While it’s no secret that Memorial Day weekend serves as a kick-off for the summer, we can’t forget about its true (and much more important) meaning — remembering and honoring those who lost their lives fighting for our country.
So, even if you’re in full-on party mode, we’re thinking you should at least do it Memorial Day style.
This weekend, make sure to cheers to all of those who have served our country by raising one (or all — no judgement) of these patriotic drinks that are sure to get you in the Memorial Day mood!
And, be sure to check out some more drink recipes to fit all of your other moods here.
1. All-American Daquiri
Ingredients:
2.25 oz Wild Shot Silver Mezcal
1 oz Coconut Rum
.25 oz Triple Sec
.25 oz Pineapple Juice
1 cup Piña Colada Mix
1 cup Strawberry Daiquiri Mix
1.25 cups Crushed Ice
Directions:
In a blender with ice add Wild Shot Silver, Malibu Rum, Triple Sec, pineapple juice and piña colada mix. Blend until thick. Pour half of blender in separate glass, then add Strawberry Daiquiri Mix to blender. Blend until mixed and pour blended strawberry mix into mason jar. Add the separate glass of blended product to the mason jar.
Top it off with:
Blue Curacao, whipped cream, cherry.
Recipe courtesy of Chilled.
2. Land Of The Free Lemonade
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups fresh lemon juice (about 8 large lemons), 4 squeezed lemons reserved
4 cups chopped watermelon
Directions:
Bring 6 cups water, sugar and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat, stirring occasionally. Remove saucepan from heat, add reserved lemons, cover, and let stand for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, puree chopped watermelon in a blender or food processor with 1 cup water.
Pour syrup and watermelon puree through a strainer into a pitcher. Stir in lemon juice. (Lemonade can be made up to 1 day ahead.) Serve over ice.
Recipe courtesy of My Recipes.
3. Star Spangled Sangria
Ingredients:
pineapple
strawberries
blueberries
4 oz vodka
2 oz triple sec
1 bottle of white wine
2 oz of simply syrup
6 oz of sparkling wine
Mix the fruit with the vodka and triple sec and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. To get the star-shaped pineapple, trim the skin of the pineapple then slice it into large rounds. Then simply stick a metal star cookie cutter into the center of each round to cut out the shape.
You can put as little or as much fruit in as you want. When you are ready to serve the Sangria, mix the wine and simple syrup together then add in the fruit/liquor combo.
Top with the sparkling wine. To serve add ice to the bottom of a glass fill up the rest of the glass with fruit then pour the sangria on top.
Recipe courtesy of Simply Swider.
4. All-American Gin and Tonic
Ingredients:
2 oz Gin
blueberries
raspberries
tonic water
ice
Directions:
Pour 2 oz. Bluecoat American Dry Gin over ice, add blueberries and raspberries, top off with tonic water, then sit back and enjoy the fireworks.
Recipe courtesy of 2 Eat 2 Drink.
5. Patriotic Panna Cotta Shooters
Ingredients:
6 oz. grenadine syrup
1/2 tsp. powdered gelatin
1 tbsp. cold water
1 cup lite coconut milk
1/2 cup half and half
3 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. coconut extract
3 oz. blue curaçao
Wilton gold star edible glitter, or other star-shaped sprinkles
Directions:
Pour 1 oz. of grenadine into six 3 oz. clear glasses. Freeze grenadine solid, and keep glasses stored in freezer until panna cotta portion is ready.
In a small condiment cup, sprinkle the powdered gelatin over the cold water and let stand until absorbed. Set aside.
Combine the coconut milk, half and half and sugar in a saucepan. Heat the mixture until just boiling.
Microwave the gelatin mixture for 7-10 seconds, until melted and liquid. Remove the milk mixture from heat source and whisk in melted gelatin. Add coconut extract. Allow mixture to cool significantly.
Remove glasses of frozen grenadine from freezer and very slowly pour in 2 oz. of cooled coconut panna cotta into each glass. A little red from the grenadine may bleed into the white panna cotta, but as it stands the red should settle back down to the bottom. Refrigerate glasses until panna cotta is set and grenadine layer has completely thawed. Just before serving pour over 1/2 oz. blue curaçao and sprinkle with edible star glitter.
Recipe courtesy of Sprinkle Bakes.
6. Red, White, and Blue Strawberry Jello Shots
Ingredients:
50 extra-large strawberries (about 2 large cartons)
1 package (3 oz) Jell-O™ blue berry
1 cup water
2 envelopes (1.4 oz) unflavored powdered gelatin (about 2.5 teaspoons)
1/2 cup milk or cream or coconut milk
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup flavored (or plain) vodka, divided
Directions:
Slice off the bottoms of the strawberries to allow them to stand upright. When you do so, make sure not to cut off so much that there is a hole—the slightest hole will make the gelatin leak out of the berries. Use a paring knife or small spoon to hollow out the strawberries as much as possible.
Place 1 cup water in a medium saucepan. Add the blue gelatin and mix to combine the gelatin. Sprinkle 1 envelope of unflavored powdered gelatin on top, let sit for 60 seconds. Mix to combine and then turn on heat to medium-high. Bring to a simmer and then remove from heat.
Pour half of the berry blue gelatin (1/2 cup) into a 1/2 cup of the vodka. Set aside.
Place 1/2 cup milk, cream or coconut milk into a medium saucepan. Sprinkle 1 envelope of unflavored gelatin on top and let sit for 60 seconds. Mix to combine and then turn on medium-high heat. Add 1/2-cup of sugar. Bring to a simmer and make sure that the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat.
Pour the white gelatin mixture into the remaining 1/2 cup of the vodka. Set aside at room temperature. Do not place somewhere cold, stir it every 10 minutes or so while you are on the next step.
Using a spoon, carefully pour the blue gelatin into the strawberries. Fill only halfway. Refrigerate for about 45-60 minutes or until the gelatin is semi-set (firm but still sticky).
Fill the rest of the hollowed strawberry with the white gelatin mixture. Refrigerate for at 3-4 hours.
When fully set, slowly slice each strawberry in half from the top down. Place them on mini sticks or skewers. Keep refrigerated until serving.
Recipe courtesy of Tablespoon.
