Patriotic Cocktails
Happy Friday of Memorial Day Weekend! We LOVE a themed cocktail here at Lets Wine About It Sister. So, to kick off the holiday weekend, Mallory and I taste tested two different red, white and blue cocktails. – the Americano and Strawberry Tequila Soda. We highly recommend you try one of our patriotic cocktails at your Memorial Day BBQ this weekend.
Aptly named the Americano, it is believed this cocktail was first served in a bar in Milan, Italy during the 1860s. The name stems from its popularity among American tourists especially during the Prohibition era, when Americans absconded to Europe in droves, thirsty for good drinks. Whatever its origin, Memorial Day Weekend seemed like the perfect opportunity to try the Americano for the first time!
The Americano
- 1-ounce Strawberry Infused Campari
- 2-ounces Rosso sweet vermouth
- Sparkling water or club soda to taste
- Ice
- Frozen blueberries
To make the infused Campari, slice some strawberries, put them in a jar and pour a 1/2 cup of Campari over the berries and let it soak at least 12 hours. Sure, you can use plain Campari, but we found soaking the strawberries helped cut the aperitif’s natural bitterness. Once ready to make your Americano cocktail, to a highball glass, pour in the strawberry infused Campari and vermouth. Fill with ice cubes. Then add sparkling water or club soda to taste and top with frozen blueberries. Stir before indulging but not before you have thoroughly appreciated (and photographed) your red, white and blue striped cocktail. Or, skip the blueberries, and serve the Americano traditional-style garnished with an orange or lemon slice or twist.
Strawberry Tequila Soda
Mallory and I have been wanting to try Sugar and Charm‘s Strawberry Tequila Soda for quite some time. Strawberry and tequila….yum! Memorial Day Weekend created the perfect opportunity with the addition of some blueberries for the “blue” in our patriotic cocktails. We tried substituting sparkling water but highly recommend you stick with the tonic. Make sure to check at @sugarandcharm for other great cocktail ideas!
- 3 ripe strawberries (tops removed)
- Tonic water
- Juice from 1/2 of a large lime
- 1-ounce tequila
- Frozen blueberries
To an old fashioned cocktail glass, add your strawberries and muddle. Add in the tequila and lime juice. Top with ice cubes and tonic water to taste and stir. For the “blue” this holiday, add in a few frozen blueberries or, if you are really on top of your cocktail game, make blueberry ice cubes a head of time by add blueberries to your ice cube trays.
Recipe Credit: Sugar and Charm
Happy Memorial Day everyone! We truly honor all the military personnel who gave their lives while serving our country and raise our patriotic cocktails in appreciation. Cheers!
