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PrintCreate: Cool, Refreshing Cocktails & Mocktails
clockwise from left: Sangria Touchdown Punch; Strawberry Lemon Drop Martini; Peach Tea Julep
photography by Ashlee Nobel
Summertime is the perfect time for garden parties, barbecues, pool parties and game nights and just hanging out with friends. With parties and party food comes the desire for creative and refreshing, yet easy, drinks. We searched some of our favorite sources and consulted with mixologist Jacqulyn Sexton to offer you the following delectable drinks and a few sans alcohol.
Watermelon Margaritas
Ingredients
4 cups (1-inch chunks) seedless watermelon
3/4 cup tequila
1/2 cup triple sec
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 cups ice
Directions:
Freeze watermelon until firm. Combine the frozen watermelon with the tequila, triple sec, sugar, lime juice and lemon juice in a blender; process until smooth. Add the ice in batches, processing to the desired consistency. Pour into glasses and serve.
Serves four.
Source: Big Taste of Little Rock by Junior League of Little Rock
Strawberry Lemon Drop Martini
I consider this the adult/posh juice box — Jacqulyn Sexton
Ingredients
2 tablespoons raw sugar
3 Arkansas strawberries
1 wedge of lemon muddled in shaker
2 ounces vodka
To garnish glass:
Grind lemon drops or Lemon Head candy (if you don’t have a grinder, place candy in plastic bag and break with rolling pin). Pour in plate or saucer. Moisten rim of chilled martini glass with lemon wedge and rim with ground lemon candy.
Directions:
Muddle sugar, strawberries and lemon in cocktail shaker. Add vodka, fill shaker with ice and shake until too cold to hold. Strain to martini glass. Garnish with strawberry and lemon twist. Serve immediately.
Source: Jacqulyn Sexton
Watermelon Blackberry Martini
Ingredients
1 ½ ounces watermelon juice
1 ounce vodka
1 blackberry
1 raspberry
1 wedge of lemon
Directions:
Muddle berries and add to martini glass. Mix the other ingredients, shake with ice and pour over muddled berries.
Source: National Watermelon Promotion Board
Watermelon Mimosa
Ingredients
1 cup watermelon juice (puree, strained)
1/2 cup light champagne (preferably not brut, but rather asti or similar)
Directions:
Divide watermelon juice among 2 to 3 champagne flutes. Fill with champagne and enjoy!
Source: National Watermelon Promotion Board
Ginger Martini
Ingredients
1 cup water
2 cups sugar
grated zest of 1 lemon
1 ½ cup fresh ginger, chopped
1/2 cup premium vodka
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
fresh ginger slices for garnishing
Directions:
Boil water in small saucepan. Add the sugar, lemon zest and ginger. Reduce the heat to very low and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Let the sugar mixture cool to room temperature and strain. Half fill a cocktail shaker with ice cubes. Add the sugar mixture, vodka and lime juice. Give the shaker a few good shakes and strain into chilled martini glasses. Garnish by dropping in three or four slivers of fresh ginger in each glass.
Serves two.
Source: Festivities, Too, recipes compiled by CARTI Auxiliary
Peach Tea Julep
Who needs Kentucky when Arkansas has this cocktail? Not just for front porch sipping, your guests will talk about your cocktail party for days! Note: this one takes some extra TLC.
Ingredients
1 pound Arkansas peaches, sliced (or 1 pound frozen, if fresh isn’t available)
1.5 ounces quality bourbon
1/2 cup sugar
mint leaves
.25 ounces lemon juice (juice from quartered lemon wedge)
.75 ounces black tea
Directions:
Caramelize peaches in very hot pan. Deglaze by adding 4 ounces quality bourbon, and let alcohol cook off. Puree, and add ½ cup of sugar.
In shaker, add two mint leaves and .25 ounce of lemon juice and muddle. Add .5 ounces of peach puree; 1.5 ounces of quality bourbon; and .75 ounces of black tea. Shake vigorously with ice, and strain over fresh ice in tall glass or Mason jar. Garnish with sprig of mint and peach slice and serve. Note: any black tea will suffice.
Source: Jacqulyn Sexton
Sangria Touchdown Punch
Ingredients
6 ounces lemon juice
16 ounces orange juice
sugar to taste
1 bottle (750 milliliters) nonalcoholic red wine
orange, lemon and lime slices
Directions:
Mix first four ingredients in pitcher until sugar is dissolved. Chill until ready to serve. Pour in punch bowl or glasses and garnish with fruit slices.
Source: The Mocktail Bar Guide
Independence Day Lemonade
Ingredients
6 lemons
4 cups water
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup blackberries, fresh or frozen
lemon slices
Directions:
Remove about 1 tablespoon of zest from lemons. Squeeze enough juice from lemons to produce 1 cup. In a small saucepan, boil 2 cups water. Add sugar, stirring until dissolved. Add zest, and remove from heat. Pour in remaining 2 cups water, and allow to cool. Puree blackberries in blender until well mixed. Add lemon zest mixture and lemon juice. Blend at low speed until mixed. Strain into pitcher. Chill for several hours. Before serving, pour over ice. Garnish each with lemon slice, as desired.
Serves six.
Source: The Mocktail Bar Guide
Shot on location at Lulav
220 W. Sixth St., Suite A
Little Rock, AR 72201
501.374.5100, lulaveatery.com
Jacqulyn Sexton is an independent mixologist. If you’d like to hire her to delight guests at your next party, you may reach her at 501.851.1111 or via her website, society-events.com.
