Spring and summer parties abound, tis the season for splashing pool parties, boisterous family reunions and peaceful picnics, smokin’ barbecues, fun-in-the-sun beach parties and bonfires, celebratory bridal and baby showers – you name it, enjoy alfresco dining whenever you can. We move away from warm comfort foods and bold whiskeys to lighter fare and brighter, no-fuss cocktails – that’s part of what makes warm weather parties so memorable. Hot, sunny days call for cool salads and delicious dishes that require minimum cooking and drinks that are refreshing, playful, and a breeze to make.
Take the Cantaloupe Cooler (shown above) for instance:
Smirnoff Sorbet Light Cantaloupe Cooler
1.5 ounce Lemon Smirnoff Sorbet Light
2 ounces pureed cantaloupe
.5 ounce fresh lemon juice
.25 ounce agave nectar
Shake all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Strain into a martini glass. Garnish with mint.
How easy is that!
Any fresh seasonal fruit would be wonderful: strawberries, peaches, nectarines, you name it.
Warm weather also translates into less clothing to hide beneath! *Gasp* Sooner or later, we’re going to have bare arms and legs and even put on a swim suit…maybe. I’ve been trying to lose the Winter-5 for the past month. A major contributor, besides all the food fests my friends and I regularly partake of, is my love of imbibing. Fine wine, too many amazing craft beers, robust bourbons and handcrafted cocktails – I love them all and really don’t think I should have to give them up entirely. What’s the fun in that?
I guess I should feel fortunate that I’m only trying to shed 5 pounds. Take a look at the spread we put together for our Duck, Duck, Goose brunch get-together at Kim’s Rustic Garden Bistro: Strawberry Spinach salad, Watermelon Sorbet, Duck Confit Hash, Mac & Cheese with Lardons, Duck fat Brioche topped with smoked duck breast & sriracha mayo, Peking Duck from Little Saigon, and homemade Kim’s homemade Duck fat thyme pasta with parmesan broth (below).
Kim’s Duck fat thyme pasta with parmesan broth and duck confit
When you have a meal of this magnitude; light, bright cocktails are in order, don’t you think?
Smirnoff Sorbet Light Passion Tea
1.5 oz Mango Passion Fuit Smirnoff Sorbet Light
3 oz Unsweetened Tazo Passion Tea*
.5 oz Fresh Tangerine Juice
.25 oz Agave Nectar
* Black tea or your favorite tea can be substituted
Mix well and serve over ice. {Only 110 calories}
When Smirnoff contacted me about sampling their line of Sorbet Light vodkas, it took only confirming there are NO artificial flavors for me to respond with an affirmative. Smirnoff’s Sorbet Light vodkas are infused with the natural flavors of fresh berries, luscious mangos, juicy passion fruits, and zesty lemon AND they’re 25% lower in calories than the leading flavored vodkas out there. There are 3 new flavors to try: Raspberry Pomegranate, Mango Passion Fruit, and Lemon – all are as light and refreshingly tasty as the next. FYI – Vodka’s caloric content is affected by its proof. The higher the proof, which is the term for alcohol percent, the more calories an ounce contains and, if the vodkas are flavored with artificially flavored syrups, that adds more calories. Smirnoff Sorbet Light is 60 proof with naturally infused flavors.
Smirnoff Sorbet Light Raspberry Lemon Punch
1.5 oz Raspberry Pomegranate Smirnoff Sorbet Light
4 oz Lemonade
4 raspberries muddled *
I went a little overboard and used 8 – thus, the deep raspberry color 🙂
Muddle 4 raspberries in a glass, add ice, cold lemonade and Smirnoff Sorbet Light.
Enjoy and Happy Summer !!
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post by Smirnoff Sorbet Light. Opinions expressed are all mine.
You are sure ringing in the almost official summer season well! Loving that raspberry lemonade!
Thank you, Lisa 🙂 The raspberry lemonade is the perfect pairing for summer parties!
Looks refreshing. Drink responsibly.
Hi Kevin – We always do. The lesser proof in the Sorbet Light is a good thing. I thought about saying “drink responsibly” in the close, but didn’t want to sound like a commercial.
Everything looks wonderful…Summer is here!
Thanks you, Norma! I don’t know a single person who isn’t happy when summer finally arrives 🙂
Gorgeous summer drinks!
Skinny, summery and beautiful, Priscilla.
Inspiring line up of summer drinks! Pinned, for future cocktail use 🙂
WOW! What a spread! Are you telling me you all of this and that your secret to staying so skinny??? Miss you, my friend!
wow those glasses are the most beautiful and summer-esque glasses ever, and passion tea is probably the perfect drink for them!
I love the glasses and I’m definitely going to make these summery libations.
Light Cocktails are the antithesis of Savory Cocktails. Not that I’d turn one down. GREG