Here’s another refreshing Simple Celebration cocktail recipe.  Cachaca rum originated in Brazil.  Vicki had it during her trip to Vietnam and Cambodia where it was served in every restaurant.  Bring this exotic flavor home for your next happy hour!

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Cachaça Rum Cocktail

Course Drinks

Cuisine South American

Servings 1

Ingredients

• Half lime cut into four slices
• 2 Tbsp simple syrup 1/2 sugar and 1/2 water dissolved
• 2 ounces Cachaça rum pictured
• Splash of club soda

Instructions

• Place the limes in the bottom of a cocktail glass and muddle.  
  
• Add ice, additional ingredients, and stir.  It's that easy!

We went to a great little Speak Easy in Tampa which is known for their vintage cocktails.  Skip loved the drink called “The Rhino” and convinced the bartender to give him the recipe (Skip can be very convincing).  We renamed it “The Panther” as a nod to the Florida panther.  You most likely do not have the ingredients in your liquor cabinet, but it is worth a trip to the store.  Cheers!

This gimlet was the “signature” drink at our recent 200th blog party.  It has a clean, crisp, refreshing taste and started the party off with a BANG!

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Vodka & Basil Gimlet

Course Drinks

Cuisine American

Servings 1

Ingredients

• 2 ounces vodka
• 1 ounce Rose's lime juice
• Basil leaves - torn

Instructions

• Put vodka and lime juice in a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake.  
• Strain into a chilled martini glass and top with basil leaf garnish.

Notes

This cocktail is for 1 person.

Give this Grape Passion Martini a try, it’s been called “the best cocktail ever” by some very experienced drinkers!

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Grape Passion Martini

Course Drinks

Cuisine American

Servings 1

Ingredients

• 2 ounces vodka
• black grapes
• 4 basil leaves
• 1 ounce fresh lime juice
• 1/2 ounce simple syrup either purchased or homemade*

Instructions

Martini

• Place the vodka in a cocktail shaker.      
• Fill the shaker 1/3 full with grapes.
• Add basil leaves.
• Muddle all the ingredients and double strain into a martini glass.

*Simple Syrup

• One part sugar to one part water.  Place in saucepan and heat until it boils and sugar is dissolved.  Cool.  This syrup can be kept for months in a jar.

We recommend this cocktail not only because it looks festive and tastes great, but it is lower in calories than the original cosmo recipe.

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Citron Cosmo

Course Drinks

Cuisine American

Ingredients

• 2 parts Absolute Citron vodka
• 1 part triple sec
• 1 part diet cranberry juice
• Splash of lime juice

Instructions

• Shake vodka, triple sec, and juices with ice in a cocktail shaker.  
• Strain and serve in a martini glass with a twist of lime.

Mango and mint add something unique to this martini recipe.  Make sure you use a very ripe mango.  Cheers!

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Mango and Mint Martini

Course Drinks

Cuisine American

Servings 2

Ingredients

• 2 ounces rum
• 1/2 mango peeled, cut into chunks
• 4 mint leaves plus two sprigs for garnish
• 1 ounce fresh lime juice
• 1/2 ounce simple syrup*

Instructions

• In a cocktail shaker, add mango, mint leaves, lime juice and simple syrup.  Muddle (mash) until mango is mostly liquid.  
• Fill with ice, add rum and shake
• Double strain using a cocktail shaker top and a small strainer.  Pour into chilled martini glass and garnish with a sprig of mint.

Notes

*Simple syrup - Boil equal parts of water and sugar until sugar has melted.  Cool before use.  This is a common cocktail ingredient - make a large batch and keep in the refrigerator for your next cocktail celebration.

There are several steps to this recipe, but the refreshing taste is well worth the work for this unique libation.  A cocktail shaker and wooden muddler are needed to make the drink.

Chilled martini glasses are the best way to serve a St. Pete Sunshine.  Simply put ice water into the glass for a few minutes before use and empty when recipe is ready.

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St. Pete Sunshine Martini

Course Drinks

Cuisine American

Servings 1

Equipment

• Cocktail Shaker and Muddler

Ingredients

• 1/2 - 3/4 cup fresh pineapple cubes
• 1 sprig Rosemary stripped
• 1 ounce lime juice
• 1/2 ounce simple syrup*
• 2 ounces Tequila
• 1 ounce Grand Marnier
• Pineapple slices for garnish

Instructions

• In a cocktail shaker, add pineapple, Rosemary, lime juice and simple syrup.  Muddle (mash) until pineapple is mostly liquid.   
• Fill with ice and add both alcohols. Shake.
• Double strain using the cocktail shaker top and a small strainer.  
• Pour into chilled martini glass and garnish with a pineapple slice.

Notes

*Simple syrup - Boil equal parts of water and sugar until sugar has melted.  Cool before use.  This is a common cocktail ingredient - make a large batch and keep in the refrigerator for your next cocktail celebration.