We don’t know about you, but as soon as spring hits, we suddenly find that we have a lot more mail than usual. Mixed in with our bills and US Weekly magazine, there always seem to be a few pretty little envelopes with (annoyingly) perfect writing. You know those envelopes, right? Yes, we’re talking about the bridal shower and baby shower invitations.
If you’re receiving a lot of shower invitations, there’s a good chance you might be sending out a few as well. When your best friends get married or decide to procreate, it’s your unspoken duty to throw them showers. We can’t save you from having to make a diaper cake or haphazardly build a bridal bouquet made from bows and ribbon…but we can make sure you drink well. If you’re hosting a shower soon, here are a few drinks you can make to impress your guests:
Happily Ever After
The name of this cocktail – Happily Ever After – implies bridal shower, but this would definitely work for a baby shower as well – does anyone ever ask the name of the cocktail anyway?
- Combine the following ingredients with ice and stir: 1.25 oz. Frangelico, 1.25 oz. pomegranate liqueur, a dash of Auchentoshen scotch, and a splash of soda water.
- Strain into a chilled martini glass that you have rimmed with red sugar crystals (or whatever color you like best). Garnish with an edible flower petal.
Lavender Lemonade Cocktail
This cocktail is perfect because it’s a simple classic drink with a twist. Your guests will love the spiked lemonade and appreciate the surprising, fresh addition of the lavender. It would work really well for a baby shower because the lemonade is mixed separately from the alcohol, so the pregnant guest of honor could still enjoy the drink without feeling too left out.
- First, make lavender simple syrup. Place 2 cups of sugar, 6 stems of fresh lavender with flowers, and 1/2 cup of water on the stove over a small flame. Heat until all sugar is dissolved. Strain and cool thoroughly.
- In a large pitcher, add freshly squeezed juice of 6 lemons and 1 cup of the simply syrup.
- Fill pitcher with ice and water. Stir. You can adjust to taste by adding more lemon or syrup.
- In a high-ball glass, place 1 1/2 oz. of premium vodka and ice. Then fill with lemonade and garnish with a lavender sprig and a lemon wheel.
Cotton Candy Martini
We first saw these cotton candy martinis on an episode of TLC’s Four Weddings (don’t judge), and they are just really cool and easy. They’re like a magic trick and cocktail all rolled into one.
- In a martini shaker, add ice, 1 1/2 oz. Pinnacle Cotton Candy Vodka, 1/2 oz. X Rated Fusion Liquor, and 1 oz. cranberry juice. Shake well until chilled.
- Rim your martini glass in sugar or rub cotton candy around it.
- Take a heaping handful of cotton candy and place it in the martini glass. Then, slowly proud the content of the shaker directly over the cotton candy.
- The cotton candy immediately disappears and crystallizes at the bottom of the martini glass, so make sure you don’t pour the liquid over the cotton candy before your guests see. Consider putting out all the glasses fill with cotton candy and let them pour the alcohol on the cotton candy by themselves.
So if it’s your turn to host, make sure you make one of these cocktails to be the host with the most.