Aimee’s Pretty Palate: Staycation Libations
If canceled vacations turned holiday staycations have left you sad and blue, I’ve come bearing adult libations for you.
And speaking of blue, the Blue Hawaii cocktail will immediately transport you to the beaches of Hawaii with its tropical taste and its vibrant blue coloring. Don’t get it confused with the Blue Hawaiian, though—that cocktail uses crème de coconut rather than coconut rum.
Having my own vacation canceled had me venturing to the liquor section of Rouses for Chambord in order to make some Kir Royales. I have no idea if my Blackberry Kir Royale rivals that of the Twenty Third Bar, an Amsterdam Top 10 Cocktail Bars finalist, but at least it kept me from wallowing too much about a trip to the Amsterdam Tulip Festival last month that has inevitably been put on indefinite hold.
Also on team #nowallowing when we all have our health is my group of friends we refer to as the “Fab Five.” All five of us joined the Krewe of Artemis at the same time several years ago and celebrate parade day every single year with Heather’s Parade Punch. It’s a glorious combination of fruity goodness that has since transpired into our signature celebration drink of choice. In fact, Heather recently delivered individual containers to all of our porches so that we could enjoy while indulging in a little virtual happy hour.
Lucky for you, you don’t need to be part of our Fab Five to get your hands on the recipe because Heather agreed to share it with the world.
Cheers!
BLUE HAWAII
Ingredients:
4 oz. Blue Curacao liqueur
4 oz. coconut rum
4 oz. vodka
1 ½ oz. sweet and sour mix
Combine all ingredients and pour into glasses over ice. Or combine with 2 to 3 cups of ice in blender for a frozen beverage.
Makes 2 servings.
BLACKBERRY KIR ROYALE
Ingredients:
4 blackberries
1 ½ oz. Chambord liqueur
Champagne
Add blackberries and Chambord to a Champagne flute or tall glass. Use the back of a spoon to gently smash blackberries. Top with Champagne.
Makes 1 serving.
FAB FIVE PARADE PUNCH
Ingredients:
2 (2-liter) bottles 7-Up
1 (750-ml) bottle vodka (whipped cream flavor was used for ours)
1 (46-oz.) pineapple juice concentrate
1 can orange juice concentrate
¼ cup cherry juice or ½ cup cherry syrup
Combine all ingredients and pour into glasses over ice. Or freeze in gallon-size containers and serve semi-frozen like slushies, aka how we do it on parade day.
Makes many servings.
Aimee Broussard is a Southern food blogger and award-winning cookbook author. Seen on QVC, Rachael Ray and more, she is a self-proclaimed accidental entrepreneur with a penchant for porches and sweet hospitality. Find her online at aimeebroussard.com.
