Have you heard of a red beer (tomato juice and beer)? Well, just substitute orange juice for the tomato juice and, voila, orange beer. I swear it is damn tasty, though it does sound a bit strange. Try it with a beer that goes well with fruit, like a wheat beer or pale ale. I like Blue Moon, but New Belgium beers work well too.

Now, orange you glad I told you about this?

*note* I apologize for the joke, but I couldn’t control myself.

**I can tell the difference between lemons and oranges (above), but they’re both citrus fruits, so no heckling.

I know these Friday drinks are usually alcoholic beverages, but I wanted to try a fun and refreshing summery drink. Plus, who said you couldn’t throw in some vodka. Ooh, Blue UV would be amazing in here…

Anyway, this is one of my favorite drinks to consume, especially in the heat of summer. I had never made it on my own before so I found a recipe online to test out. It came from the restaurant Blue Smoke, I believe. It was good, but a bit tart. Here it is, it’s very simple:

• 2 parts fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 2 parts water
• 1 part simple syrup

If you don’t know how to make simple syrup, you can look back to my Margarita post to find out where to get it. And trust me, use the lemon juicer found on that post as well – otherwise it will take you years to make a glass. If you have a lemonade recipe you love, please send it my way. I love testing these out!

I never thought about infusing vodka with basil before! I’m on it now that I found this recipe. We have so much in our backyard billowing out and attacking the other herbs, so I am excited for something else to do with it. On the mission this weekend.

Basil Martini:

Fill a shaker with ice, add a dash of vermouth, shake, and strain. Add 2 jiggers basil-infused vodka. Shake vigorously; strain. Note: 1 jigger equals approximately 1 1/2 ounces. (Recipe Via: Better Homes and Gardens)

My sister had the most amazing fresh margarita recipe. Come to find out, it came from this dude: Jeffrey Morgenthaler. But they are amazing and you must try them. A bit pricey and lots of elbow grease, but totally worth it.

Tip: buy one of these lemon juicers. It will save your life.

Here’s the recipe from Mr. Morgenthaler for a jug of pre-mixed margaritas:

“When I can’t find a gallon jug lying around, I just buy a gallon of distilled water from the grocery store for 88 cents and use the water to feed the plants.

6 cups tequila (you’ll need two fifths for this)

2.5 cups triple sec (just a fifth, please)

2.5 cups fresh lime juice

2.5 cups fresh lemon juice

2 cups simple syrup

Mix ingredients together in gallon container. Don’t forget to refrigerate! When ready to serve, pour mixture into a 16-ounce glass filled with ice. Salted rim is optional.

Makes 21 margaritas.”

He has the recipe for simple syrup on his site as well (if you need it). I made half a batch for myself over the 4th and they were the ticket. I used about 10 lemons and 10 limes, but if you are doing the full, you will need about 20 of each. If you appreciate a good margarita, you will love these as much as I did.

Next time I’ll save this recipe for when it’s not just me consuming. I used Patron Silver because the poor rickety old man at the liquor store climbed all the way up this ladder to get it down for me. Come to find out, the reason it was so cheap was because it was such a small bottle. Catholic guilt made me buy it. Needless to say, I’m not the drinker I once was so I didn’t finish the whole batch and had to throw some out. I know, I can’t even talk about it. What a waste.

Bring this jug of margs to your next fiesta and people will have a hard time forgetting you…unless they drink the whole batch themselves.

This is hands down, the best summer drink ever.

Lillet, club soda and lemon. Hey, even James Bond drinks this delicious French aperitif so I think it is cool enough for me.

I got three of these bottles from Ikea this past weekend (at $2.99) and plan on infusing vodka with raspberries, vodka with peppers, and then making a simple syrup. Yum, I can’t wait to have cocktails this weekend.

Oh and yes, we have a raspberry bush in our backyard, so you will be seeing more recipes with the delectable berries.

Um, has anyone noticed that the new slew of boxed wines are pretty great? If you haven’t, I have taken the liberty of testing multiple brands and flavors for your future tasting pleasures.

1. Black Box: This is the priciest of the bunch, but by far the yummiest. I have enjoyed the Cabernet Sauvignon and it is quite good. It is still out of a box, but certainly no Franzia.

2. Bota Box: I have tried the Cabernet Savignon and the Old Vine Zinfindel. I enjoy the cabernet more, and neither is as good as the Black Box varieties, but still a good bang for your buck.

3. Target Cube: 4 bottles of decent wine for the price of one. These are at any Target store and really go the distance and their cube is by far the best packaging.

The biggest selling point to buying boxed wine, you get the equivalent of 4 bottles of wine in one box!  All in all, well worth your minimal investment. Great for parties and pretty good with dinner.

These are really easy to make. They are perfect for hosting a brunch, a shower, or any type of celebration. Or even to sip on while LiveBlogging RHNJ every Tuesday evening. All you do is pop a bottle of the bubbly (champagne or prosecco).

Add a touch of Chambord  (or more if you like it as much as I do).

And in the true spirit of turning into my mother, add a floater. I chose raspberries. You can up the presentation by serving them in flutes. However, in this household, we sip wine and champagne from these cute little mismatched glasses. Voilà!

The first time I tried one of these absolutely dreamy concoctions was at Blue in Omaha, NE. I think they taste best when the olives are freshly stuffed, but even with the ready-made blue cheese stuffed olives, they are so delicious. I made this guy to sip as I watched and LiveBlog-ed during the Real Housewives of New Jersey on Tuesday. 

Instructions…

First either stick your martini glass in the freezer, or fill with ice and water to chill the glass while you are playing Tom Cruise (pre-scientology/creepy Katie Holmes phase) in Cocktail. Remove pimentos from olives and stuff with blue cheese crumbles. These can be soaked in vermouth. I prefer not to so I can eat the extras. And yes, I ate all of these, plus some in one sitting.

Add vodka, olive juice, and ice to a shaker and do the obvious for about 10 seconds. Then I empty the chilling martini glass or grab it from the freezer. Throw a splash of vermouth in there and swirl around. I dump most of it out, but use your judgment depending on how dry you like yours. Next, strain your vodka/olive juice mixture into the martini glass and add as many of the these babies (above) as you’d like. Sip slowly as one or two will usually do the trick. These are so delicious that it can become a bit dangerous. You should just take my word on that one. But they truly are delightful. 

The scene from a night full of naughtiness on day 2 in project honeymoon: New Orleans. Luckily, I now have a cocktail recipe to share with you. 

Hurricane:

• 1 oz Vodka
• 1 oz Gin
• 1 oz light Rum
• 1/2 oz Bacardi 151 Rum
• 1 oz Amaretto liqueur
• 1 oz Triple Sec
• 1/4 Grenadine
• Grapefruit juice
• Pineapple juice
• Orange juice

Garnish with a cherry and an orange slice.

I would say, save this buddy for a very special occasion and be sure to have a taxi number in your phone.