Frugal Cocktails

Throughout June, I've been telling you how to make some classic summer drinks, like the Margarita, Sangria, Long Island Iced Tea, and my own concoction, the Aphrodite. To make some of these drinks, maybe you've had to buy a few ingredients you didn't have, such as triple sec, blue Curacao, or tequila. Maybe you're wondering what else you can do with them and all those left over mixes and juices? So this week I'm going to show you how to make ten more summer drinks from the ingredients you have on hand.

That sour mix you made for Long Island Iced Tea? Last week I mentioned how you could use it (made with added lemon instead of lime juice) to make a Margarita. It will taste slightly different, but maybe you'll prefer it.

And remember our Margarita recipe? Well, you can make a Blue Margarita, just like in chi-chi Tex-Mex places. Simple: just substitute blue Curacao for the triple sec in the recipe.

You can make a Hawaiian Margarita by combining 1 1/2 ounces tequila, 1 ounce orange juice, and 2 ounces of pineapple juice. Serve blended or on the rocks.

How about a Pineapple Daiquiri? Blend 2 ounces white rum, 1/2 ounce triple sec, 3 ounces pineapple juice, and 1/2 ounce lime juice with ice until slushy. Serve in a Margarita glass and sip through a straw. Tip: if you don't have Margarita glasses, large bowl, red wine glasses make good substitutes, especially for frozen drinks.

Or try a Blue Lagoon: 2 ounces vodka, 1 ounce blue Curacao, 2 ounces pineapple juice, and a teaspoon of triple sec. Shake with ice in a cocktail shaker and strain into a martini or margarita glass.

Why not use those Collins glasses for a Tom Collins? Over ice, combine 2 ounces of gin and 1 1/2 ounces of sour mix. Top off with club soda. Substitute vodka for gin and you have a Vodka Collins. Tastes a lot like Smirnoff Ice or Mike's Hard Lemonade. Like Mike's Hard Cranberry? Just add a couple of ounces of cranberry juice as well.

Gin and Tonic is the quintessential summer cooler: 2 ounces of gin over ice in a Collins glass, fill with tonic, and add a squeeze of lime. I still remember the first one I ever had. It was made with Gordon's gin and that's still the way I like my G&T.

Rum and Coke, also know as a Cuba Libre is just as easy to make: 2 ounces of rum (white, amber, or dark) over ice in a Collins glass, fill with cola. Add a squeeze of lime (optional). I always think of my friend John when I drink these. I prefer mine with dark rum and without lime, but he always specified Bacardi (white), with a slice of lime in his. Only, his were much stronger!

Well, those are some of the basics. You can have the summer off, or for the more adventurous, follow the blog as, each week, I feature some of summer's more interesting cocktails, such as the Mojito and the Mint Julep.

Have a Happy Canada Day and a great summer! Cheers!