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Despite the cooler temps and signs for the EX (sigh) summer is still here and this recipe for the Mint Melon Sangria is just the reminder we needed (thanks BYOB Bar and Cocktail Emporium!).

The Mint Melon Sangria (yum)!

You'll need:

• 1.5 cups diced watermelon
• 1.5 cups diced cantaloupe
• 1.5 cups honeydew melon
• 2 cups ice
• handful mint leaves
• 1 lime
• sparkling wine

Then you:

1. Toss the diced melons into a pitcher.
2. Pour ice on top
3. Muddle mint leaves with lime juice, then add to pitcher.
4. Top off with sparkling wine.

It's 5:00 p.m. somewhere right?

So it's been a short week but come on it's Friday and it's summer so that means we could all use a refreshing beverage (or two or three!) right?! My latest discovery is the Radler - equal parts light beer (Coors Light) and lemonade. It's the cyclists drink of choice in Germany so it must be healthy (not guilty). If you're normally into Shandys, this is a nice alternative, not as sweet!

So here's what you do:

1. Pour half a bottle of beer into a tall glass
2. Top off with lemonade (you can use the pre-made stuff or make your own!)

Done!

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Happy Canada Day y'all! Hopefully you're enjoying the beautiful weather lakeside with a drink in hand (or several).

This week I thought I would share this awesome recipe for Ginger-infused lemonade that ran in the Globe and Mail last weekend. This refreshing little tipple can be enjoyed by everyone (drinker and non-drinkers) at the cottage - all you do is add vodka.

I modified the recipe by omitting the blueberries - I hate soggy fruit in drinks. So here goes...

You'll need (for ginger syrup):

• 2 cups water
• 1.5 cups sugar
• 1.5 cups fresh ginger

You'll need (for lemonade):

• 2 cups fresh lemon juice (8-9 lemons) or you could use the bottled stuff up to you
• 2 lemons for slicing
• handful of fresh mint
• 3 cups ice
• 1 cup water
• 0.5-1 cup of ginger syrup (depends on how sweet you like it)
• 8 oz. VODKA

To make the ginger syrup boil water, sugar and ginger in a saucepan, reduce to half, strain and let cool. To make the lemonade combine ice, water, lemon slices, and mint in a pitcher. Pour in lemon juice, water and ginger syrup to taste and if using vodka at that too. Stir!

Now go get going and make a pitcher. I know you want to.

Be safe!

So today is my mom's birthday (happy birthday mom!) and to ring it in I thought I would bring back the beloved "it's Friday and I need a drink" recipes.

When I was a teenager I would sneak these little bottles (you know the ones you get on a plane) of Peach Schnapps from the liquor cabinet and because mom didn't really drink she didn't notice they were all gone until I was in University. So to pay tribute to all of those little bottles I thought a Fuzzy Navel was in order.

You'll need:

• 1 oz. Peach Schnapps
• 1 oz. Vodka
• Orange Juice

Pour Peach Schapps, vodka over ice in a tall glass and top off with OJ (yum!). The perfect drink for a hot and humid Happy Hour!

Happy weekend!

Is this weather getting you down or what? I am dreaming of the day when I can spontaneously run outside with nothing but a tank top, shorts and flip flops on or sit on the back deck with a beer and BBQ (sob!).

As I was mopeing around my house this week, hibernating from the doom and gloom a Molson Coors Canada rep came by with a 6 pack of the new Molson Canadian 67 Sublime (yeah! thank you!). It's their new lemon lime beer and only has 67 calories (now we're talking)! The Hubs and I gave it a taste test over chilli lime roasted chicken Wednesday night and we both loved it. It's super refreshing, the lemon lime flavouring doesn't dominate the taste and it's only 3% alcohol (perfect since I'm still nursing L'il E).

I suspect this will be my go-to summer brew at the cottage and on the back deck. For now I'll just have to sip it indoors while I wait for summer to get here.

Happy sipping!

It's Friday and I need a drink (ha!) well just a little drink I am nursing my l'il E after all. Who knew having a baby would bring on so much stress (like more stress than when I was working).

So I spied up this beaut of a tipple in last weekend's Globe and Mail - the Orange Blossom Special. I haven't tried it yet, but my mouth watered when I read the ingredients so I will be putting it on my to-make list. For now I'm sipping on a glass of red (oh how I've missed you!)

Here's what you need:

• 2 ounces citrus vodka
• Juice from one blood orange (I will likely just use a regular orange)
• Juice from ½ lemon
• 1 drop orange blossom water (say what? not sure what this is but really will you miss one drop?)
• 1/2 ounce simple syrup
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters
• Splash of soda water

Then you:

• Pour all the ingredients except the soda water over ice in a shaker.
• Shake vigorously and strain into a rock glass filled with ice.
• Top with the soda water, garnish with a large orange twist.

Yum!

It's been exactly 168 days since I got pregnant and I'm dying for a bevvie.

My old life consisted of the occasional after work drink with friends, a bottle of wine with the Hubs on a Friday/Saturday night, or a brewski after a stressful day at work. My options now consist of juice or sparkling water (OMG! sigh!)

So please have a drink for me and vote for my blog!

Here's a list of the top 10 drinks you should know how to make to impress your  friends.

Happy Friday!!!

Fall is here and that means copious amounts of steaming hot apple cider (yum!).

Here is a twist on the traditional recipe and the added booze will help you get through the big Thanksgiving family dinner (wink).

To make the Apple Cider Sparkle you'll need:

• 6 cups apple cider (get the expensive organic stuff, it's best)
• 2 cups cranberry/raspberry cocktail
• 1 bottle champagne or sparkling wine (honestly why waste a bottle of champers go for the sparkling wine)
• 1/2 cup lemon juice

In a large pitcher combine apple cider,  juice, and lemon juice. Slowly add the sparkling wine just before you're going to serve it (you don't want it going flat). That's it! For the kiddies or preggers (like me, sigh) use chilled sparkling grape juice instead of the sparkling wine.

Gobble gobble!

I know I promised a stiff one, but since this weekend is officially the LAST weekend of summer (sob!) I just had to post this deelish punch courtesy of my friend Sara.

So dust off the patio furniture and don your sweaters because it won't be long before we're sipping hot cocoa with marshmallows (and rum!) as we hibernate indoors.

For Sara’s Punch you'll need:

• 5c strawberries
• 2c fresh pineapple
• Simple Syrup (make simple syrup with 4c water and 3c white sugar, bring to boil then simmer for 8 minutes and let cool).
• 2c Pineapple Juice (more or less)
• 2c Orange Juice (more or less)
• 1c Lemon Juice (more or less)
• Fresh mint leaves for garnish
• Champagne

Pour half the simple syrup  over the fruit (then add more depending on the tartness of the fruit and juices). Add 1.5 cups each of the fruit juices then taste, it will be sweet and concentrated but if it’s out of balance (too much pineapple taste or too much orange juice) adjust with the other. The concentrate should taste good, but strong. Add mint leaves. Keep this mix in a tall glass jug with a stirrer and give it a good stir each time you use it. Fill glasses halfway with fruit mixture then fill with champagne. Done!

Sara says if you hate having fun, you can use soda water instead of champers.

Delish (and good for parties!)

Enjoy the last weekend of summer.

Since we're in NYC I thought the Bourbon Manhattan was a good pick for this Friday's drink recipe.

This one's not for me, but it's the go-to cocktail for my hubs.

Here's what you need:

• Ice
• Bourbon (Wild Turkey)
• Sweet vermouth
• Bitters (optional)
• Maraschino cherries

Fill rock glass with ice, add 2 oz. bourbon, 1.5 oz. sweet vermouth and a dash of bitters. Garnish with a few cherries (yum!)

Have a great long weekend!