When I was growing up, the Fourth of July was one of my favorite holidays. This was undoubtedly related to the fact that it fell close enough to my birthday that my family's celebrations usually included some kind of sheet cake confection with my name scrawled across it in blue icing. Now that I'm older, my tastes for sweet treats have become somewhat more refined. But my ardor for the Fourth of July hasn't tempered one bit.
Olivia Rae James of Everyday Musings has a similar yen for festive gatherings. She developed this cocktail with just enough sparkle to make it fit for a holiday devoted to fireworks—er, independence.
If you're still putting the finishing touches on your party plans for the Fourth, consider the Raspberry Sparkler; full recipe below.
Photos by Olivia Rae James for Gardenista.
Olivia's refreshing Raspberry Sparkler cocktail incorporates some of my very favorite ingredients: raspberries, lemons, limes, and mint—topped off with gin and the just ever-so-slightly sparkly addition of vinho verde.
Above: Farmers are just starting to send their raspberries to market in New York. So begins my favorite time of year.
Above: Olivia paired tart lemons and limes with sweet muddled raspberries.
Above: To cut the tartness of the drink, Olivia used honey to make the cocktail a little bit sweet but not insipidly so.
Above: Raspberries, mint, and honey get muddled with lemon and lime juice in a mortar and pestle (Olivia used a Porcelain Mortar and Pestle from William-Sonoma; $49.95).
Above: The recipe below makes enough for four; I'm tempted to make a whole pitcherful.
Raspberry Sparkler
(Makes Four Drinks)
- 1 pint fresh raspberries
- 1 lemon
- 1 lime
- 2 tablespoons honey
- Handful of fresh mint leaves
- 4 ounces gin
- 4 cups vinho verde
Muddle raspberries, lemon, lime, honey, and mint. Distribute mixture evenly among four glasses. Add an ounce of gin to each glass, and fill the glass the rest of the way with vinho verde and ice cubes. Best enjoyed when surrounded by friends, family, and an endless water view.
Looking for more garden inspired drink ideas? Here are a few more of our favorites.
Don't you think this cocktail would be perfect for one of these Summer Drink Dispensers?
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