I’m embracing this extreme summer heat by spending weekends at the pool and blasting my AC! But my fave way to enjoy the summer sun? With a drink in my hand, and friends and family by my side! So keep reading to check out some delish dranks you can serve for your besties and some alcohol-free mocktails to make with your kids! All of these Old Towne Orange inspired recipes (except our Orange Home Grown Strawberry and Moscato Slush) make one serving, so plan accordingly if you’re making these with friends! If you make any of these drinks, definitely post some pics on social media and tag us @iheartoldtowneorange!
An Orange Circle Sunset
This drink pays homage to the stunning summer sunsets we’ve been witnessing in Old Towne! An Orange Circle Sunset is as tasty as it looks. It’s pretty sweet and the maraschino cherries are a definite throwback to my childhood! You have the option to turn this into a mocktail by replacing the Malibu Rum with coconut milk.
Ingredients:
- ½ oz grenadine
- 4 oz orange juice
- Ice
- 2 oz Malibu rum
- 2 maraschino cherries for garnish
Directions:
- Place three to four ice cubes in an empty glass
- Pour the orange juice in first
- Next, pour the grenadine down the sides of the glass very slowly and carefully. Pouring the grenadine too fast will prevent the color separation.
- Add Malibu coconut flavored rum
- I stuck two maraschino cherries on a toothpick to garnish
- Enjoy!
Pretty in The Plaza
For OTO lovers, you didn’t think I was gonna have a Circle inspired drink and not feature the Plaza, right? Well, I would never! You can turn this into a virgin drink by substituting the sparkling white wine with soda water.
Ingredients:
- 4 oz sparkling white wine or soda water
- 2 oz lemonade
- ½ oz lemon juice
- Splash of cranberry juice
- Ice
Directions:
- Grab your glass of choice
- Add a handful of ice cubes
- Mix sparkling white wine, lemonade, and lemon juice
- Stir well
- Add a splash of cranberry juice
- Stir again
- Enjoy!
Orange Home Grown Strawberry and Moscato Slush
You will have to prep this drink in advance because it involves some freezing! This recipe is not associated with Orange Home Grown Farmers Market, but we did get our strawberries from there! This serves around two to three people, depending on the size of the glasses you choose!
Ingredients:
- 2 cups chopped strawberries
- ¼ cup of granulated sugar
- ½ cup lemonade
- 1 ½ cups of ice
- 1 bottle of red Moscato
Directions:
- Set aside 1 cup of your red Moscato in the fridge (you’ll use it later)
- Into a bowl combine the strawberries, ¼ cup of granulated sugar, ½ cup lemonade, 1 ½ cups of ice, and the rest of your bottle of Moscato
- Pour this mixture into ice cube trays and freeze until they’re solid
- After they’re frozen, throw the frozen mixture into the blender with that cup of Moscato you set aside at the beginning
- Blend until you have a slush-like consistency
- Pour and enjoy!
Old Towne Orange Dreamsicle
I had to include this classic! This is an easy recipe that can be turned into a mocktail, simply don’t include the alcohol. Both versions are equally yummy. This was def my fave. The powdered sugar rim was a GAME CHANGER!
Ingredients:
- 1 tsp powdered sugar for garnish
- 3 oz orange juice
- 2 oz whole milk or half-and-half
- 1 cup ice
- 3 oz whipped cream vodka (plain vodka works too)
Directions:
- First, let’s rim the glass! Pour about ⅛ of an in of vodka or orange juice onto a small plate
- Add about ½ cup of powdered sugar onto another small plate.
- Turn your glass upside down into the vodka or orange juice to coat the rim of the glass then dip into the sugar
- Next, add vodka, orange juice, milk, powdered sugar, and crushed ice into a cocktail shaker. If you don’t have a shaker, you can just stir in whatever glass you’re serving in!
- Enjoy!
Party Like It’s 1888 (Mocktail)
Sometimes mocktails don’t feel as fun as cocktails, but this one is oh-so-elegant! This sweet drink will satisfy anyone’s cravings, and is super simple to make! Don’t skip out on the raw honey for this one, it really does make all the difference!
Ingredients:
- ⅓ cup of blackberries
- 1 oz lemon juice
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp raw honey
- 1 can ginger ale
- Lemon slices to garnish (optional)
Directions:
- Combine blackberries, lemon juice, vanilla extract, honey, and just a splash of ginger ale into your shaker (if you don’t have a shaker, combine in a glass you’re not serving in)
- Muddle until all your ingredients are mixed and blackberries are smashed
- Pour through a strainer into your glasses that are filled with ice
- Fill the rest of the glass with your leftover ginger ale
- Garnish with additional blackberries or lemon to brighten the drink up!
- Enjoy!
Watermelon Lemonade Spritzer
This refreshing recipe was featured on our Last Minute Summer Party Tips + Tricks blog post a few weeks back! I couldn’t forget to include it because it’s such a summer staple drink that I absolutely swear by!
Cheers!
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