Thirsty

While the calendar may indicate that the season in fact is fall once we pass Labor Day, I don't believe most people really are ready for it until at least September 15. That's why I was completely disgruntled this morning when I stopped at Starbucks and found that not only had they done away with the essential Fruit Cobbler Bar (apparently now out of season...), but they were advertising Pumpkin Spice Lattes! Later, with my iced (ahem) mocha in hand, it seemed that fall themes were practically jumping off the internet at me. Fall leaves in website mastheads, an apple cider ice cream recipe in my daily Serious Eats newsletter. Well, I say "No!" to it all (though I will save the cider ice cream recipe for future use...).

And so, to help us all linger on summer a bit longer, I give you this refreshing combination of beer and tequila (indeed!):

Beer Margaritas

Ingredients:
1 (12-ounce) can frozen limeade concentrate
12 ounces tequila
12 ounces water
12 ounces beer
Ice
1 lime, cut into wedges

Directions:
1. Pour limeade, tequila, water, and beer into a large pitcher. Stir until well-blended and limeade has melted.
2. Add plenty of ice, taste, and adjust with additional water, if needed.
3. Pour into margarita glasses and garnish with lime wedges. Enjoy immediately.

Serves 6.

Recipe from Big Surprise on Allrecipes.com.

--KitchenMaus

This life-saving cocktail will make you all kinds of happy, with a jolt of rye (which, thankfully, is much more available today than even two years ago) shaken up with sweet vermouth, orange curaçao, and a touch of fresh lime to bring it all home. It’s an older drink now forgotten by most, but I’ll bet it can make even the worst weeks seem a bit better (and it's fun to introduce such a pleasant combo to friends, too).

Ingredients:
Ice cubes
1-1/2 ounce rye
3/4 ounces sweet vermouth
3/4 ounce orange curaçao
1/2 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice

Directions:
1. Fill a cocktail shaker halfway full with ice cubes. Add everything. Shake well.

2. Strain the mix into a cocktail glass.

--A.J. Rathbun

Folks sometimes say you can’t get anything for a dollar anymore, but, as shown in this video from Howcast, you can use a dollar to open a beer can. Your dollar may get a little sticky from the overflow (it seems to take a bit of jimmying, which can lead to foaming up, as well as taking serious folding skills), but I’m sure you’ll still be able to spend the dollar to buy more beer if needed. Of course, then you wouldn’t have the dollar anymore to open the beer. Now, there’s a conundrum.

--A.J. Rathbun

In this video you can learn how to make the Paradise Cocktail, a combination of gin, fresh orange juice, and apricot brandy (with some optional simple syrup if you’ve got a sweet tooth), and see how it makes a summer day so much better.

--A.J. Rathbun

My thoughts of Sonic cherry limeade this morning really got me wanting one. And, because Sonic continues to torment me by not opening a drive-in in Seattle (Sonic, are you listening?!), I guess I'm going to have to make my own. I found this recipe on RecipeZaar, and it sounds reasonable, though I don't know if it's truly the Sonic version. Now, for those of you happy hourers who think all happy hour drinks should contain alcohol--well, this one's for all the pregnant ladies out there, sweltering in the summer heat! (And besides, I suppose you could just add a shot of vodka, if you really needed to.)

Sonic Cherry Limeade

Ingredients:
1 12-ounce can Sprite
3 lime wedges
1/4 cup cherry juice

Directions:
1. Fill a 16-ounce glass two-thirds full with ice. Pour Sprite over the ice.
2. Squeeze the lime wedges over the drink and then drop them in.
3. Add the cherry juice and stir briefly. Serve with a straw.

Makes one 16-ounce drink.

--KitchenMaus

This drink recipe is perfect for a mid-week (or any day of the week) gathering of friends, hanging out in a backyard and enjoying a (somewhat scarce in Seattle) warm summer evening together. The recipe calls for GranGala liqueur, which is a delicious mix of Sicilian oranges and brandy, and can be found online and in many liquor stores.

Ingredients:
5 oz dark rum
5 oz light rum
3 oz GranGala orange liqueur
12 oz pineapple juice
3 oz simple syrup
3 oz fresh lime juice
3 oz grenadine
1 Tbsp Angostura bitters

Directions:
Mix all ingredients in a large punch bowl, chill and serve over ice. Float pineapple, orange, and lemon slices in the bowl for garnish. Serves 8.

--AndreaLeigh

As a chef and also a bar chef, I have incorporated just about everything you can think of. From vodka-infused with honeycomb (garnishing the drink with bee pollen), to muddled cucumbers and tropical fruit (in abundance), I always use the kitchen as my inspiration. If I had to pick one favorite cocktail accessory it absolutely has to be fresh herbs, which, to my delight, have finally made their way onto the cocktail lists of many upscale bars, lounges, and restaurants around the nation.

Mint, a cornerstone in herbal cocktails, is so summery refreshing. Mojitos are the most recognized these days in the mint line up–-I like to muddle fresh cherries and a sprig of basil in mine for an unexpected kiss of sweet and savory. For a quick and easy Peach Melba Mojito try my Dish D’Lish® Mojito Cocktailor™ mix.

Like a little spice? It's all the rage in today’s cocktails. Fresh mint and cooling watermelon play a sexy counterpoint to the jalapeño in my H2O Tropi-Hot summertime tequila refresher.

Peach Melba Mojito
Makes 1 cocktail

Ingredients:
1 lime wedge
2 ounce Bacardi Peach Red Rum
2 ounce Dish D’Lish Classic Mojito Cocktailor
2 tablespoons raspberry puree or 6-8 fresh raspberries
splash of soda water
Garnish with fresh mint sprig/fresh raspberry if in season

Directions:
Squeeze and drop lime wedge into cocktail shaker. Fill with ice. Add rum, Cocktailor and puree. Cap and shake vigorously. Add soda water. Pour into a tall glass. Top with more ice if needed. Garnish with mint and raspberry, if using, and insert straw. © 2008 Dish D’Lish® Inc.

H2O Tropi-Hot
Makes 1 drink

Ingredients:
1 lime wedge
1/4 cup watermelon chunks
3 sprigs fresh mint
1 slice fresh jalapeño chile
1 1/2 ounces tequila
1/4 ounce melon liqueur
1 1/2 ounces pineapple juice
Garnish with small watermelon triangle

Directions:
Squeeze and drop lime wedge into a cocktail shaker. Add all other ingredients (except garnish). Fill shaker with ice, and shake vigorously. Pour entire drink into a large glass. Garnish with melon wedge. © Kathy Casey Food Studios

--Kathy Casey

What do you do when you want to realign a multi-billion dollar coffee empire so that each store has a better coffee experience? Introduce a smoothie. That's right, a smoothie. Starbuck's CEO Howard Schultz won't call it a smoothie, claiming it's "so much more than a smoothie". Enter "Vivanno".

The healthier cousin of the Frappuccino, Vivanno, was launched today and it's pretty good. Not the great savior Schultz has been talking about. The Vivanno is a blended mixture of one banana, milk, whey protein, fiber powder, and an optional shot of espresso. It comes in orange mango banana (includes Naked juice) and chocolate banana flavors. I opted for the chocolate banana and espresso shot. Again, I'm not sure why they don't call it a smoothie. I guess it's the same reason Subaru doesn't call the Forrester a "station wagon"--marketing. I'm not sure if this happens with all new menu items, but the baristas had no idea how to A) ring it up and B) make it. Not a great sign, but I was probably only the second person in Seattle to order one.

The Vivanno has two things going for it. One, it doesn't have that gritty texture you sometimes get with smoothies that contain healthy powders, and two, it means bananas can be added to Frappuccinos. Don't get me wrong, the Vivanno is a decent drink--it's just not very Starbucksian. It's not like you can't get the same thing at Emerald Smoothie or Jamba Juice. The Frappuccino is classic Starbucks and two years ago you could get fresh banana with that drink. The banana option lasted only a couple months and I've been craving it ever since.

The bottom line is that Starbuck's now has a decent smoothie. With the powders and the espresso, it has a nice kick without sacrificing flavor and I'd probably order it again.

--Spanno 

This is the best news I've heard all day: It's National Slurp-Day! Yep, your chance to get brain freeze FOR FREE. Today is 7-Eleven Day (get it? 7/11!) and the company is 81 years old. The Slurpee itself has been around for 41 frosty years.

Other 7-Eleven fun facts:

• 7-Eleven introduced self-serve soda fountains to Americans
• Oscar Meyer created an exclusive "spice formulation" for 7-Eleven Big Bite hot dogs
• 7-Eleven operates 34,300 stores in 14 countries--approximately 7,600 of the stores are in North America

Even more important, Slurpee fun facts:

• Slurpee drinks are served at 28 degrees F
• Winnipeg, Canada is generally thought to be the Slurpee capital of the world, due to their amazing Slurpee fanaticism
• The scientific name for brain freeze is sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia
• American and Canadian Slurpees are formulated differently
• More than 11.6 million Slurpee drinks are consumed daily around the world
• The average Slurpee drinker's age is 29

Head out to your nearest 7-Eleven now for your free 7.11-ounce Slurpee!

--KitchenMaus

With the 4th of July just days away and the sun beating down in most locales, my thoughts keep turning to watermelon. And whether you need a midweek refresher or another use for watermelon on the 4th, this drink is sure to quench your summer thirst.

This recipe comes from the July 2000 issue of Bon Appétit. It can be prepared 6 hours ahead and refrigerated. Add ice before serving.

Watermelon Lemonade

Ingredients:
7 cups 2-inch pieces peeled seeded watermelon (from about 4 pounds)
1 cup simple syrup
1 cup fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons grenadine
1 cup gin
3 cups ice cubes
Optional garnish: lemon twists or watermelon wedges

Directions:
1. Purée watermelon pieces in a food processor. Strain watermelon purée into large pitcher, pressing on solids in strainer to extract as much juice as possible. Discard any solids in strainer.
2. Add simple syrup, lemon juice, and grenadine to pitcher; stir to blend. Stir in gin.
3. Stir 3 cups of ice cubes into watermelon lemonade. Pour into tall glasses. Garnish with lemon twists or watermelon wedges, if desired.

Serves 6.

--KitchenMaus