Cocktail Hour: "Loopy" Lemonade

For all those so-called adults out there who are still eating Fruit Loops (they're not just for breakfast anymore), we bring you our new favorite summer cocktail: "Loopy" Lemonade. If you're not familiar with "Loopy," get to the liquor store, stat! This vodka from Three Olives smells and tastes exactly like Fruit Loops cereal. Oh yes, it does.

We make what we're calling "Loopy Lemonade" by pouring a shot of Loopy into a glass with ice, filling the rest of the glass with lemonade, and adding a splash of Pom Wonderful pomegranate juice.

Fruity, cold and refreshing. We may not get anything done this summer!

"Loopy Lemonade"

Ingredients:

1 part Three Olives "Loopy" Vodka

4 parts lemonade (or to taste)

splash of pomegranate juice

Fill a tall glass with ice. Add vodka. Add lemonade. Add splash of pomegranate juice. Bring drink to nearest patio and be outdoorsy.

Cranberry-Orange Vodka Liqueur

Last year our foodie friend Joanne taught us how to make cranberry vodka liqueur. We made it, loved it, and gave it as gifts for our Christmas Eve cocktail party. This year, we took her recipe and added a few enhancing flavors via mandarin orange peels and a vanilla bean. The result was deliciously smooth, sweet and slightly citrusy. We suggest trying it chilled, on the rocks, or with a splash of mandarin sparkling water. Let us know how you like it! Salute!

Cranberry-Orange Vodka Liqueur

(makes about 1/2 gallon)

Ingredients:

2 12-ounce packages fresh cranberries

2 cups granulated sugar

6 tablespoons water

peels from 6 mandarin oranges (careful to avoid the bitter white pith)

1 whole vanilla bean

1.5 liters plain vodka

In a large saucepan, heat the cranberries, sugar and water over medium-high heat. Stirring often, heat until the mixture becomes syrupy and the cranberries begin to burst open (10-12 minutes). Remove from heat and add the orange peels, vanilla bean and vodka. Give it a good stir and allow to cool completely. Pour into an airtight container and allow to sit in a dark, cool place for three days, gently shaking it once a day. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and pour into several airtight jars or decorative bottles (if gift-giving) or into one large airtight jar or bottle (if keeping all to yourself)  (which is okay too).

Start with cranberries and sugar

Add a few tablespoons of water

Heat until cranberries start to pop

Remove from heat and add mandarin orange peels and vanilla bean

Pour in vodka and let sit for a few days

Let the holidays begin!

Cocktail Time! The Berry Patch

School may have started, but it's not the end of summer yet! Labor Day weekend is upon us, and fall does not officially start until the autumnal equinox on September 23rd. In the "spirit" of prolonging every teacher's favorite season, we gathered a few tantalizing summertime ingredients to create a cocktail we're calling "The Berry Patch" (special thanks to D and J for taste-testing and tweaking the name). Light, sweet, herby and slightly bubbly, these go down nice and easy!

The Berry Patch

(makes a small pitcher, about six drinks)

Ingredients:

12-14 fresh strawberries, chopped

6-8 leaves fresh basil, torn

1 cup cranberry juice (100% juice, not cranberry cocktail)

1 cup lemonade (we like Newman's Own Lightly-Sweetened)

1 cup vodka

ice

club soda (optional)

extra berries and/or basil leaves for garnish

In a pitcher, muddle the chopped strawberries with the torn basil leaves.

Add the cranberry juice, lemonade and vodka.

Add ice, stir and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Strain into chilled martini glasses. Add a splash of club soda on top if you like it bubbly, and garnish as desired.