Drinks for April Showers
April is traditionally a rainy season leading to May, when flowers bloom and birds sing as they wait for their offspring. It’s also a season marked by another type of showers… Bridal Showers and Baby Showers!
If you’re planning or hosting a bridal or baby shower this spring or summer, we’ve got some good news. Just like gifts and games, there are cocktails tailored to these special occasions. Serve up fun and refreshing cocktails that represent the bride, the groom or even the gender of the baby.
Here are a few recipes that will be a hit at “April Showers” or any time of year.
If you or the Bride are looking for a favorite cocktail to represent her at her bridal shower, look no further than the Sritangtini. It’s a classic – that’s both sweet and spicy!
For the Bride:
Sritangtini
Ingredients:
1.5 oz Vitzellen Vodka
.5 oz Cointreau
2 oz Thai herb juice (ingredients below)
.5 oz Lime juice
.5 oz Simple syrup
Thai Herb Juice:
Add the following to 2 C. water:
2 pcs Ginger
2 pcs Galangal
2 pcs Lemongrass
5 pcs Kaffir lime leaf
Bring to boil, remove from heat. Allow to cool, strain liquid and store refrigerated.
Instructions:
Moisten the rim of the martini glass with chili oil, the dip in salt and chili powder. Put Vitzellen vodka, Cointreau, herb juice, lime juice, and simple syrup in a shaker. Add ice and shake well. Pour into martini glass. Garnish with lemongrass stick, kaffir lime leaf, and lemon slice.
For the Groom:
America’s Cup Cocktail
Ingredients:
1.5 oz Comstock Sweet Vermouth in collaboration with Carl Sutton (or 1 oz Punt e Mes)
.5 oz Bombshell Gin
.5 oz John AP Conoley Bourbon Whiskey
2 dashes orange bitters
lemon, orange and lime wedges
Fever Tree Ginger Beer
Instructions:
Muddle with lemon, orange, and lime. Top with Fever Tree Ginger Beer. Serve over ice in a Collin’s cup.
For those who are hosting a baby shower or a gender reveal party here are a few recipes that require little preparation, but will be the talk of the party.
If you’re having a boy and want to feature the gender, the blue lagoon cocktail, is a fun and tasteful beverage. Be sure to have a virgin version available for the Mommy of the party!
It’s a Boy! Blue Lagoon Cocktail
Ingredients:
1 shot 1 oz. Curacao
1 shot 1 oz. Vitzellen Vodka
Lemonade
Ice
Maraschino cherry for garnish
Instructions:
Fill a tall glass with ice.
Add the Curacao, then the vodka.
Top with lemonade.
Garnish with cherry.
It’s a girl! Cosmopolitan.
Ingredients:
2 ounces (1/4 cup) Vitzellen Vodka
1/2 ounce (1 tablespoon) triple sec, Grand Marnier or Cointreau
3/4 ounce (1 tablespoon + 1 1/2 teaspoons) cranberry juice cocktail, see notes
1/4 to 1/2 ounce (1 1/2 teaspoons to 3 teaspoons) fresh lime juice
One 2-inch orange peel/twist
Ice
Instructions:
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice then add vodka, triple sec, cranberry juice and lime juice. (We like the extra bite of extra lime juice, so we use 1/2 an ounce in our cosmopolitan cocktails. However, use what is best for your taste). Shake the cocktail shaker for about 30 seconds until well chilled. Then, strain into a martini glass.
Garnish with orange peel/twist. For an extra burst of flavor, peel the orange twist over the filled cocktail glass. This way, the orange oils spray into the glass.
TIPS
- Cranberry juice: You can use sweetened cranberry juice (often called “cranberry juice cocktail”) or unsweetened plain cranberry juice. If you use unsweetened, you will likely find that you need to add a small splash of simple syrup or agave since it can be quite tart.
- To make 4 drinks at one time, add 1 cup vodka, 1/4 cup triple sec, 1/3 cup cranberry juice, and 2 to 4 tablespoons of fresh lime juice to a pitcher. Stir and adjust to taste. Refrigerate. When ready to serve, pour into four martini glasses and garnish with orange peel/twist.
No matter what occasion you are celebrating, Bogue Sound Distillery lifts our glass in toast of you! Enjoy responsibly.
