We Are What We Drink

By Kia Martinson-Wenzel

ESTOccasions

We all love a perfectly made cocktail, but the art of making homemade, fresh cocktails has almost disappeared. Today, most party-throwers stop by a supermarket, wine, or liquor store and pick up a mix. Sure, mixes have been a great time savers for the majority of us--and of course there are a few good ones out there that are made with 100% natural ingredients--but when you see high fructose corn syrup as a top ingredient, it's clear you aren’t having an authentic Cuban Mojito.

We think it's time to host a real cocktail party, with cocktails from scratch, using fresh, organic ingredients, which can even come from your own garden. Sound too time consuming? It's much easier than you think! And if you're really adventurous, you can turn your party into a learning experience for your guests and have them make the drinks along with you.

Spice things up with a Cuban Mojito

For this tasty cocktail, be sure the first frost is gone, and go plant yourself some organic mint. If you don’t have a garden, you can grow this fragrant herb in planters by your window. To make a Cuban Mojito, you will need mint, limes, club soda, good rum, and some organic cane sugar. Follow these directions for the Perfect Mojito.

Simple and quick Lemon Drops

They don't get much easier than this old time favorite. Just mix organic lemon juice, organic cane sugar, and some Square One Vodka. Like your cocktails sour and sweet? Margaritas, frozen or on the rocks, are made with organic lime juice, Triple Sec and Tequila. Sea salt along the rim makes a nice topper.

Stir it up with an organic Sangria

The weather is nice; consider making Sangria, with fresh local wines. Connecticut has plenty of vineyards to choose from, and the selection of organic wine companies is increasing. Companies like Organic Wine Company will ship their wines to you. Choose your favorite wine, and use fresh berries picked up from your local farmer’s, Steaz lemon lime soda and mix it up. This is a wonderful treat with any barbeque menu!

         

Fun decorating ideas

As a cute invite to the event, use your old left over, mismatched cocktail napkins, write the party information on them, and mail them. For decorations, place candles inside different sized and shaped cocktail glasses. Place colorful bowls and vases around the room that are filled with fresh lemons and limes to serve as festive decoration and to make the cocktails. Use cocktail shakers as vases and place flowers or mixing straws into them.

Don't have that much time? You can hire yourself a teaching bartender for the party. They will be able to show you the techniques needed to make a perfect cocktail.

Comments

[Sarah B]

Those cocktail ideas sound great! My husband and I host several parties a year and I am so excited about hosting another one now that I have new, fresh cocktail ideas. We sometimes get stuck in a rut with our beverage choices, but I think adding Mojitos during the summer will be a welcome change. It will be great to add some healthful drink choices to the menu for those of us who prefer fresher food and drinks. I have many times strayed away from those packaged drink mixes because of the amount of sugar they contain. I want to be healthful but also be able to have a delicious drink!
I also really like the idea of using my own organic herbs for the drinks. I have always wanted to grow my herb garden so I think now is the time to start.
I also like the decorating ideas. They will go well with my colorful decor.

[Heather]

I've gotten lots of great ideas from this too...so often we just serve beer and wine at our gatherings. And now that I've been going to GreenDrinks, I've fallen in love with organic beer and wine, so these fresh cocktail ideas will help a lot. I hope spring gets here soon so I can get my fingers digging in the garden!