Festival Girl Cocktail Recipe

It’s festival season here in California, which means lots of music, flower crowns, and time spent outside in the sun. And all that partying it up outdoors requires a cocktail in hand, right?? This tropical, refreshing drink is perfect for spring weekend afternoons, made with fresh pineapple, mangoes, and PAU Maui Vodka. This particular vodka makes for the ultimate tropical pairing because it’s actually distilled from Maui Gold pineapples at the Hali’imaile Distillery in Upcountry Maui!

And since this season means spending more time outside, it’s a great time to think about ways we can keep the outdoors beautiful! PAU Maui Vodka believes in supporting the environment, and has joined the movement to help end plastic pollution by encouraging the use of paper straws! I am, unfortunately, a major straw user, so it’s helpful to be reminded that simply switching out your straw (or not using one at all) can actually make a big difference. Happy sipping babes!

Festival Girl

2 oz PAU Maui Vodka

2 oz mango juice

Handful of fresh pineapple

1/2 lime, juiced

Sparkling water

Muddle together pineapple and lime juice in a shaker. Add vodka, mango juice and ice and shake well. Strain into a fresh glass filled with ice and top with sparkling water. Garnish with edible flowers, a lime wheel, and a paper straw!

Frozen Grapefruit Palomas

Frozen Grapefruit Palomas | The ELL BLog

Margaritas are always my go-to Taco Tuesday cocktail (ok, and basically my any-other-day-of-the-week drink if I’m being honest). While I love the perfect simplicity of a great marg, sometimes it’s fun to mix things up! This week, I decided to make up a pitcher of frozen grapefruit palomas for our weekly taco fest, and let me tell you these are YUMMY. I’ve become a really big fan of blended drinks this summer, since there’s something so fun about throwing things in a blender and getting a yummy consistency. The fresh grapefruit in the palomas adds just the right amount of tartness, and the tequila is well supported by a touch of sweetness from the agave.

Speaking of tequila, if you’re looking for an incredible spirit from another local California company, then let me recommend Greenbar! Based out of the Arts District in LA, the distillery makes the world’s largest collection of craft organic spirits, all inspired by the distillery’s California location. Their IXÁ silver tequila is my favorite, since it’s so smooth and doesn’t have the crazy burn you get with a lot of other tequilas! Greenbar is also exceedingly environmentally conscious as a company, and they go even further by planting one tree per every bottle sold to help contribute to a better planet.

So grab your blender, set out your taco fixins, and get ready for the ultimate Taco Tuesday!

Frozen Grapefruit Palomas (Makes 2)

6 oz. Grapefruit juice (about 1 grapefruit)

3 oz. Silver Tequila

1.5 oz. Agave

Juice from 1 lime

3-4 c. Ice

Lime wedge

Salt

Place all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth (more ice can be added to thicken). Use wedge of lime around rim of glasses, and dip in salt. Pour cocktail into both glasses, top with lime wedge, and enjoy!

Strawberries and Cream Cocktail

Strawberries and Cream Cocktail | The ELL Blog

I don’t know about you, but I think one of the best parts of summer is being able to find the freshest, juiciest strawberries at the farmer’s market. Elliot and I love using them for everything — with waffles for breakfast, muddled in mojitos, and, of course, on top of angel food cake! Now, if you’re as big of an angel food + strawberries fan as my husband, then you will LOVE this new recipe. The strawberries and cream cocktail tastes just like the airy cake in a glass, complete with a perfect frothy top and just a hint of sweetness.

For this recipe, I used Green Hope Organic Cane Vodka since it’s the perfect accompaniment to the organic farmer’s market strawberries! Green Hope Vodka is 100% USDA Certified Organic, non-GMO and gluten free, so you can feel even better about drinking a cocktail. I always prefer to use locally sourced liquors, too, and all of their vodka is hand-bottled in California and ethically sourced from responsible farming. And if that wasn’t great enough, Green Hope also gives back 1% of sales to the Organic Farming Research Foundation. So basically this vodka is a win-win all the way around 😉

As you probably know by now I’m a pretty big fan of pink drinks (see here, here and here for more pink cocktail inspo), but I personally think this one actually TASTES pink! Hope you enjoy!

Strawberries and Cream Cocktail (makes 1)

3-4 strawberries

3/4 oz. Cream of Coconut

1.5 oz. Green Hope Vodka

3 oz. Club Soda

Ice

Place strawberries and cream of coconut in a shaker and muddle for at least 30 seconds. Add vodka and ice; shake well. Strain into glass, and top with 3 oz. of club soda. Garnish with a strawberry and enjoy!

This post was sponsored by Green Hope Vodka, and all opinions are my own.

Mixing up Tequila Cocktails with Shaker & Spoon

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It’s no secret that I love trying new cocktail recipes, especially when they involve tequila. But sometimes finding inspiration can be a little difficult; enter Shaker & Spoon, a monthly delivery service that brings the inspo to your door step!

Mixing up Tequila Cocktails with Shaker & Spoon | The ELL Blog

Each month, Shaker & Spoon designs a box around a particular liquor and sends you everything you need to make 3 different recipes (minus the alcohol). I received the “Tequila Blanco” box, which means I got to mix up all of the cocktails with my favorite bar cart tequila – Altos Blanco. The box came with a Mexican Spice syrup, habañero shrub, tajin seasoning, chili peppers, mole bitters, agave & simple syrup, ginger beer,fresh produce, and three detailed recipe cards. Plus, there are enough ingredients to make four of each cocktail, so you can share them with friends! My favorite recipe from this month’s box was the “Burro Buck,” which combined tequila with the Mexican spice syrup and ginger beer.

For those new to crafting cocktails, Shaker & Spoon also includes a glossary card explaining the methods used in each recipe as well as the specific tools needed. I also love how they include all of the garnishes needed for each of the cocktails, too! If you’re looking to mix up your cocktail routine, or simply want to get some fresh new ideas each month, I’d highly recommend trying out Shaker & Spoon. If you sign up by July 4th, you’ll receive their “Pisco Fever” box which has some yummy tiki flavors that are perfect for summer time!

This post was sponsored by Shaker & Spoon, and all opinions are my own.

Summer Rosé Sangria

Summer Rosé Sangria | The ELL Blog

Rosé season is here, and I’m not giving it up anytime soon. My fridge is stocked with virtually every cute bottle or can I that I get my hands on. There’s just something about sipping on a chilled pink drink that makes me so happy for summer.

I have been waiting and waiting and waitingg to get my hands on a bottle of this Summer Water rosé since I first saw it online last year. The bottle is a collab between Yes Way Rosé + Winc, and it’s a match made in heaven. If the name isn’t cute enough, the rosé will have you hooked. I’m partial to dryer and less sweet wines, and this one meets both of those. I want to fill all of my shelves with their darling bottles (but then there wouldn’t be room for food..)

Since I seem to have become a bit of a rosé collector (ok hoarder), I wanted to come up with a cocktail recipe that would include my favorite pink beverage. This brings me to the latest recipe – a fruity summer rosé sangria! It’s light and fresh, making it a perfect beach or pool day drink. The flavors of the pineapple and watermelon compliment the crisp wine, and the sparkling water gives it a little spritz. Any of the fruits can be switched up for whatever summer produce you have on hand, too. Strawberries, raspberries, peaches, or grapefruit would all be yummy alternatives!

Summer Rosé Sangria

1 bottle of Summer Water rosé

1/2 c. cubed pineapple

1/2 c. cubed watermelon

1 lemon, sliced

1 c. sparkling lemon water

Pour bottle of rosé into pitcher. Add sliced fruit, and top off with sparkling water. Let wine + fruit chill in refrigerator for at least one hour. Pour over ice and sip away all day!