What To Sip On As You Celebrate Memorial Day Weekend

Flagler Avenue Rum Punch. (Courtesy Photo)

The moment we’ve all been waiting for is finally here – it’s time to toast to Memorial Day weekend and the unofficial start of summer.

Watermelon Beer Rita: (Recipe created by The Southern Thing)

2 cups seedless Watermelon, rind removed

3 tablespoons Simple Syrup

3/4 cup Tequila

1/4 cup Lime Juice

1 1/2 cups Ice (add more as needed)

Cold Corona Light®

Lime Wedges, for garnish

Margarita Salt

Directions: Remove seed and rind from watermelon and cut into cubes. In a blender, combine watermelon, simple syrup, lime juice, tequila and ice, then blend. Dampen the rim of a large margarita glass or beer mug, then twist the rim in margarita salt. Pour contents of blender into a chilled glass, a little more than half full. Carefully place an ice cold Corona into a margarita glass and garnish with a fresh lime and serve.

Auchentoshan® Berry White. (Courtesy Photo)

Flagler Avenue Rum Punch: (Created by Mixologist, Cassandra Rosen)

2 oz. White Rum

1/2 oz. Lime Juice

1 oz. Orange Liqueur

Dash Lime Bitters

2 oz. Snowbirds Vintners Grüner Veltliner

Pineapple Wedges, for garnish

Directions: Add all ingredients to a glass. Stir to combine. Garnish with pineapple slices.

Auchentoshan® Berry White:

1.5 parts Auchentoshan® American Oak Single Malt Scotch Whisky

.25 part fresh Lemon Juice

2.5 part Shrub & Co. Strawberry with Meyer Lemon Shrub

3.5 parts Belgian Witbier (Wheat Beer)

4 dashes Rhubarb Bitters

Lemon Peel, for garnish

Directions: Build drink in tall glass with ice. Fill remainder with Belgian wheat beer. Garnish with lemon peel.

Grey Goose La Poire Grand Fizz. (Courtesy Photo)

Grey Goose La Poire Grand Fizz:

1 1/2 parts Grey Goose La Poire

1 part St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur

3 long slices of Anjou Pear

2 parts chilled Soda Water

Ticket to Paradise. (Courtesy Photo)

Directions: Build in an oversized cabernet wine glass with lots of ice. Add Grey Goose® La Poire and St-Germain®. Then add fresh Anjou pear slices. Top with chilled soda water and stir with a Grey Goose stirrer.

Ticket to Paradise:

1.5 oz. Tanqueray No. TEN

.75 oz. fresh Lime Juice

.75 oz. fresh Pineapple Juice

.5 oz. Ginger Syrup

Mint Leaves, for garnish

Directions: Add all ingredients to a shaker filled with ice. Shake and strain into Coupe glass and garnish with mint leaves.

Blueberry Mint Smash:

1 1/2 parts Hornitos® Black Barrel® Tequila

1/2 part fresh Lime Juice

1/2 part Simple Syrup

Blueberries

Mint Sprigs

Directions: Lightly muddle 6-8 blueberries and 3-5 mint leaves in a shaker. Add remainder of ingredients into the shaker with ice and shake vigorously. Strain into a julep cup over crushed ice. Garnish with a mint sprig and blueberries.

Blueberry Mint Smash. (Courtesy Photo)

Sangria in Rio: (Created by Scott Rixe, Bar Manager of Poppy and Lionhead located in Seattle)

8 large Strawberries

1 half package of Raspberries

3/4 cup Simple Syrup

1/4 cup Lime Juice

1/4 cup Lemon Juice

2 bottle Tempranillo/Cab blend or a South American Tempranillo blend

1 cup Novo Fogo Chameleon Cachaça

1/4 cup PX Cream Sherry

Edible Flowers, for garnish

Lemon Slices, for garnish

Sliced Strawberries, for garnish

Directions: Combine strawberries, raspberries, and simple syrup in a blender and then fine strain. Mix with lime juice, lemon juice, Tempranillo/Cab blend or a South American Tempranillo blend, Novo Fogo Chameleon Cachaça, and PX cream sherry. Garnish with all the fruits and flowers.

Sangria in Rio. (Courtesy Photo)

Knob Creek® Rye Blackhawk:

2 parts Knob Creek® Rye Whiskey

1 part DeKuyper® Sloe Gin

1 Maraschino Cherry, for garnish

Directions: In a mixing glass half-filled with ice cubes, combine the whiskey and gin. Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a cherry.