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Come Party With Me: Baby Shower - Drinks

partysugar — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 12:30:17 -0700

At a baby shower, it's incredibly important to have a nonalcholic specialty drink. That way the mother-to-be can join in the festivities. For Denise's baby shower brunch, I'll offer guests mimosas and spiced pomegranate sparklers.

The concoction is made with a cinnamon-spiced pomegranate juice and sparkling water. Do take the time to make the garnish - frozen whole cranberries - because it's a lovely addition to the drink.

Also have an assortment of juice, coffee, and tea on hand. To get the refreshing recipe to the sparkling mocktail, read more.

Spiced Pomegranate Sparkler
From Whole Living

Ingredients

1 cup pomegranate juice
1 stick cinnamon
2 cups sparkling mineral water
Frozen whole cranberries

Directions

In a small saucepan, heat pomegranate juice to near boiling, add cinnamon stick, and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely, at least 1 hour. Remove cinnamon stick.
Divide the spiced juice between 2 tall glasses; add 1 cup sparkling mineral water to each glass. Stir, add ice, and serve with a garnish of frozen cranberries.

Makes 2 drinks.

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Name That Drink!

partysugar — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 07:00:24 -0700

This nonalcoholic concoction would be great on a camping trip or a picnic. Do you know what the sweet, lemony libation is called?

Happy Hour: Sonoma Sparkler Sparkling Juices

partysugar — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 16:15:29 -0700

While I wasn't surprised to sip amazing wine at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, I was not expecting to find an extraordinary nonalcoholic sparkler among the mix. However, the lovely ladies from Sonoma Sparkler were there pouring the bubbly juices. I tasted three of the refreshing sparklers and was highly impressed with the fizzy texture and fresh-fruit flavor. The juice is slightly sweet, easy to drink, and incredibly fruity. They come in six flavors: apple, pear, peach, raspberry, blood orange, and lemonade. With its vibrant pink hue, my favorite was the raspberry. I plan to stock up on Sonoma Sparkler.

It's the perfect option for those who are pregnant or don't drink. Have you tasted this nonalcoholic libation? What did you think?

Happy Hour: Cosmo-Not

YumSugar — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 15:42:07 -0700

Most of the time, non-alcoholic drinks are simple, you open the bottle and you pour it into a glass. Sure there are a lot of great non-alcoholic options out there, but what if the drink recipient was hoping for something a little more unique? Well, don't fret, I've got the perfect recipe for you! Taking its cue from a classic Cosmopolitan, a Cosmo-Not is the perfect blend of citrus, pomegranate and cranberry. To start serving these up at your next shindig, read more

Cosmo-Not Martini
From Martini Art

6 ounces of freshly squeezed and very cold orange juice.
2 ounces of freshly squeezed and very cold tangerine juice.
2 orange rind twists.
2 very, very thin orange slices.
1 lime cut in half.
3 ounces of cranberry juice.
1 ounce of pomegranate juice.
4 drops of vanilla extract.
1 ounce of seltzer water.

Add all of your juices and vanilla extract to a shaker 1/2 full with cracked ice.
Shake for a full minute.
Squeeze in the juice of your lime and swirl the shaker ten times.
Strain into 2 large, frozed martini glasses.
Top each glass with an orange slice and one orange twist.
Slowly pour one tablespoon of seltzer into each glass (over the orange).

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Come Party With Me: Baby Shower - Drinks

partysugar — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 05:55:55 -0700

Although the guest of honor at a baby shower is not allowed to drink (for obvious reasons) that doesn't mean it's ok to deprive the other guests from toasting the unborn baby. Per your requests, I am planning a baby shower for the pregnant actress Naomi Watts this week for you to use as an inspiration to create your own baby showers for your friends and family. Baby blue and pale pink are the source of inspiration behind this spring time luncheon. I've made the invitations and proposed a menu and now it's time to talk about the aforementioned drinks including a refreshing non-alcoholic option, so read more

For the pregnant partier, pitchers of fresh sparkling and still water flavored with lemon and lime are a must. Or flavor the water with your own combination of fresh herbs (basil, rosemary, or mint), cucumbers, oranges, pineapple, ginger, vanilla bean, or berries. Fill a beautiful punch bowl with a non-alcoholic Ginger Pineapple Sparkling Punch. Mix up the alcoholic version in the form of a Vodka Pineapple Cocktail. Buy a case of your favorite white, or sparkling wine, and keep plenty of it chilled. A crisp, light to medium bodied white wine (such as a Sauvignon Blanc, Reisling, or Pinot Blanc) will pair nicely with the light soup, salad, and sandwich menu. Highfield Estate Sauvignon Blanc is an excellent wine to try at an affordable price. When buying large quantities of sparkling wine choose a lesser known, yet equally as delicious, variety such as a Spanish Cava or an Italian Prosecco.

Ginger Pineapple Sparkling Punch
From Gourmet magazine

For ginger syrup:
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup sugar
1 cup thinly sliced unpeeled fresh ginger (1/4 lb; from two 5-inch-long pieces)
For punch:
3 cups unsweetened pineapple juice, chilled
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (3 to 5 lemons)
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (4 to 6 limes)
3 cups sparkling water, chilled
4 cups ice cubes
Garnish: lemon and lime slices
Special equipment: a small punch bowl or pitcher

Make ginger syrup: Bring water, sugar, and ginger to a boil in a 1- to 1 1/2-quart saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes, then remove from heat and steep, uncovered, 15 minutes. Pour syrup through a sieve into a bowl, discarding ginger. Chill, covered, until cold, about 2 hours.
Make punch: Stir together ginger syrup and fruit juices in a punch bowl or pitcher.
Stir in sparkling water and ice.

Serves 10.

Make ahead: ginger syrup keeps, covered and chilled, 2 weeks.

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Vodka Pineapple Cocktail
From Food Network kicthens

1 1/2 ounces pineapple juice
1-ounce vodka
1-ounce orange liqueur, recommended: Cointreau
1/2-ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
sugar, for the rim (optional)
Fresh wedges of pineapple
Maraschino cherry

Chill a martini glass in the freezer.
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the pineapple juice, vodka, orange liqueur, and lime juice. Cover and shake vigorously, until combined and chilled, about 30 seconds. (In general, by the time the shaker mists up the drink is ready.)
Scatter some sugar onto a small plate, wet the rim of the glass and dip into sugar.
Strain the drink into the chilled glass.
Skewer the pineapple and cherry and drop into the cocktail. Cheers.

Serves 1.

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Have a fabulous cocktail recipe perfect for a baby shower? Share it with us below!

Happy Hour: Mock Green Alien

YumSugar — Thu, 17 May 2007 12:28:31 -0700

Everyone seemed to really enjoy the Midori Sour that we posted the other day, and so I decided to go on a hunt for an equally odd colored non-alcoholic drink. I ended up finding one called a Green Alien that actually sounds perfect for those warm summer days (I know, it's still spring, but you can tell that summer is just around the corner). It's a nice mixture of limes and lemons and the shocking green color will delight your pals (or kids). To check out the recipe, read more

Mock Green Alien
From Drink Recipes UK

3 oz Lime juice
3 oz Sparkling Lemonade
Crushed Ice
Lime Slice

Mix all ingredients in a cocktail shaker / stirrer and pour into an unusually shaped glass. Add Crushed Ice and decorations to create a great speciality drink from an easy to make recipe!

For a more unusual spin, add a few drops of green food coloring, or alternatively if you're not worried about alcohol content, add some Midori to the mix too!

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Happy Hour: Blackberry Soda

YumSugar — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 14:22:22 -0700

I know that blackberries aren't in season quite yet (they're more of a summer fruit, beginning around May), but I found this non-alcoholic drink that I just can't wait to share. It starts up with fresh blackberries mixed with sugar and lemon juice. Then topped off with soda. Personally I think it sounds refreshing - it's like my favorite after work treat (sparkling water with a splash of juice) - and they even recommend that you serve it with a straw. To check out the recipe, read more

Blackberry Soda
From Drinkalizer

125g ripe blackberries
25g sugar
1 tbsp strained lemon juice
1 ice cube
soda

Mix the berries with sugar and lemon juice in.
Strain into a highball or wine glass.
Fill up with soda.
Garnish with a slice of lemon or, like in the image, with a blackberry.
Serve with a straw.

This non-alcoholic cocktail also looks great in a wine glass or a brandy glass.

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Happy Hour: Near White Wine

partysugar — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 12:58:59 -0800

If you are hosting a dinner or a party in the next couple of weeks be sure to have a special non-alcoholic option for your guests. It's that time of year when people have given up bad habits for Lent (I've given up clothing shopping) and drinking alcohol is always a popular vice to reject for forty days. Instead of mercilessly tempting friends with all alcoholic cocktails, offer one that is just as good without any booze. You could whip up faux champagne or a delicious take on white wine. Serve in a champagne flute or wine glass and your guests won't even notice they're sipping an alcohol-free beverage. For the recipe, read more

Near White Wine
From UC Davis

6 ounces white grape juice
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
mint leaves, optional garnish

Mix ingredients and chill for several hours.
Pour into white wine glass. If desired, garnish with 2 fresh mint leaves.

Makes 1 mocktail.

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Happy Hour: Dry Soda

YumSugar — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 13:55:15 -0800

Yesterday we took a lunch excursion to the nearby fancy pants food court. Since I was already paying too much for a tuna sandwich, I figured why not throw in a fancy drink too? I was originally going to grab some fancy bubble-water, but saw these sodas on display and was captivated by them instead. All four flavors, Kumquat, Lemongrass, Lavender and Rhubarb, glistened in their display case, each demanding my attention. It was a tough choice, but eventually I settled on Lemongrass.

When I took it back to the office and cracked open the bottle, I was pleasantly surprised. I was expecting it to taste sweet ( kind of like Sprite), but the drink was deliciously light and delicate. The lemongrass flavor was potent enough to taste, but definitely not overpowering. I would definitely recommend picking this up; I personally can't wait to try the Kumquat flavor next. And, I should probably also add that it only contained 50 calories (Coke has 140).

Based out of Seattle, DRY Soda claims to "offer the first culinary soda, a line of all-natural, lightly sweet beverages designed for those wanting a sophisticated non-alcoholic option" (see what did I tell you guys? Soda for adults is a big food trend). You can purchase 12-packs of DRY Soda for $25.00.

Happy Hour: Mild-Eyed Margarita

YumSugar — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 13:29:12 -0800

PartySugar did a great job rounding up a bunch of drinks for the big game on Sunday (including the Ultimate Margarita). But what about something for the kiddies (or those that don't drink)? Why not serve up pitchers of non-alcoholic Mild-eyed Margaritas too? This way no one gets left out and everyone has a delicious drink to enjoy during the game. You could even add a few drops of food coloring to keep track of which one is kiddie-safe!

Mild-Eyed Margaritas
From MADD

2 cups lemon or lime soda
2 tablespoons sugar
Juice of 1/2 lime
Salt
Crushed ice

Pour soda into ice cube tray or shallow pan, freeze.
Place frozen soda in blender, add lime juice and sugar.
Blend until well-mixed.
Rub lime around rim of glass and then dip glass into salt.
Pour mixture over crushed ice and then into salted rim glasses.
Garnish with lime slice.

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