Adobe Stock | Photo by fahrwasser
Toast to the unofficial end of summer—Labor Day weekend—with these delicious and refreshing cocktail recipes by Valley restaurants.
Take the hassle out of mixing individual cocktails at your Labor Day weekend party and try whipping up a pitcher of these crowd-pleasing punches instead. Here are some of our favorite big-batch cocktail and mocktail (alcohol-free) recipes made with blackberries, strawberries, kiwis, and other luscious summer fruit. Cheers to Labor Day weekend!
At EaseÂ
Zulu Time Rooftop Bar & Lounge at The Historic Thayer Hotel at West Point
Makes one pitcher or small punch bowl for 6
Ingredients:
16 oz Captain Morgan white rum
1 bunch fresh mint
1/4 cup lime juice
2 Tbsp sugar
32 oz soda water
Splash of cranberry for color
Method:
Mix Captain Morgan, soda water, and lime juice in a pitcher.
Muddle mint and sugar in glasses, then fill with ice.
Top with sparkling soda and Captain Morgan mixture.
Add a splash of cranberry juice in each glass for color.
Garish with mint and lime.
Party tip: give just two or three twists when muddling mint, otherwise it loses flavor.
Berry Valley Tonic
Ingredients:
2 oz Half Moon Orchard Gin
1 Tbsp local berry jam
4 oz Q tonic
Fresh mint leaves
Fresh lime (cut into wheel)
Method:
Put Half Moon and jam in shaker with ice and shake until all jam is mixed, then strain over fresh ice in Collins glass.
Top with tonic.
Garnish with mint sprig and lime wheel.
Seasonal Strawberry Kiwi Margarita
Courtesy of BAJA 328, Beacon
Makes one pitcher for 4
Ingredients:
12 strawberries
12 kiwi slices
2 oz simple syrup
8 oz Espolon Reposado tequila
4 oz agave syrup
4 oz Dekuyper 03 orange liqueur
4 oz freshly squeezed lime juice
Method:
Muddle strawberries, kiwi slices, and simple syrup in a pitcher. Fill with ice.
Add tequila, agave, 03, and lime juice. Stir well.
Garnish with strawberry and kiwi slices.
For an extra pop, try adding 8 oz of Prosecco.
