Neon meets pastel in this trio of cocktails
It’s still summer, folks! I say that because everywhere I look there are retail signs of fall. Fall wardrobes, back-to-school supplies, and soon, the bins of pumpkins that always appear in early September at my favorite grocery market. But in my part of the world, the temps are still around 100 degrees, and they will be for the next few weeks. That’s why I’m starting a mini-series of posts called “The Last Sips of Summer”…
Setting the stage for an ’80s cocktail experience
Yes, I’ll be featuring three different cocktail recipes that encourage you to sit back and enjoy a moment of summer bliss. Because fall doesn’t officially start until September 23rd! For “The Last Sips of Summer,” one cocktail will be radiant with color, much like the drinks at the top of the post (from Foodcracks) and the image above (from the uber-stylish o-c-u-l-t-o).
Drink umbrellas are the perfect summer cocktail accessory
The perfect summer drink garnish: a little umbrella. And I have lots left over from my tropical party photo shoot! Fruit on a skewer makes another delicious summer drink option, as shown by the watermelon margarita below (image copyright Riehl Food 2012). Maybe I’ll concoct a watermelon jalapeno margarita for this series…
A watermelon margarita with fruity garnishes (copyright Riehl Food)
Next up: a refreshing mocktail. I’m quite taken with this ginger beer lemonade from A Beautiful Mess. My second summer drink creation will definitely be sparkling. And involve ginger beer…
A lemon and ginger beer mocktail from A Beautiful Mess
…and maybe a custom stirrer! Aren’t these DIY gumball drink stirrers from Studio DIY fabulously modern?!
DIY gumball drink stirrers from Studio DIY
Fresh ingredients are a must for sparkling drinks. Yes, I plan on making a pattern from my ingredients of choice and photographing them, much like this blueberry, mint and cucumber vignette from A Beautiful Mess. Get the recipe for their blueberry cucumber sparkler here.
Artistic ingredients make for a lovely drink experience
The last featured drink will by creamy and icy. Remember this vanilla milkshake with sprinkles? I created it as a Halloween treat. but a summer version of the classic milkshake would be fabulous. Maybe in a pastel hue?
A milkshake is refreshingly sweet for summer
Could colorful napkins and flamingo stirrers be in store? Perhaps! The geo napkins below are from the Oh Joy for Target Fall Collection, and the stirrers can most likely be found at your local party store.
Geo napkins and a flamingo drink stirrer add retro-style flair
Or perhaps my last sip of summer will be a smoothie, like this blueberry honey drink from last week’s tropical party.
A blueberry summer smoothie
Guess I’d better start stocking up on watermelon, jalapenos, ginger beer, fresh fruit, and ice cream. Stay tuned for our first “Last Sips of Summer” post at the beginning of next week!
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