Wednesday 11 September 2019

BLUBERRY VODKA SPRITZ SUMMER DRINKS


BLUEBERRY VODKA SPRITZ COCKTAILS MADE IN A FIVE MINUTE SUMMER DRINK.






Back when my mama and I went to Italy, we drank what I can only imagine was gallons of Aperol spritzes. The New York Times just deemed this the worst cocktail ever, which R U D E, but we were totally hooked. Even after my mom left Italy and I departed on my 18-week Europe trip, I would still occasionally order an Aperol spritz for the mems. Aside from one instance where I was misinformed that Campari “is similar to Aperol” and I drank a whole mini-bottle of a Campari spritz and almost died, I think all of those cocktails actually saved me from that humid Italian summer heat.

Now that I’m back in the states, spritz-y cocktails are hard to come by. But I don’t even know why, they’re the perfect summer cocktail! 1. You can make them in bulk for all-day sipping. 2. They’re the easiest ever. 3. I can think of about 500 ways to sneak them onto the beach. And 4. Assuming your spritz-y liquid is sparkling water, you’re almost hydrating yourself whilst drinking. *Science*.

With all of this in mind, I set out to create a pitcher-perfect summer cocktail. And since Mother’s Day is this weekend, I wanted to create a drink inspired by my beautiful, lovely mama. To know my mom is to know that she loves anything with berries or lemon. And inspired by our mutual love of Aperol spritzes and not-too-sweet cocktails, the blueberry lemon vodka spritz was born!





Ok, now let’s talk about why this blueberry lemon vodka spritz is the ideal Mother’s Day cocktail! First of all, you can enjoy these spritzes at brunch, the beach, or at a BBQ. Also, you can easily make it in advance, so all you have to do on Mother’s Day is pull it out of the fridge and serve it! And if you want to make these blueberry lemon vodka spritz cocktails day-of, it only takes five minutes and five ingredients to throw together 🎉

For these spritzes, I partnered with 10 Torr, a local Reno distillery and brewery! Marc and I have been going to their bar since it first opened, it’s one of our favorites. They have an amaaaaazing gin martini. 10 Torr’s vodka is barley-style and they have their own special vacuum-distilling process, so cool! The vodka is so smooth and has a lovely herbaceous flavor that matches so well with berries and citrus. I’m v excited to be working with such a cool, local company!

Happy Mother’s Day to my mom, my grandma, your mom, all the moms! I wonder what Bell is going to get me??



 BLUEBERRY VODKA SPRITZ


Blueberry lemon vodka spritzes can be made a day before, just leave out the sparkling water (or Italian soda) until right before you are ready to serve! We like drier drinks, so we prefer sparkling lemon water to top off the spritz. If you like your drinks on the sweeter side, use lemon Italian soda, and start with half of the simple syrup. Taste, and add more simple syrup as necessary.

Pitcher
 2 cups blueberries (I use frozen)
 2 lemons, thinly sliced and de-seeded, plus more for garnish
 4 oz (1/2 c.) simple syrup
 16 oz (2 c.) 10 Torr vodka
 32 oz (4 c.) sparkling lemon water (or lemon Italian soda)
 Rosemary, for garnish (optional - mint or basil would be good too!)
For a single drink...
 ¼ cup blueberries (I use frozen)
 2 slices of lemon, de-seeded (plus more for garnish)
 ½ oz simple syrup
 2 oz 10 Torr vodka
 4 oz sparkling lemon water (or lemon Italian soda)
 Sprig of rosemary, for garnish (optional - mint or basil would be good too!)
Pitcher
1 -      In a pitcher, muddle the blueberries, lemons, and simple syrup until the lemons release their oils and about half of the blueberries are smashed. (If you don't have a large muddler, a big wooden spoon works great!). Stir in the vodka. Cover and place in the fridge until you are ready to serve (the longer it sits, the more the flavors will infuse).

2 -      Right before serving, stir in the sparkling lemon water (or lemon Italian soda). Pour over ice and garnish with lemons and sprigs of rosemary. Tip: I like to twist the rosemary a bit to release their oils. This will make 8 small drinks or 4 big ones!

For a single drink...
3 -      In a glass, muddle the blueberries, lemons, and simple syrup until the lemons release their oils and about half of the blueberries are smashed. Stir in the vodka. Fill the glass with ice, and top with the sparkling lemon water. Garnish with lemons and a sprig of rosemary. Tip: I like to twist the rosemary a bit to release their oils. Enjoy!

- xo Sara Lynn

Thanks to 10 Torr for sponsoring this post! This recipe is intended for persons over the legal drinking age (21+) and should not be shared with anyone underaged. Also, please drink responsibly!

*Song of the day: Habit by Still Woozy

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