SPICY WATERMELON MARGARITA Cocktail Recipe

Watermelon is in season and this cocktail is my favorite way to use it with tequila. It's frozen and spicy at the same time and perfect for a hot summer happy hour.
I start in the morning by juicing two of those mini, seedless watermelons and those will provide enough juice for 4 drinks. Then I pickle the rinds for my garnish. At happy hour I'll sprinkle Tajin on the remaining pickled watermelon and serve it with the margarita and some guacamole and chips. Heaven.

TheSPICY WATERMELONMARGARITA 
Ingredients1-1/2 Oz. Tequila(I prefer Reposado for this margarita)1/4 Oz. Cointreau2 Oz. Fresh Watermelon Juice1 Oz. Fresh Lime Juice2 Dashes Hot SaucePinch of Sea Salt
GarnishTajin Powder & Sugar Rim,Pickled Watermelon Rind(Alton Brown's Recipe)
DirectionsJuice 2 mini watermelons, chill juice.Pickle the leftover rinds.Rub the rim of a cocktail glass with lime then dip in a combination of 1 teaspoon of Tajin and 1 tablespoon of sugar.Add ingredients to a blender with 1/2 cup of ice, blend until smooth then pour into a margarita glass, garnish and serve.
VOICEOVER VIDEO WITH INGREDIENTS AND DIRECTIONS:

P.S. How to pick a ripe, sweet watermelon

PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY

PEACH MELBA MARTINI Cocktail Recipe

Peach Melba is a classic dessert created by August Escoffier for the Australian opera singer, Dame Nellie Melba. It's a combination of peaches on vanilla ice cream with a Raspberry Coulee (sauce) topped with slivered almonds.
Sadly, it has gone out of vogue as a preferred dessert and that's really a shame because it's absolutely delicious. It's even better as a cocktail. Tart raspberries and sweet, juicy peaches are a beautifully balanced combination complemented by creamy vanilla ice cream and the nutty crunch of toasted almonds and I've done just that below.

ThePEACH MELBAMARTINI
INGREDIENTS1 Oz. Peach Vodka1 Oz. Whipped Cream Vodka1/2 C. Peach Puree1 Oz. Half & Half1/2 Cup Ice
Garnish: Chopped Toasted Almonds on Rim, Whipped Cream, Chambord, Peach Slice, Fresh Raspberries
DIRECTIONSDip the glass rim in Chambord then into the chopped almonds. Chill glass in freezer.Shake the ingredients in a cocktail shaker until chilled.Pour into your chilled cocktail glass.Top with whipped cream.Add the peach slice and a few raspberries, drizzle on 1 ounce of Chambord and serve.
VOICEOVER VIDEO WITH INGREDIENTS AND DIRECTIONS:

National Peach Melba Day is January 13th and Peach Month is August.
YOU MIGHT ALSO ENJOY MYPEACH MELBA BEER FLOAT

PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY

BANANA DAIQUIRI Cocktail Recipe

Most references claim the Banana Daiquiri was created by Capt. George Soule in 1953 at Mountain Top, St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands. It is still featured as the signature drink at the bar at Mountain Top today. However, there are some references to the originator being the legendary Tiki Cocktail genius Harry K. Yee of the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Waikiki.

Don't know for sure, don't really care. A Banana Daiquiri is a pleasantly balanced rum Cocktail that everyone should try. Once you do you'll never look at a banana in the same way again.

It is traditionally served frozen in a Hurricane glass and garnished up like a Tiki drink.

Recipe Tip: If you freeze your banana ahead of time it will make the drink smoother and stay cold longer.

The

BANANA

DAIQUIRI

Ingredients
1 Oz. Cruzan Rum
3/4 Oz. Banana Liqueur
1/2 Oz. Fresh Lime Juice
2 Tbsp. Simple Syrup
1 Banana, sliced
1 Cup Ice

Garnish
Slice of Banana, Cocktail Cherry

Directions
Blend all ingredients until smooth.

VOICEOVER VIDEO WITH INGREDIENTS AND DIRECTIONS:

Fun Little Doctor Who connections for fellow Whovians: A Banana daiquiri was a cocktail that the Tenth Doctor claimed to have invented a few centuries too early after returning from 18th century France in The Girl in the Fireplace.

You might also try
SPICED BANANA DAIQUIRI

ALL MY DAIQUIRI RECIPES

National Banana Day is April 20th and National Daiquiri Day is July19th.

PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY

The NUDE Martini

TheNUDEMartini
Ingredients3 Oz. Chilled Vodka1/2 Oz. Dry Vermouth

Directions Shake ingredients with ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Enjoy.
VOICEOVER VIDEO WITH INGREDIENTS AND DIRECTIONS:

National NUDE Day is on July 14th and National Send A Nude Day is May 19th.

PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY

The Classic MOJITO Cocktail Recipe

The Classic Cuban Cocktail.
A Mojito is a classic Cuban beverage made with white rum, sugar, traditionally sugar cane juice, lime juice, sparkling water and mint. It's a tall, lightly alcoholic drink perfect for warm climates and hot summer nights.
Simple, refreshing and delicious.

ElMOJITO
INGREDIENTS6 - 8 Fresh Spearmint Leaves2 Teaspoons of Sugar1 Oz. Fresh Lime Juice1-1/2 Oz. Of White Rum6 Oz. +/- of Club Soda
GarnishMint SprigLime Wedge
GlassCollins or Highball
ToolsMuddler, Bar Spoon, Straw
DIRECTIONS  Muddle the mint leaves, sugar and fresh lime juice in the bottom of your glass.Fill the glass with ice.Pour in the rum and stir.Top off with club soda.Garnish and serve
VOICEOVER VIDEO WITH INGREDIENTS AND DIRECTIONS:

National Mojito Day is every July 11th.

MORE MOJITO RECIPES HERE!

PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY

The STRAWBERRY PARFAIT MARTINI Cocktail Recipe

I have so many strawberry cocktail recipes that I rarely bother to create a new one these days. June 25th is Strawberry Parfait Day but I felt that recipe would be too close to several of my other Strawberry Cocktail Recipes and never bothered.
Then I was given a bottle of Bailey's Strawberries & Cream. Now, I'm not a huge proponent of having a bunch of specialty liqueurs in my bar. It's expensive, space consuming and more often than not these oh-so-specific flavored spirits just sit and gather dust. I prefer a bar stocked with high quality basics, a couple of my personal faves and my ability to be creative enough to achieve any flavor profile desired. But there it was, a specialty blend of one of my bar basics, the original Bailey's Irish Cream - just in time for Strawberry Parfait Day and just begging to become a cocktail.
So turn it into a cocktail I did, and it turned out pretty tasty and I made 2 each for 4 friends and, bingo, nothing left to gather dust in my bar. Would I buy Bailey's Strawberries & Cream? No. Is it good, yes, but not deserving of a permanent spot in my bar line-up. 
If I want to recreate this cocktail? I'll do it by replacing the specialty Bailey's with my bar standard regular Bailey's and substitute a strawberry ice cream for the vanilla.
BUT if you're searching for a delicious, pink, strawberry dessert cocktail and happen to have a bottle of Bailey's Strawberries & Cream, here you go:

TheSTRAWBERRY PARFAITMARTINI
INGREDIENTS1 Oz. Bailey's Strawberries & Cream Liqueur1 Scoop Vanilla Ice Cream1 Oz. Whipped Cream Vodka2 Oz. Strawberry Puree
GARNISH: Whipped Cream, Crushed Freeze Dried Strawberries 
DIRECTIONSBlend the strawberry ice cream with the Bailey's Strawberries & Cream until just mixed. Do not overblend.Pour or spoon into chilled cocktail glasses.Shake the strawberry puree, whipped cream vodka together with ice in a cocktail shaker.Strain this gently over the ice cream mixture.Top off with the whipped cream and crushed, freeze dried strawberries 
 and serve with a small espresso spoon and half a straw.
VOICEOVER VIDEO WITH INGREDIENTS AND DIRECTIONS:

National Strawberry Parfait Day is June 25th.


PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY

The PEACHES & CREAM SHOOTER, A Dessert Cocktail Shot

A friend brought over a bottle of Crown Royal Peach as a gift. I'm not really a huge fan of pre-flavored whiskey, if I want a particular flavor I prefer to control that myself but - hey - I also don't turn down free booze.

I popped the seal and poured us both a nip to check it out. Right off the bat I knew what to do with it.

PEACHES & CREAMSHOT

A Dessert Cocktail Shot

Ingredients
1 Part (Oz) Crown Royal Peach
1 Part (Oz) Whipped Cream Vodka

Garnish: Whipped Cream, Peach Slice

Directions
Pour equal parts (about an ounce each) of both spirits into a shot glass.
Top with whipped cream and serve with a small slice of peach.

Boom. Mic Drop. Done.

Enjoy!

VOICEOVER VIDEO WITH INGREDIENTS AND DIRECTIONS:

If you're  not a shot person try myPEACHES & CREAM MARTINI
National Peaches & Cream Day is June 21st.
PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY