June marks the start of the real summer season. A time for coming
together with friends and family to celebrate occasions and—more
importantly!—each other. June is also Pride month, the weeks set aside
each year for honoring and supporting the LGBT community.
This
summer, I’ve teamed up with Smirnoff to share some bright and creative
punch recipes to serve at all your summer festivities. This classic fave
has long been the perfect way to serve up cocktails for a thirsty
crowd, keeping everybody (including the host!) happy.
Pride
parties are some of the most colorful ones around, and it’s the perfect
occasion to have a little fun with your menu. Big bright salads, fruity
garnishes, and rainbows of colorful vegetables make it easy to create a
festive, but sophisticated spread.
One of my favorite ideas are these
little
Rainbow Veggie Dippers, which bring together different shades of
carrots, roasted sweet potatoes, squash and peppers into an an edible
pride flag (no food coloring necessary!).
And when it comes to cocktails, it doesn’t get any easier!
The
fresh colorful fruit and gorgeous herbs already have so much flavor
that you basically just have to add in your favorite Smirnoff and you’re
ready to enjoy!
For this
Strawberry Lemon Vodka Punch, I’m
keeping it simple and letting the true colors and flavor of gorgeous
summer strawberries and bright tart lemons shine through.
The fun
trick here involves pureeing whole lemons along with your strawberries
to create the base for your drink. You take the seeds out, but use
everything else (yes…even the peel and pith!). Once pureed, it adds a
gorgeous hint of floral citrus that is both elegant and unexpected.
It’s
just the tiny little trick that takes a simple drink to the next level.
Whisked up with a bit more fresh lemon juice and Smirnoff 21, it’s the
perfect summer sip for your party.
To keep my drinks cool, I also
like freezing fresh whole strawberries in over-sized ice cubes. You just
need one or two per glass, and they do triple-duty of garnishing your
drink, keeping it cool, and not watering it down.
This month,
whether you’re planning your own event, or one to coincide with the many
parades and celebrations around the country, take a moment to enjoy a
sweet sip, and share a little #
Pride4Everybody.
For more fun summer cocktail recipes and ideas, follow Smirnoff on
Instagram and
Facebook, check out their fun party boards on
Pinterest.
This post was written by me as part of an ongoing sponsored collaboration with Smirnoff. All opinions and recipes are, of course, 100% my own. Please remember to always drink responsibly!
Strawberry Lemon Vodka Punch
Serves 12
Ingredients
2 1/2 pounds fresh strawberries, rinsed with leaves removed
2 large lemons
1 cup granulated sugar (increase to 1 1/2 cups if berries are more tart than sweet.)
1 cup fresh lemon juice
2 1/4 cups Smirnoff 21 vodka
6 cups lemon seltzer
Ice
Fresh mint, for garnish
Directions
Quarter
lemons and discard any seeds. Add to food processor (entire wedges,
including peel and pith). Add the strawberries, sugar and lemon juice,
and puree until smooth. (If you have a small blender, do this in
batches.)
Place a sieve over your punch bowl, and pour strawberry puree through sieve into bowl, discarding any solids that remain.
Stir in vodka, and chill at least four hours. Just before serving, add seltzer.
Serve punch over ice garnished with fresh mint.
