Burgers , hotdogs and steaks…Oh MY! Yes, we are counting down to the Memorial Day Weekend which is only but a few hours away. Although the main attraction is the unbridled feast of smoked out goodness…we can’t help but look forward to the flowing fountains of drinks! Good draft beer usually never disappoints…but how about changing it up this weekend with a few new drink twists? Well… we’ve concocted a few weekend drink recipes that are sure to please those that want a lil sum’n-sum’n in their cup or for those weak at heart!
Red White and Blue Margherita

Ingredients

Strawberry
1 cup ice
1/2 cup fresh or frozen strawberries
3 ounces tequila
2 ounces lime juice
1 ounce Triple Sec or Cointreau
1/2 ounce simple syrup
Original
1 cup ice
3 ounces tequila
2 ounces lime juice
1 ounce Triple Sec or Cointreau
In a blender, blend together strawberry ingredients and place in freezer while blending all original ingredients. Pour half of the strawberry mixture into a glass and follow with half the original mix. Gently swirl with a straw or spoon. Top with frozen blueberries and a lime wedge.
Makes 2-3 frozen margaritas
Humido Cocktail

Ingredients
3 blackberries, 5 blueberries and 2 large wedges of limes
1 1/2 oz of Hum
1/2 oz of Rum (or Vodka)
1 tsp agave nectar
ginger beer
Garnish: 2 blackberries, 1 slight wedge of lime

Directions
In a bucket glass with some ice muddle the blackberries, blueberries and with limes. Pour into a cocktail shaker and add agave nectar, Hum and rum. Shake well and strain back into a bucket glass filled with ice. Top it off with ginger beer. Garnish with blackberries and lime.

Aqua Fresco (For the Faint)

Step One: Choose your flavors.
Try pairing a sweet fruit with a tart citrus. Or a mild veg with an herb.

 
Step Two: Choose your liquid.I like to use sparkling mineral water because I like my frescos fizzy. But still water works too. Just make sure it is chilled. You can also add a splash of something sweet. I like to add a splash of fresh orange juice or something fizzy like sparkling lemon, peach, apple or orange soda.

 
Step Three: Choose your sweetener.
I like agave syrup because it easily dissolves into the water – and acts as a simple syrup.
Step Four: Prep your fruit.
You will need a good amount of fruit per glass since this will be what flavors your water. Adding frozen fruit can be very helpful because as the frozen fruit melts into the water it easily saturates the water with flavor. (For instance, drop a fresh blueberry into water and not much will happen. But drop a frozen blueberry into water and it will turn blue!) Frozen fruit also chills your beverage nicely. Another trick is to gently mash some of your fresh fruit to release the flavor.
Step Five: Assembly.
Add your fruit, sweetener, water to your serving glass. Stir/mash briskly and allow to chill in the fridge until ready to serve.
Uncle Sam-Tini

What you’ll need: {makes 2 cocktails}
2 ounces Dekuyper’s Island Punch Pucker
2 ounces lemon vodka
1 ounce cointreau
1 teaspoon agave nectar
3 tablespoons sugar – OR enough to rim glasses
maraschino cherries – to garnish

What to do:
1. Place ice cubes into martini glasses. Transfer glasses to freezer to chill while you’re preparing drinks.
2. Into a cocktail shaker filled half way with ice cubes add: island punch pucker, vodka, cointreau, agave nectar. Place top onto shaker. Shake until chilled.
3. Place sugar onto a shallow dish. Remove glasses from freezer. Discard ice. Invert glasses, place into sugar dish and gently twist until you have created a sugar rim.
4. Strain mixture equally between two glasses. Garnish with cherries.

Check out these and other summer drink recipes at babble.com!