When Life Gives You Lemons – Make Cocktails!
By Becky Ellis
Lemon cocktails are a sip of sunshine!
There’s sunshine in your lemon cocktails! Lemon is the perfect flavor to brighten up cocktails. It marries well with bourbon, vodka, gin, rum and tequila. Infused lemon spirits make delightful cocktails. Cirtus vodka is especially good in Lemon Drop Martinis and even better with limioncello.
Bee’s Knees (as much fun to say as it is to drink!) are made with vodka, lemon and honey syrup. Then there’s the Bee Sting for those who like a little sizzle in their twizzle…tequila or gin with lemon, honey and jalapeno.
Love bubbles? Add a little lemon zest to your champagne cocktail – a simple sugar cube dropped in a champagne flute, Angostura bitters and chilled champagne – reminiscent of the movie Moonstruck!
Then there is the French 75, a classic sophisticated cocktail that combines gin and lemon topped with champagne and a fancy lemon twist. Following in the French 75 footsteps is the elegant Grand 75 – Grand Marnier Cordon Rouge, fresh lemon juice, topped with champagne.
Why stop there, enjoy an after-dinner lemon cocktail…Sgroppino is an Italian cocktail that is made by pouring prosecco over lemon sorbet. Rub the rim of your cocktail glass with lemon before rolling it in sugar to make a sugared rim for your sweeter cocktails.
Perhaps the sunniest cocktail is cherry lemonade with vodka! This refreshing lemonade makes a bunch, so make up a batch for your next lake gathering or summer soirée.
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Cherry Lemonade Vodka Slush Cocktail
Makes 12 cocktails.
Requires freezing the slushie overnight, so make the day ahead.
Cherry Syrup:
Makes 2/3 cup
20 fresh cherries, pitted and cut in half
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
Place cherries, sugar and water in a saucepan. Heat over medium heat and stir until sugar dissolves. Lower heat to medium-low heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Lemonade Slushie:
1 cup sugar
12 ounce can frozen lemonade
2/3 cup cherry syrup
3 cups water
1 cup vodka
2 tablespoons Maraschino Cherry Liqueur
Ginger ale to top the cocktails
Garnish: Mint sprigs and maraschino cherries with stems.
Place sugar, lemonade, cherry syrup, water and maraschino cherry liqueur in a saucepan. Stir and heat over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Add vodka and stir. Place in a 13″ x 9″ baking pan. Freeze overnight.
Remove the lemonade slushie from the freezer and using a large spoon, scoop slushie into tall glasses. Top with ginger ale and give the slushies a little stir. Garnish with mint sprigs and maraschino cherries with stems.
Recipe created by Becky Ellis for bubblybee.net.
Wine cocktails are perfect for summer cocktail hour. light. Related Story
Are you ready to enjoy some lemony refreshment this summer? What are your favorite lemon cocktails?