The Weekend Cheers: Skinny Beach Bum

This cocktail has been on solid rotation all summer, particularly at the beach a few weeks ago, hence the name of this drink. I loooove the Smirnoff Sorbet Light Pineapple Coconut Vodka! Have you tried it yet? If not, RUN to the liquor store around the corner and pick up a bottle for the weekend. It's also low-cal...awesome!! To make the shredded coconut stick to the side of the glass, simply dip the rim in a little honey and you've got a delicious garnish. Cheers to the weekend fellow peaches! Hope it's a good one.

*****Skinny Beach Bum*****

// Ingredients //

1.5 oz. Smirnoff Sorbet Light Pineapple Coconut Vodka
2 oz. Grapefruit Juice
Shredded sweetened coconut, honey and a pineapple wedge for garnish

// Instructions //

Combine vodka and juice over ice. Garnish and serve!

*photo and styling by Amy Mikkelsen

Skinny Pineapple Cocktail on Society Social

Did you see this skinny pineapple cocktail I mixed up for Society Social? Spring is officially here and I'm putting the finishing touches on my Home Depot Style Challenge. With the boys home for spring break, I'm really having to manage my time wisely. I'm looking forward to a relaxing this weekend and kicking my feet up under the porch fan with one of these lovely drinks. Grab the recipe at Society Social which includes detailed instructions on how to make those gorgeous dried pineapple flowers for the perfect spring garnish!

Weekend Cheers: Crown and Apple Ginger

This is one of my absolute favorite things to sip when the temperatures begin to drop. The Crown and ginger is a pretty simple cocktail so I couldn't resist adding a little something extra to celebrate apple season. I simply froze some apple nectar (you could also use apple juice or cider) and added these frozen goodies to my classic Crown and ginger for a little taste of fall. Cheers to the weekend!

// Ingredients //

1 oz. Crown Royal Canadian whiskey
2 oz. ginger ale
garnish with frozen apple ice cubes

// Instructions //

Fill a rocks glass with ice. Add the Crown Royal. Top with ginger ale and garnish with apple ice cubes.

Weekend Cheers: Champagne Royale

Happy weekend fellow peaches! Who's celebrating with me?  I've got an elegant and easy cocktail for you today that will carry through all your summer soirees.  This champagne royale cocktail was inspired by William and Kate's fast approaching due date which I believe is mid July.  The sex of the baby has yet to be officially revealed but no doubt about it that this little royal arrival will be the talk of the summer.  Want to throw your own little royal baby shower?  Scroll down for the recipe!

***** Champagne Royale *****

(serves 6)

// Ingredients //

1 bottle Freixenet Negro Extra Dry Sparkling Wine (chilled)

6 oz. Chambord Black Raspberry Liquor

18-20 Fresh Raspberries

// Instructions //

Add 3 raspberries and 2 tbsp. of Chambord to the bottom of a champagne glass.  Gently muddle berries.  Then top with chilled Freixenet sparkling wine and serve! 

PS - How gorgeous is the black and gold bottle?!? Very royal in my opinion!

* I was not compensated for this post.  However, Freixenet kindly supplied me with an array of wines for the summer. Freixenet is a brand I already loved and all opinions are my own.  For more Freixenet recipes, click here!

* All images by Amy Mikkelsen for Your Southern Peach

Weekend Cheers: Azalea Cocktail and Free Printable

Earlier this week, I posted some fun links in preparation for the Masters golf tournament.  It's kind of a big deal here in Georgia.  Admittedly, the post appeared a week early after a conversation with my husband went something like this:

Me:    "Honey, when is the Masters this year?"

Him:  "It's always the first full week of April."

Me:    "Okay, thanks." 

At that point I proceeded to put it on my blog calendar for this week.  However, that little part about "the first full week" just so happens to include Sunday.  Aghh, the details...they're exhausting, aren't they.  Nevertheless, I was a little relieved to have some more time to work on my Masters posts because I do have some great ones to share!  Like this Azalea cocktail.  Isn't it pretty?  

My lovely friend Anne, of Anne Hitchins designs, has offered these Masters cocktail flags as a free printable on her website. So if you're planning a party, you absolutely must go grab these now! I attached mine to simple bamboo skewers that I picked up at my local grocery store.  

*****Azalea Cocktail for a Masters Party *****
(serves 1)

// Ingredients //

2 parts gin
1 parts lime or lemon juice
1 parts pineapple juice
splash of grenadine

// Instructions //

In a cocktail shaker, combine ingredients. Pour over ice into a small mason jar because we are in Georgia y'all!  Garnish with Masters cocktail flags from Anne Hitchins.

You can find all my Masters party food here, including my favorite pimento cheese recipe!

Movie and a Cocktail

It's that time again!  Does anyone else live for Fridays like I do?  I gotta tell you I couldn't have planned this series at a better time.  As much as I miss doing my cocktail photography for my Friday posts, there is no way I'd be able to do any taste testing right now.  Looking forward to another doctors appointment today to knock this mess out of me.  In the meantime, I'm daydreaming of lots of fun cocktails to roll out in March.  I've never seen this movie but it's definitely on my list to watch.  As a new Netflix customer, I'm doing some damage in the world of cinema.  Thoughts, feedback on this flick?  I always love a good classic.

Enjoy your weekend!

* cocktail image credit

Movie and a Cocktail

This week threw me for a doozy and I am so, so happy the weekend is here.  Today's post was inspired by Fat Tuesdays arrival next week.  Unfortunately, I'll have to take a rain check on this hurricane cocktail because I'm battling a little head cold.  Blah!  Our weekend is filled with kiddie birthday parties and a date night on Saturday. Hoping to be on the mend by then!  As much as I "dream" of Sunday being filled with rest and relaxation, it will most likely be filled with practicing addition and subtraction with Luke.  Have you ever tried to teach a six year old math?  Not easy my friends.  Luckily, counting Legos seems to working.

Cheers to the weekend!  Hope yours is fabulous.

*cocktail photo credit

Weekend Cheers: Citrus Sangria

Pop, Clink, Fizz! It's the weekend and I've got a sparkling citrus sangria for you to try.  As some of you may know, I have a slight love for grapefruit.  I think it's safe to say it's my favorite fruit and I'm confident that grapefruit season keeps my winter blues away!

This weekend will be pretty low key for us which I don't mind one bit.  It's been raining all week so I'm looking forward to some sunshine and getting more work done in the garden.  I need to mulch the flower beds and throw in a few lingering tulip bulbs that never got planted this fall. (Oops!)  I also got some new window treatments for our living room so I plan on throwing a few winks at Daniel tonight in hopes that he'll help me hang them tomorrow.

Hope you enjoy your weekend too!

***** Citrus Sangria ****************************************************************

// Ingredients //

2 cups Riesling wine
2 cups grapefruit juice
1/2 cup orange liquor
2 cups champagne
Fresh citrus slices such as lemons, oranges, grapefruit, clementine
Fresh mint for garnish

// Instructions //

1.  Mix Riesling wine, grapefruit juice, orange liquor and citrus slices.  Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

2.  At time of service, mix in champagne and stir.  Pour sangria and garnish with fresh citrus slice and a sprig of mint.


*photos by Amy Mikkelsen

Weekend Cheers: Pumpkin Cocktail

pumpkin cocktail via

Cheers, it's the weekend! What are you doing this fabulous fall weekend?  Our agenda includes...

a sleepover with Grandma
watching It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
caramel popcorn
a pee wee football game
a quick and easy pumpkin cocktail (once the kids are asleep, of course!)
wearing my new striped tee (on sale!)

Hope yours is a good one too!

The Weekend Cheers!

Cheers to the weekend!  There's so much to be happy about today.  Yesterday I was featured on Annette Joseph's blog which was exciting for me.  I've followed her work for a few years now so it was an honor for me to be featured in her "Cocktail of the Week" series.  I mixed up this elegant limoncello-gin cocktail that's perfect for this transitional season.

Annette is a photo stylist/producer for many magazines like Southern Living, Better Homes and Gardens, This Old House and DIY Magazine.  She's also a regular contributor to The Today Show and Better Mornings.  Kind of a dream job, right?  It's always fun to cross paths (even if it is just via social media) with someone who's work you admire.  I hope you'll click over and check out her fascinating portfolio.

Also, we're headed down to the Gulf today in hopes of a few more days of summer fun.  I really feel the need to unplug and recharge a bit right now but don't worry, I have some fun posts scheduled to keep the blog alive while I'm gone.  

Wishing you a perfect weekend.

Clementine Rosemary Cocktail

Last weekend I had an abundance of clementines and rosemary.  I really didn't have a plan for dinner so I juiced the clementines and poured half of it over some wild salmon with a few sprigs of rosemary.  While it was marinating, I mixed up the following cocktail.  Perfect for a hot Friday evening!

Clementine Rosemary Cocktail

1 oz. vodka

1/2 oz. brandy

2 oz. fresh clementine juice

1 tsp. lemon juice

1 sprig of rosemary for garnish

Enjoy your weekend fellow peaches!

The Weekend Cheers!

Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles

Hope y'all have a very spirited weekend.  Ours is gonna be a low key one, which is just the way I like it.  Cheers fellow peaches!

Strawberry Lemonade Smash

As I was leaving the yoga studio last night around 8:30, the sun was still shining and I couldn't help but think that long summer nights were meant to be savored with a cocktail in hand.  I created the strawberry lemonade smash with summer in mind and shared it over at Society Social earlier this week.  It's goooood.  Yummy, warm summer night good!  Swing by for the recipe and start sipping just in time for the weekend!  

Your Southern Peach,

Amy

Cherry Lime Mojito

How was your holiday fellow peaches?  We spent the weekend swimming with friends and just hanging at the house.  I did find time to mix up this tasty cocktail which was much needed considering the thermometer surpassed the 90 degree mark.

I used frozen pitted cherries and fresh mint from the garden to give this cocktail a vibrant and suitable color for a Memorial Day celebration.   Wouldn't this be pretty on fourth of July too?

Cherry Mint Mojito: serves 4

Ingredients:

1 cup frozen pitted cherries

1 (10 oz.) can frozen Bacardi Mojito mixer

1 cup rum

1/2 cup club soda

1 cup ice

6 mint leaves

Return of the Cocktail Hour

My friends, I'm gonna talk about something that is near and dear to me and that is cocktail hour.  I'm not talking about having a drink, I'm referring to the classic, and oh so fabulous, cocktail hour.  

A few years ago I read this, saved the article for future reference and here we are today.

What sparked me to pull this article out of my memory bank you ask?  Well, it's the launch of a great new website or "Magalog" called Society Social.  What is a "Magalog" you ask?  Think of it as an online magazine that functions as a catalog, allowing you to shop 'til you drop.  (Or until your laptop battery dies.)

Now that we have all that clear, let me show you what has me daydreaming of the cocktail hours of yesteryear.

These beauties are now for sale (and affordable) via Society Social....love, love, love to the nth degree. I need a bar cart in my life.  

via

 As well as this one...

via

And this fun (and customizable) one...

via

And here's a few more random bar cart images that I just couldn't resist sharing with ya'll.  

via

via

via

And if you're not a huge fan of an hour devoted to devilish libations, a bar cart serves as a glamorous backdrop to tea and lemonade as well.

via

Of course, my cocktail hour wouldn't be complete without this playing in the background.

Perfect Bloody Mary: Zing Zang

I love a good bloody mary.  Just the thought of it makes me weak in the knees.  I'll even settle for the virgin variety for an afternoon pick me up.  Want to know another random fact about me?  I always order a bloody mary when flying.  Sometimes with a side of vodka, sometimes not, but always with extra ice.

Bloody Mary's are kinda like grits.  Everyone likes theirs a certain way.  I like mine with a blend of additional spices and a variety of green garnishes and my husband likes his with a dab of horseradish.  I've yet to find a mix that didn't need a little something extra added.  Until now.  

My friends, I introduce you to Zing Zang bloody mary mix.  It is perfect.  Perfect in every sense of the word.  It needs nothing extra.  The celery and peppers in this photo are for aesthetic purposes only.  If you love this savory cocktail and have yet to try this mixer, you must get some Zing Zang in your life.  No, I am not getting paid to say this.  It is just that good.  

Cheers!