Food Friday: Splashy Summer Cocktails (and Real Simple photo)

When you start seeing photos like this of yourself in national magazines and people start writing about you like this—”Anna’s wardrobe isn’t drab, she loves color!”—it’s time to get out Martha Stewart’s Hors D’oeuvres Handbook and serve something appropriate for the outfit.

However, I can’t POSSIBLY cook dressed like this, so I will have to simply mix up a few of these cocktails and start sipping. Join me? I’ll be on the patio by 5:30 p.m.

Limon (Lemon Drop)

1 cup crushed ice, plus ice cubes for chilling

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice, strained

2 Tablespoons superfine sugar

4 ounces vodka

3 sprigs min

Fill glasses with crushed ice and place them in the freezer. Pour the lemon juice, sugar and vodka into a shaker with ice and shake hard for 30 seconds or until the sugar is melted. Pour the liquid over the crushed ice in the glasses. Rub the lip of each glass hard with a mint leaf just before serving, and garnish with a mint sprig.

Fresh Lime Daquiri

Martha says: Tinted sugars of various crystal sizes are an ideal decoration, not only for baking, but also around the rim of a cocktail glass. Select shades that contrast nicely with the drink you are making. To make your own, add just the smallest toothpickful of paste or gel color to superfine sugar, then blend until the color is combined with the sugar and the desired shade has been reached. Anna says: But, of course.

I WILL BE SKIPPING THAT STEP. I DON’T WANT ANY FOOD COLORING, EITHER A PASTE OR A GEL, ON MY WHITE JEANS.

2 Tablespoons light green sanding sugar for the rims of glasses

3/4 cup fresh lime juice (save halves)

1/4 teaspoon grated lime zest

6 ounces good-quality light rum (no Bacardi’s Rum PLEASE. My tenth-grade self thanks you.)

1/3 cup plus 1 Tablespoon superfine sugar

Pour the sanding sugar into a saucer big enough to encompass the rim of the glass you are using. One at a time, rub the rim of each glass with reserved half of a lime, so that the lip is wet about 1/8 inch into the glass. Immediately dip the rim of the glass into the sugar. Gently tap the glass to remove excess sugar. Set aside.

Add the lime juice, zest, rum and sugar to a blender. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Add ice to fil half the blender. Blend on high until all the ice is pureed and the mixture is slushy, about 1 minute. Pour immediately into the prepared glasses and serve.

Mango Cocktail

Martha says: Look for mangoes that have unblemished, yellow skin blushed with red. This cocktail is more delicious with fresh mango juice made in the blender than canned or bottled mango nectar. Anna says: But of course.

4 1/2 ounces light rum

1 Tablespoon superfine sugar

1 1/2 cups mango puree (about 2 mangos)

3/4 teaspoon Cointreau

1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

6 ounces seltzer or sparkling water

In a large pitcher, whisk together the rum and sugar until sugar has dissolved. Add the remaining ingredients. Whisk to combine.

Fill four tumblers with ice. Divide the liquid evenly among the tumblers.


Pomegranate Martinis

Martha says: Pomegranate juice is often sold in the produce section of your grocery store. Of course, you can also juice your own, scooping out the seeds and pushing them through a fine-mesh sieve. Anna says: OF COURSE.

5 ounces tequila

1 1/2 ounces Triple Sec liqueur

5 ounces fresh lime juice

2 ounces pomegranate juice

1 Tablespoon super fine sugar

Sugared Rose Petals, for garnish

Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice. Place all of the ingredients except the rose petals in the shaker and shake hard for 30 seconds. Fill 2 glasses with ice and strain the liquid into them. Garnish each glass with the rose petals.

Sugar Rose Petals

Martha says: The sugared rose petals give these pretty drinks a very special look. Anna says: As if I’m spending my time putting egg white on roses while wearing my awesome outfit.

1 small bunch pale pink edible (unsprayed) one-inch roses

1 large egg white

1 cup of our old friend superfine sugar

Place the roses in a vase filled with cool water while you work. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg white with four or five drops water to thin the consistency. Place the sugar in a second small bowl, and place a pair of tweezers and a teaspoon nearby.

Choose petals that are smooth and unblemished (OF COURSE) and, working one petal at a time, dip the petal into the egg mixture and use your fingers to coat it. Cover the entire petal, and wipe off the excess. It will appear as though the petal is lightly veiled in the egg-white mixture.

Using the tweezers, hold the petal, and lightly sprinkle sugar on the petal, sugaring the front and back and tapping off the excess. Allow petals to dry for at least four hours or until crisp and brittle.

Now that I’ve got you good and liquored up and laughing yourselves silly over sugared rose petals, I’ve got a favor to ask of you. I need some guest bloggers to fill in here while I recover from tasting all the cocktails above go on vacation. You don’t have to be a blogger to be a guest blogger, you know. I just can’t be held responsible if you become so addicted to it that you start your own.

Interested? Leave me a note in the comments or send me an email and I will be in touch! Oh, and this would be like in a week, since I am nothing if not Last-minute Lucy.

Cheers!

P.S What the hey is superfine sugar and where do I get it?

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Anna Sawin

Anna Sawin is a Connecticut-based portrait, wedding, and editorial photographer. She lives in the shoreline town of Stonington with her family and has discovered the perfect cupcake. Just ask, she is willing to share her secret.

19 Comments

  1. thelandofka on June 20, 2008 at 8:54 am

    Yummy, I may have to try some of those. I won’t be making the sugared rose petals though, but thank you for taking the time to write it all out. 😉

    Last summer I made a few batches of rhubarb strawberry lemonade. The kids liked the lemonade…and I like it with a splash of good chilled vodka. Very summery!

  2. B. on June 20, 2008 at 8:54 am

    Yum.

  3. laura on June 20, 2008 at 9:32 am

    I’ll guest blog for you if you’d like 🙂

    Here’s my favorite summer cocktail (or for this summer, mocktail)

    Mojito
    (inspired by Hotel Nacional, Havana Cuba)

    1/2 small lime cut in wedges
    2-4 tablespoons granulated sugar
    small handful of whole mint leaves

    Muddle above ingredients together in the bottom of a tall glass so the lime releases all juices and the mint is nicely crushed. Add a shot of good white rum, ice, and then fill to the top with soda water. Stir so the sugar dissolves. Garnish with lime slice and mint spring. If your guests don’t like all of the mint pieces that stick to the sides of the glass or get caught in their teeth, you can strain into a new glass before serving. That’s probably what Martha would do.

    I have a cheating way of making them as well:

    In the bottom of a tall glass mash together a handful of mint and a about 1/4 cup of frozen limeade concentrate. Add a shot of rum, ice, and then fill the rest with soda water or lime flavored seltzer.

    For mockitos, just omit the rum!

    I have a cheater margarita recipe as well that I love. In a glass add 1 short of gold tequila, about a tablespoon of Grand Marnier, and ice. Fill to the top with limeade. Yum!

    For frozen: In blender combine 1/4 c. frozen limeade concentrate, a shot of gold tequila, 1 tablesppon grand marnier, and ice. Blend until slushy!

    One of my summer essentials is cans of frozen limeade concentrate. You can do so much with it in terms of cocktails. Throw some in a blender with fresh strawberries, rum, and ice and you have great daiquiris!

  4. Molly on June 20, 2008 at 1:35 pm

    I expect a sampler tray at our next get together!

  5. sdh on June 20, 2008 at 1:57 pm

    You look so GLAM!

  6. amy Flood on June 20, 2008 at 2:38 pm

    who is that fancy lady with the PLUNGING neckline?? i bet Brian likes that outfit!

  7. Christina on June 20, 2008 at 3:38 pm

    I’ll take a mango cocktail, thanks. Is it a white-jeans dress code??

  8. itsallabouthallie on June 20, 2008 at 7:29 pm

    You look marvelous!!!

  9. katherine on June 20, 2008 at 9:06 pm

    There I was, sans-children flying to Las Vegas with my husband when I turned the page and WHA,MO! There was ANNA! Loved seeing you in real simple – I feel like I know a celeb! BTW, I think your picture of the shoes is better!

    Regarding guest blogging… I refer to the “put your oxygen mask on first before assisting others” rule. I would have to attend to her *own* blog before trying to cover for someone else. 🙂

  10. libound on June 21, 2008 at 11:19 am

    Anna, you are gorgeous! I want white jeans, but only if I can borrow your legs for the night. Subscriber to Real Simple now so you will be a regular visitor at my house. Lately, I am drinking Negronis. Actually, I’m only allowed one. Very, very slowly and carefully. Deadly, but delicious! And they look like a summer sunset in a glass.

  11. Holly on June 21, 2008 at 12:17 pm

    Anna- Super Fine Sugar is also found in the baking isle at your supermarket. It is right near the regular sugar. If you happen to use the Domino brand, the Super Fine is packaged in the same yellow, white and I think blue? logo. It comes in a box rather than a bag. Happy Drinking.

  12. Sara on June 21, 2008 at 4:10 pm

    I just picked up a copy of the July Real Simple at the airport and you look FAB! I am officially on vacation and I look forward to trying some, if not all, of those yummy cocktails!

  13. Heidi on June 21, 2008 at 5:02 pm

    Yay, summer cocktails! And look at you, gorgeous!

  14. arizaphale on June 22, 2008 at 2:51 am

    You look sensational!!!! We call superfine sugar ‘caster sugar’ here and making coloured ‘sand’ is not that easy as I have discovered on a number of birthday cake occasions! Still, there’s nothing like a well decorated cocktail to make you feel festive. Ole! (tosses empty glass over her shoulder)

  15. Lucia on June 22, 2008 at 7:46 pm

    Anna,
    My Real Simple came about a week ago and I was so excited to see your incredible picture. How exciting. I would be happy to guest blog for you, except for two things. One, I have never ever blogged before, and two I’m afraid I don’t have much to say that would be of great interest to anyone else. Your blogs are so entertaining, I would probably put your readers to sleep. Hope you have a great vacation.

  16. Maya on June 22, 2008 at 9:06 pm

    Yea to the drink recipes!!! You are looking good sister in that pink!!!

  17. golightly on June 23, 2008 at 4:33 pm

    I’m making me some of those!! Yum!

  18. MelodyA. on June 26, 2008 at 8:10 am

    You pull that look off so well I KNOW you make lemonade in heels and white pants everyday. Don’t try to fool us. Beautiful, Anna.

  19. Shannon on June 27, 2008 at 7:10 pm

    Hello, Ms. Legs!!! Love the pic! I still need to pick up my copy.

    I think we need to start a friday cocktail hour! ASAP!

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anna

Anna Sawin is a Connecticut-based portrait, wedding, and editorial photographer. She lives in the shoreline town of Stonington with her family and has discovered the perfect cupcake. Just ask, she is willing to share her secret.