Mocktail Monday : Pomegranate Citrus Sparkler

 I'm well known for my adoration of gin and wine. Lately though, I've been trying to been getting super into mocktails. Why? Well, I'm definitely working on drinking a wee bit less, but I'm also fascinated by how easy it is to make super tasty drinks with limited ingredients and no alcohol.
It certainly helps the budget too! 

My fridge is definitely getting full with infused simple syrups, fruit juices that I normally wouldn't buy, and the giant stash of lemons from our family lemon trees (everyone has one it seems) are slowly getting used up. 

So my favourite one this week? The Pomegranate Citrus Sparkler.

This is ....so....easy. And there are so few ingredients! The one thing I will say though, pretty glasses and giant icecubes are one of the best ways to make a mocktail feel just like a cocktail. I use this big cube mold if you need one!

Pomegranate Citrus Sparkler

2oz Pomegranate Juice (Pom is perfect)
1oz Orange Juice
1/2 Oz Lime Juice
2oz Sparkling Water

Fill a glass with ice. Add juices and stir vigorously for 30 seconds. Add giant ice cube to glass (or a few standard ice cubes if you don't have a big on), pour in the sparkling water, strain in the juices. Enjoy!

If you like, you can also top with a strip of orange zest. 

Enjoy!

Simple Summer Sangria

Ah the end of May. Here in Nevada the mercury is already over a hundred degrees on many days, and it's time for light fruity cocktails, salads from the garden, and catching up on trashy TV.

My fabulous other half built me a garden this year and it's filled with herbs and radishes and salad greens and zucchini and strawberries. I'm so excited for my tomatoes to come along so I can eat them like apples!

I have to share this Sangria recipe, because it's really delightful and I'm swooning over it. It's perfect for the Summer, and I have a feeling it's going to be a found quite frequently in my fridge. It's also wonderfully simple to make.

I know it sounds odd, but buy cheap wine for this. An inexpensive sweet and fruity red would be perfect. I think the one I used was about $4.50.

Simple Summer Sangria

1 bottle fruity red wine
2 Oranges
1 Lemon
1/3 Cup Triple Sec
A Handful of Mint Leaves

Slice on orange, and then juice the other. Slice the lemon. Place the fruit in a carafe or pitcher with the mint. Pour over the triple sec, then the bottle of wine. Stir. Chill.

Serve over ice, try not to break a wine glass in the process.

Makes 4 glasses.

Cucumber Mint Sparkler

I'm sorry, were you busy? Well, never mind what you were doing. Right now, you need to go to your kitchen or your bar. You need to mix yourself one of these, then you need to kick back and relax on your porch, or by your pool, or in front of some trashy TV (usually something by Gordon Ramsey). It's summer, and a delicious and refreshing cocktail on a weeknight is really what you need right now.

I could drink these all day.

Cucumber Mint Sparkler

1oz Cucumber
2 Shots Vodka
2 Tablespoons Roses Sweetened Lime Juice
10 Mint Leaves
Sparkling Water

Peel the cucumber. In a blender, add the vodka and the lime juice. Blend until mostly smooth. You'll have a little texture there. Put the mint and three cubes of ice each in some small highball glasses. Divide the mixture between the glasses then top with sparkling water. Stir, then top with a slice of cucumber and a fresh mint sprig.

Enjoy, barefoot at sunset.

Makes 2.