Strawberry Gin and Tonic Cocktail Recipe

August 31, 2020

Let’s soak up the last bits of summer with a fresh fruit take on a classic! This strawberry gin and tonic is soo tasty, we know you are going to love it.

When local strawberries are in season we just can’t get enough of them. If you don’t have fresh strawberries right now, you can use frozen too! You’ll still get that amazing fruity taste.

For this sweet strawberry G&T, you’ll need:

Gin
Tonic
Strawberries (fresh preferred)
Lime
Sugar
Mint (optional)

To infuse the strawberry flavor, we’re making a simple strawberry syrup. It’s easy and quick to make and really packs a punch when it comes to flavor!

Ready to whip up this delicious summer cocktail? Let’s go!

Strawberry Gin & Tonic

Ingredients

2 cups strawberries sliced (fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1.5 oz Gin
4 oz Tonic
½ fresh squeezed lime
Mint (optional garnish)

Directions

Combine the sliced strawberries, sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to a simmer for 10 minutes. Allow to cool completely, and then blend until smooth.
To make the G+T, fill a glass with ice and add gin, lime juice and 0.5 oz simple syrup. Stir.
Top with cold tonic and strawberries and mint to garnish.
Enjoy!

Did you make this recipe? Let us know! Tag us with your creation on Instagram @partyontherocksseattle.

Sex On The Beach Cocktail Recipe

July 29, 2020

Summer vacations put on hold? We know the feeling. What we wouldn’t give to be sitting on the beach somewhere sipping a tasty cocktail!

Well, we can’t transport you to the beach, but we can bring some summertime vacation vibes to your home with our favorite Sex On The Beach cocktail recipe.

Sex On The Beach is a delightfully fruity drink that screams summer sun and good times. It’s easy to make and oh so beautiful to look at.

To really bring the relaxing vibes into your home, we suggest you put on your swimsuit and set yourself up for a little stay-cation. Head outside, maybe dip your toes in a kiddie pool, and sip on this tasty summer drink and we promise — you will feel like you are on the beach!

We made this recipe earlier this summer during our live cocktail class with Northwest Event Show (see the video here) and we just had to share it with you here! You’ll need vodka, peach schnapps, orange juice, cranberry juice, and an orange and lemon to make your drink. Optional: add a cherry for extra garnish!

This recipe is the classic Sex On The Beach cocktail, but there are lots of tasty variations out there. One we love has vodka, pineapple juice, cranberry juice, Chambord, and Midori (melon liqueur). Yummm!

Sex On The Beach is known for its beautiful layered look of orange and red. To get this effect, make sure you follow the order below as the cranberry juice will sink to the bottom of the glass!

We hope you enjoy your trip to the beach, and if you make this drink, make sure to let us know by tagging us at @partyontherocksseattle on Instagram!

Ingredients

1.5 oz Vodka
0.5 oz Peach Schnapps
Lemon wedge
2 oz Orange juice
2 oz Cranberry juice
Orange round (for garnish)

Directions

Fill a tall glass with ice and set aside
Add vodka, peach schnapps, and the juice of one lemon wedge into another glass with ice. Cover with a shaker or stir for 15 seconds.
Strain into your collins glass.
Pour in orange juice and stir.
Pour in cranberry juice on top (do not stir!). The cranberry will bleed into the orange juice to create the signature Sex On The Beach layered effect!
Garnish with a slice of orange (and maybe a cherry), and enjoy!

Aperol Spritz

February 10, 2020

We are in the mood for something light and refreshing, which is why we are sharing our Aperol Spritz recipe with you all!

This classic cocktail reminds us of summertime vacations, relaxing away on a beach somewhere. We know it is still February, but a girl can dream, can’t she?

The Aperol Spritz is easy to make with only four ingredients, but don’t let the simplicity fool you! It is bubbly, full of flavor, and oh so pretty to look at.

For this recipe, you’ll need Aperol, an orange-flavored apéritif, that you can usually find near the liqueurs. Its unique flavor is described as being derived from a “secret and original recipe, that has remained unchanged over time”. We told you this was a classic.

You’ll also need prosecco, club soda, ice, and a slice of fresh orange or lemon.

The Aperol Spritz is traditionally made with equal parts Aperol and Prosecco, and just a splash of club soda. Aperol is slightly bitter, so depending on your preference you may want to tweak the ratios slightly. Adding slightly more Prosecco will result in a sweeter drink.

This Spritz is incredibly easy to make, and is a great choice to serve at weddings or other events. If you make this recipe, tag us on Instagram at @partyontherocksseattle!

Ingredients

Ice
3 ounces Aperol
3 ounces Prosecco
1 ounce club soda
Orange slice, for garnish

Directions

Fill a wine glass with ice
Add Aperol, Prosecco, and Club Soda to the glass
Stir and top with an orange slice for garnish

Moscow Mule Recipe

April 24, 2019

What’s better than a cool, refreshing Moscow mule on a warm summer night? The answer is … nothing! This classic vodka cocktail is a crowd pleaser with freshly squeezed lime juice, slightly spicy ginger beer, and of course – a copper mug.

Mules are one of our favorite specialty cocktails to serve at events. They only require three simple ingredients, and the combination of fresh citrus paired with spice from the ginger beer leads to a perfectly balanced cocktail.

Today we’re sharing with you the classic Moscow mule recipe, plus ideas to customize your mule and scale it up for a party!

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

Like all cocktails, the quality of ingredients leads to the quality of the cocktail. For a Moscow mule, that starts with a great vodka. For a standard mule go with an unflavored vodka like Tito’s or our new local favorite, Oola Vodka made from organic wheat.

Next up is ginger beer. People are pretty particular when it comes to their preferred brand of ginger beer. We suggest trying out a few to find the one you like as they will vary in their level of sweetness and spiciness. To get you started, we love: Rachel’s Ginger Beer from Seattle, Gosling’s Ginger Beer, and Reed’s Jamaican Ginger Beer.

Finally, you will need freshly squeezed lime juice (no concentrate please!), ice, and if you have one, a stainless steel lined copper mug. The copper mug keeps your drink super-chilled, and is the quintessential Moscow mule accessory!

Classic Moscow Mule Recipe

Serving size: 1 cocktail

2 oz vodka
5 oz ginger beer (about half of a can or bottle)
Ice
Juice of 1/2 of a lime (plus more to garnish)

Instructions

Fill your copper mug with ice
Combine vodka, ginger beer, and lime juice directly into your mug
Garnish with a lime wedge (voila! It’s as easy as that!)

CUSTOMIZE YOUR MULE

Once you have the classic recipe down, the Moscow mule is the perfect cocktail to customize. When you’re first experimenting, pick one of the customization ideas below to find out what you like! Here are three easy ways to customize your mule:

Flavored Ginger Beer

Easily add a twist to your mule with a flavored ginger beer. Rachel’s Ginger Beer comes in 10+ amazing flavors, we love the blood orange!

Infused Vodka

You can do the same with vodka by swapping for a flavor-infused option. We suggest staying away from overly sweet vodka (like whipped cream), but an infused blueberry or jalapeno vodka makes a killer mule!

Garnishes

Garnish your mule with fresh herbs like mint, rosemary, or basil. You can also add fresh fruit to complement the flavored vodka or ginger beer if you used it. One of our favorite combinations is blueberry-infused vodka with a basil garnish. Go wild!

MAKE IT FOR A GROUP

Moscow mules are one of our go-to signature cocktails to make ahead for events. Make a big batch for your next party using our recipe below.

Batch Moscow Mules
Serving size: 12 cocktails

One bottle vodka (750 ml)72 oz ginger beer (i.e. six 12oz cans)
6 limes (plus 3 more for garnish)
Ice for serving

Instructions

Combine vodka, ginger beer, and lime juice in a pitcher. Stir well and refrigerate.
When ready to serve, pour into ice-filled glasses and garnish with a lime slice, herbs, or fresh fruit.

Let us know if you make this cocktail! Post your perfect mule photo and tag us at partyontherocksseattle. Happy cocktail-ing!

Manhattan Recipe

March 6, 2019

Manhattan’s are another one of our favorite classic cocktails. Dark, smooth liquor is both warming and relaxing, perfect for chilly nights.

Manhattans haven’t always been on our go-to drink list, though. In fact, one of our partners, Jan, inspired us to share this recipe! Before finding whiskey, Jan’s favorite drink was a dirty martini with two olives. But, over time, she started to try more and more dark liquors and found herself loving them even more. And whiskey and bourbon drinkers know that once you get hooked, there is no going back.

Now, Jan’s favorite cocktail is a Manhattan, and here’s why:

Making a Manhattan is fairly simple and only requires a few ingredients. You’ll need:

-Rye or bourbon (more on that below)

-Sweet Vermouth

-Bitters

-Cocktail cherry

When it comes to making a Manhattan there are only a few decisions to make, but the details can make all the difference. When you consider that there are only four ingredients, you have to make every ingredient count.

First off is your choice of liquor – you can make a Manhattan with bourbon or rye, but we lean towards the bourbon side! Bourbon will result in a slightly sweeter and smooth drink, while rye provides more spice and a drier finish.

A good option is always Makers Mark, but there are also some great local Seattle labels that we love using. Our favorite has to be the Batch12 Bourbon from Heritage Distillery in Gig Harbor. It’s truly unique and it’s amazing in a Manhattan!

You will also need sweet vermouth and bitters. We like using orange Angostura bitters for this drink, but unflavored bitters will work as well.

The last ingredient is an important one – the cherry. Go for a real cocktail cherry packed in sugared bourbon. We promise you will taste the difference! We like this one. Sweet, pink maraschino cherries from the grocery store just won’t do.

Ingredients

2 oz bourbon

1 oz sweet vermouth

3 dashes Angostura orange bitters

Cocktail cherry, for garnish

Recipe

1.Add bourbon, vermouth, and bitters to a glass with ice. Use a cocktail shaker or stir until chilled

2. Strain into a chilled glass

3. Top with a cherry or two for garnish

Let us know if you make this recipe! Take a picture of your creation and tag us @partyontherocksseattle. Check out some of our other great recipes below!