple wedge and pineapple leaf.

 

Gone Native

Head to the edge of the ocean with the Gone Native cocktail, a bouquet of tropical freshness. It's best enjoyed in the final moments of the sunset.

 

Ingredients

  • 1-½ ounces London dry gin

  • ½ ounce Pimm's No. 1 

  • ½ ounce lemon juice

  • 1 ounce apple juice

  • 1 ounce guava juice

  • 1 teaspoon simple syrup

  • Garnish: 4 mint leaves, mint sprig, guava slice

 

Directions

  1. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. 

  2. Add all ingredients except the mint sprig and guava slices; shake well. 

  3. Strain the drink into an ice-filled highball glass.

  4. Garnish with mint sprig and guava slices.

 

Mojito

This Cuban classic is a refreshing drink providing a blast of flavor that will take you straight to the Caribbean tropics. It's as perfect at backyard BBQ as it is poolside.

 

Ingredients

  • 3 mint leaves

  • ½ ounce simple syrup

  • 2 ounces white rum

  • ¾ ounce lime juice, freshly squeezed

  • Club soda, to top

  • Garnish: mint sprig, lime wheel

 

Directions

  1. In a shaker, lightly muddle the mint with the simple syrup.

  2. Add the rum, lime juice, and ice; shake briefly.

  3. Strain into a highball glass over fresh ice; top with the club soda.

  4. Garnish with a mint sprig and lime wheel.

 

Universal Fine Wine & Spirits specializes in rare liquors, handcrafted wines, and craft beers and provides exceptional pricing on everyday staples. Our staff has over thirty years of combined beverage industry experience and can help you find the perfect beverage for your spring break staycation. So stop by our store, call us at 727-937-8330, or visit our website to learn more.

 

 

Sources

https://www.delish.com/holiday-recipes/g3299/cheers-to-st-patricks-day/

https://www.liquor.com/slideshows/st-patricks-day-cocktails/ 

https://www.thespruceeats.com/st-patricks-day-cocktails-759889 

 

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