Author: syrup

It’s time to mix up a cocktail and raise your glass to spring! 

Here are a few of our favorite spring cocktail recipes with tequila: 

Cherry Blossom

The flowers are blooming, and what better way to celebrate than with a cherry blossom cocktail! 

Ingredients: 

• 1.25 oz INSÓLITO Reposado Tequila 
• 1 oz lime juice 
• 1 oz grapefruit juice 
• Salt for the rim 
• Grapefruit slice for garnish

Instructions:  

• Pour tequila, lime juice, and grapefruit juice into a shaker and shake well 
• Salt a cocktail glass and add ice 
• Strain the shaker mixture into the glass over ice 
• Garnish with a grapefruit slice and enjoy! 

Strawberry Paloma 

Take a twist on a traditional Paloma this spring by adding strawberries! 

Ingredients: 

• 2 oz Don Julio Reposado Tequila 
• 1 oz fresh lime juice
• 4 oz grapefruit soda
• 2-3 strawberries

Instructions:  

• Muddle the strawberries in a shaker with the lime juice
• Add tequila and ice to the shaker and shake well until chilled
• Strain into a highball glass over ice 
• Top with grapefruit soda and garnish with a strawberry

Rosé Margarita 

What’s better than rosé during the springtime? Try this delicious twist on a margarita this spring! 

Ingredients: 

• 1 oz INSÓLITO Blanco Tequila 

• 1 oz fresh lime juice
• 1.5 oz simple syrup 
• 4 oz House Wine Rosé Bubbles 
• Salt for rim 

Instructions:

• Combine tequila, lime juice, and simple syrup in a shaker with ice and shake vigorously 
• Salt the rim of a cocktail glass 
• Strain the mixture into the cocktail glass over ice and stir in rosé
• Add additional simply syrup depending on your sweetness preference

Making delicious cocktails and gardening can go hand in hand—if you’re growing the right things in your garden! Below we’ve laid out some gardening recommendations to make the best cocktails. 

Fruit

Fruit can be a great addition to almost any cocktail. Whether you’re muddling some berries in the bottom of a glass or adding a lime wedge or orange wheel to your rim, it can bring out some fantastic flavors in your drinks. 

Some fruit to consider growing in your cocktail garden:

• Oranges
• Strawberries
• Limes
• Lemons
• Blueberries 
• Raspberries 
• Blackberries 

Mint

Mint is great for many refreshing cocktails, the most obvious being a mojito. It’s easy to grow (it’ll take over your garden if you let it!), making it an extremely useful herb for cocktails. 

Some cocktails to consider sprucing up with mint:

• Mojitos (add some flavor to spice them up!)
• Mint Julep
• Cucumber Mint Gimlet
• Vodka Mint Lemonade 
• Bourbon Smash

Basil

Basil is another herb that can be added to many cocktails for some extra freshness and flavor. It’s relatively easy to grow in a garden or indoors, making it extremely accessible. 

Some cocktails to add basil to:

• Cucumber, Basil, and Lime Gimlet
• Gin Basil Smash
• Vodka Basil Smash
• Basil Margarita
• Strawberry Basil Cooler 

Dill

Dill is an interesting herb that is certainly an acquired taste, but it can add a fun flavor to plenty of cocktails, mainly gin and vodka cocktails. 

Some cocktails to consider garnishing with dill:

• Gin Fizz
• Martini (especially Cucumber Martini)
• Gin Collins
• Gin and Tonic 

Thyme

Thyme goes extremely well with bourbon cocktails. It adds a strong, unique flavor and aroma. It’s typically easy to grow in a garden, both indoors and out. 

Some cocktails to add it to:

• Apple Bourbon Smash
• Old Fashioned
• Whiskey Sour
• Gin and Tonic (especially with flavors like blackberry)
• Gimlet

Rosemary

Rosemary goes well with bourbon and gin, and is another fun way to add a unique flavor. Plus, it looks great as a garnish!

Try out one of these cocktails with rosemary: 

• Gin Fizz
• Bourbon Sour
• Gimlet
• Bramble
• Moscow Mule

Lavender

Lavender can add just enough of a floral flavor to any cocktail, whether you choose to use its oil or a few sprigs. You can also sprinkle some lavender flowers over the top of a cocktail for additional aesthetics. It typically goes well with lighter liquor like vodka or gin.

Add lavender to any of these cocktails: 

• Vodka Lemonade
• Gin and Tonic
• Martini
• Gin Sour
• Gin Spritz

Happy growing! Add any of these to your garden for some deliciously unique cocktails. Let us know what you make by tagging us on Facebook or Instagram! 

It’s grilling time! Here are the best drinks to pair with your cookout. Whether you’re the grill master or the cornhole master, the one doing all the work or the one doing all the relaxing, we’ve got something for you.

Beer for cookouts

Sierra Nevada Summer Break 

Emergency Drinking Beer

Harpoon Summer Vacation Variety Pack, including:

• Big League: an extra citrusy and surprisingly crushable hazy IPA.
• DragonWeisse: a new wave, tropically tart Berliner Weisse.
• Camp Wannamango: a tropical mango Pale Ale.
• Harpoon IPA: styled after an English IPA but brewed with distinctly American hops.

Wine for cookouts

Stella Rosa Slushies

Ingredients: 

1 bottle Stella Rosa Moscato, chilled

1 cup fresh watermelon slices

½ cup blueberries

3 oz. vodka or gin

1 tbsp. simple syrup

Fruit and mint leaves (for garnish)

Instructions: 

Add all ingredients into a blender; add ice as needed to get the consistency you desire. Blend until smooth. Pour the mixture into a tall glass, garnish with blueberries and mint, and drink up! 

Bota Box

Harken Chardonnay 

National Tequila Day is July 24, and we’re serving up some delicious tequila cocktails. Go beyond the margarita and try one of these fun tequila cocktails to celebrate. 

The Oldest Fashioned with Patrón Extra Añejo

Ingredients:

2 oz Patrón Extra Añejo

.25 oz vanilla simple syrup

2 dashes chocolate bitters

1 grapefruit peel

1 orange peel for garnish

Instructions: 

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass and stir with ice to chill.

Strain over large ice cubes in a double old fashioned glass.

Garnish with zest of an orange peel.

Recipe credits

Don Julio Paloma

Ingredients:

1.5 oz Don Julio Reposado Tequila

.5 oz fresh lime juice

1 oz fresh grapefruit juice

Instructions:

Combine Don Julio Reposado, fresh lime juice, and agave nectar into a cocktail shaker with ice.

Shake well and strain into a glass over ice.

Top cocktail off with grapefruit juice and soda water if desired.

Garnish with grapefruit peel or lime wedge.

Recipe credits

Altos Cactus Cooler Cocktail 

Ingredients:

1 part Olmeca Altos Tequila

1 part orange juice

½ part tangerine juice

½ part lime juice

1 ½ parts cranberry juice

½ oz triple sec

4 parts lemon-lime soda

Squeeze of tangerine juice

Tangerine slice, for garnish

Mint sprig, for garnish

Instructions:

Add ice, tequila, juices, and triple sec to a cocktail shaker and shake.

Pour into a tall glass, add the lemon-lime soda and garnishes.

Recipe credits

Grab your favorite tequila and get ready to celebrate National Tequila Day on July 24.