Sultry summer afternoons spent drifting on your flamingo lilo or lounging next to the pool, sippin’ on a refreshingly fruity cocktail is what living the good life is all about.
To make sure you have the most delicious companion in hand for those lazy afternoons, we have put together some fruity cocktail tips, tricks and ideas for you and your friends to try.
Before we get to the fun stuff, we want to share a couple of quick frozen fruit hacks with you, because we like you and want you to rock this like a pro. So, here goes:
- Make Use of Available Ingredients
We’ve all got that one banana that’s looking a little dodgy or an apple or two that are starting to go soft…these are the perfect candidates for your freezer, not your bin.
Save these last stragglers, peel them, chop them and pop them in the freezer for your next smoothie or cocktail craving. - Prevent Icicles from Forming
The secret to locking all of that glorious flavour into your fruit is to make sure it is perfectly dry before you freeze it.
The last thing you want is to bite into that beautifully frozen strawberry and all you taste is ice.
Wash and dry your favourite, soon-to-be-frozen fruit thoroughly. You want to make sure that there is no water left on the fruit you are about to freeze to prevent your fruit chunks from turning into ice. . - Keep it separate
Lay a sheet of parchment paper onto a baking tray and spread the pieces of fruit onto the paper.
You want to be quite OCD here and make sure none of the fruit is touching each other and that they are lying in a single layer.
If anything touches, it will probably freeze together in one big chunk. Cover the tray with plastic cling wrap and put the whole kaboodle into the freezer for a couple of hours (if you have lots of patience and time, it can even stay overnight).
This step might seem a tad OTT and maybe even unnecessary, but like with all things requiring effort, the end result is worth the initial (minor) inconvenience. - Make sure it’s airtight and good to go
Remove the frozen fruit from the tray, pop it in a plastic, airtight bag and make sure to get all the air out of the bag before sealing it and putting it back into the freezer.
Now you have perfect, individually frozen berries, strawberries, pineapple chunks or whatever your heart desires that are ready and waiting to be used within six to nine months. - Explore the Possibilities
Juice your fruit and top up an ice cube tray. Think lemon cubes to give your Johnny Walker and Coke a special zing or lime cubes for that magical Mojito.
Pop some mint leaves in there for added effect! The options are endless and lots of fun to play with. You can even freeze the zesty peel of citrus fruits which are great to use as a garnish or even in your cooking and baking.
Now, for the fun part…whether, you like tropical island vibes, sassy and sour or elegantly dry, you can dress up or shake down your favourite cocktail with some frozen fruit that will make you ask for another drink or two, guaranteed.
Fruity Cocktail Recipes
For him:
Scotch Whisky Fruit Surprise
Enjoying your Johnny Blue neat or on the rocks while you sit in your armchair next to the fireplace is a glorious feeling… in winter.
With summer around the corner, it is time to swap that armchair for a pool lounger and the rocks for frozen blueberries and lemon juice ice cubes. Add some festive bubbles to this tart-sweet drink with a splash of French Champagne.
Cheers!
If you prefer life to be peachy, take a couple of frozen peach slices, pop them into a cute glass jar with your tot (or two) of whiskey, top it up with ginger ale and voila!
Summer in a jar!
For her:
Great Gatsby Gin Shenanigans
Gin slushies are one of those must-haves in summer! Simply pour the chilled gin (be generous), tonic syrup and frozen or fresh fruit of your choice (we love cucumber and mint with a splash of lime, orange and rosemary or raspberry and grapefruit) into your blender and whizz it all up.
Pour into your favourite glass, garnish with a sprig of Rosemary or a mint leaf and voila!
Style up your fruity cocktail with a handful of frozen berries.
Not only will your drink look moreish, but the frozen berries will also keep it perfectly chilled while adding subtle hints of berry tones to each sip. Heaven!
No summer cocktail is complete without ice. So, instead of popping up to the shops every time you decide to make a batch of daiquiris, invest in a super-convenient SnoMaster Ice maker and have ice on demand all year round.
For a kid-friendly frozen fruit dessert option have a look at the Snomaster Frozen fruit desert maker. Perfect for those hot summer days just around the corner.
Share your favourite summer cocktail recipes in the comments below.
