Cocktail Recipes

Watermelon Punch

6 cups watermelon juice (to make, purée fresh seedless watermelon)
One 3 oz. can frozen limeade
6 cups vodka
1 liter chilled club soda
Watermelon wedges

In a serving bowl, combine watermelon juice, limeade and vodka. Refrigerate until cold. Then add ice and chilled club soda; garnish with small watermelon wedges.

French 75

Serves 12

2¼ cups chilled gin
2 cups fresh lemon juice
1½ cups Cointreau
3 bottles (750 ml) chilled champagne
Lemon peel for garnish

In a pitcher half-filled with ice, combine gin, lemon juice and orange-flavored liqueur. Divide mixture among 12 flutes. Top with champagne and garnish with lemon peel.

Madras-tini

Serves 20

8 cups chilled vodka
5 cups cranberry juice
2½ cups fresh orange juice
Tangerine slices for garnish

In a large pitcher, combine vodka, cranberry juice and orange juice. Stir, then refrigerate until cold. Pour into glasses and garnish with tangerine slices.

Lemonade Mojito

Serves 20

Mint leaves (bunch)
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
5 cups club soda
4 cups vodka
4 cups fresh lemon juice
⅔ cup superfine sugar

First, prepare sugar syrup:Heat the first cup of sugar and water over low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon until sugar has dissolved. Stop stirring and increase heat to medium. Simmer 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool; refrigerate 2 hours before using.

In a large bowl, muddle ½ cup mint leaves with the sugar syrup. Stir in club soda, vodka, fresh lemon juice and additional ⅔superfine sugar. Chill.

Pour into ice-filled pitchers with lemon rounds and mint sprigs; serve in tall glasses.

Raspberry Rum Punch

Serves 20

1 pint raspberries
1 cup sugar syrup
4 cups club soda
4 cups dark rum
4 cups fresh lime juice
⅔ cup superfine sugar
Raspberries and slices of lime as garnish

To make sugar syrup, heat 1 cup of both sugar and water over low heat, stirring until dissolved. Increase heat to medium and simmer for two minutes. Let syrup cool and chill before using.

In a punch bowl, crush raspberries into sugar syrup. Add club soda, dark rum and lime juice, plus ⅔ cup superfine sugar. Ladle into ice-filled glasses; garnish with raspberries and lime slices.

White Wine Sangria with Fresh Summer Fruit

Serves 12

3 bottles chardonnay
¾ cup chilled Cointreau
¾ cup fresh orange juice
6 tbsp brandy
6 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp superfine sugar
3 cups cut-up fruit (oranges, peaches, nectarines, seedless grapes, strawberries)

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Stir well, then chill. When ready to serve, add 2 cups club soda. Garnish each drink with a mint sprig.