December 16, 20163 Comments

DIY: Christmas Morning Mimosa Bar

I love to decorate my bar cart for the holidays! In the midst of moving and not having my it with me for a couple months, I haven’t gotten to decorate it since Valentine’s Day! I’m glad to finally get the chance again, since Christmas is my number one favorite holiday, hands down. I love that everything is so much more sparkly and cheerful this time of year, and I definitely tried to bring that vibe to my cart with this mimosa bar.

Christmas Morning Mimosa Bar Cart | Alexandra Adams

Christmas Morning Mimosa Bar Cart | Alexandra Adams

My younger sister turned 21 this year, so it’s the first time all the members of my family will be able to drink over the holidays. And there’s no better way to celebrate than with a mimosa bar on Christmas morning! I suppose technically it’s a champagne cocktail bar, since a mimosa is traditionally made with orange juice, but the sentiment is the same. Orange juice, peach nectar, and cranberry juice poured into pretty carafes helps to dress up the overall feel and add consistency to the spread. Make sure you have a couple bottles of champagne so there's enough to go around!

Christmas Morning Mimosa Bar Cart | Alexandra Adams

Christmas Morning Mimosa Bar Cart | Alexandra Adams

I’ve been adding pink into my Christmas decor for the past several years now, so it made sense to bring that theme to my bar cart as well. I wrapped gold and silver tinsel around three sides of the top bar, and strung some small ornaments from the front. The ‘cheers’ balloons provide a great backdrop, and can even be left up year round - or at least through New Year’s Eve! I also had these pink glittery cone trees from a few years ago, and they fit perfectly underneath. I added a few bottles that fit my color scheme on the bottom and displayed the leftover ornaments in a bowl to add some more color. Obviously, you can play around with the display and customize it to fit your own holiday decor!

Christmas Morning Mimosa Bar Cart | Alexandra Adams

If you’re hosting extended family for the holidays this year, try adding a mimosa bar to your breakfast spread!

SHOP THIS POST:

!function(doc,s,id){ var e, p, cb; if(!doc.getElementById(id)) { e = doc.createElement(s); e.id = id; cb = new Date().getTime().toString(); p = '//shopsensewidget.shopstyle.com/widget-script.js?cb=1481554716145?cb=' + cb; e.src = p; doc.body.appendChild(e); } if(typeof window.ss_shopsense === 'object'){ if(doc.readyState === 'complete'){ window.ss_shopsense.init(); } } }(document, 'script', 'shopsensewidget-script');

Tell me about some of your favorite Christmas morning traditions in the comments!

Christmas Morning Mimosa Bar Cart | Alexandra Adams

Christmas Morning Mimosa Bar Cart | Alexandra Adams

Christmas Morning Mimosa Bar Cart | Alexandra Adams

Christmas Morning Mimosa Bar Cart | Alexandra Adams

May 21, 2016No Comments

Strawberry Lemonade Daiquiri

I'm always glad when spring and summer bring around the tropical drinks. Fruity cocktails are always good, but especially so when the sun is bright and the skies are blue. Unfortunately, we've had several solid weeks of rain recently, so it hasn't been warm at all. I've decided to ignore that fact and pretend that it's summer already (while staying indoors) with this strawberry lemonade daiquiri.

The strawberry lemonade adds an interesting twist to the daiquiri, combining a more traditional strawberry flavor with the twist of lemon. I just used a Country Time mix for the strawberry lemonade. You can make just a cup at a time, or make a full pitcher and use what you need for your cocktail. Close your eyes while you're sipping this, and you can imagine that you're on a beach somewhere sunny. At least, that's what I'll be doing with this one.

daiquirititle

daiquiri3

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup strawberry lemonade
  • 1 oz silver rum
  • handful of frozen strawberries
  • ice
  • fresh strawberry and lemon

To Make:

  • In a blender, combine strawberry lemonade, rum, strawberries, and ice.
  • Blend until it reaches a smooth slushy consistency and there are no more big ice pieces.
  • Garnish with a strawberry and lemon slice. And don't forget a straw!

daiquiri5

daiquiri4

You can also switch up the flavors in this daiquiri if you're not into strawberry lemonade, by using other juices or mixes. If you have paper umbrellas, they would be perfect to add to these drinks!

What are your favorite cocktails for the summer?

Check out past Happy Hour posts here!

daiquiri2

May 13, 2016No Comments

French 75 Champagne Cocktail

The weather has been super gray and rainy for the past three weeks, so I definitely needed something light and bright for this week's happy hour. Enter the French 75! This is one of my all time favorite cocktails. I could honestly drink one every day of my life. This cocktail uses two of my favorite things–gin and champagne. The flavors of these combined with the citrus from the lemon is just amazing. I dare you to drink just one.

When purchasing the ingredients for our Mother's Day mimosas, I found these small champagne bottles that were too cute to buy just one of. I still had a couple left, so I already had everything for today's happy hour–it was just meant to be.

French 75 Champagne Cocktail | Alexandra Adams

French 75 Champagne Cocktail | Alexandra Adams

Ingredients:

  • 1 oz gin
  • 3/4 oz lemon juice
  • 3/4 oz simple syrup (recipe below)
  • champagne

To Make:

For the simple syrup:

  • Combine equal parts sugar and water in a small saucepan. I used 1 cup of each and had a ton leftover–it also makes a great sweetener for coffee, tea, or any other drinks you might like!
  • Bring it to a boil and simmer until all the sugar is dissolved. Allow to cool.

For the cocktail:

  • Combine the gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup in a shaker filled with ice and shake vigorously.
  • Strain into a champagne flute and fill it the rest of the way with champagne.
  • Garnish with a lemon twist–and a blackberry, if you wish!

French 75 Champagne Cocktail | Alexandra Adams

French 75 Champagne Cocktail | Alexandra Adams

The best thing about this cocktail is that it's stupidly easy. You can make these quickly and with very little effort, and you'll still feel fancy holding your champagne flute. This is the perfect cocktail for celebrating, because it dresses up a normal glass of champagne without being too difficult. Cheers!

French 75 Champagne Cocktail | Alexandra Adams

French 75 Champagne Cocktail | Alexandra Adams

What will you toast to with a French 75?

April 29, 2016No Comments

How to Make the Perfect Classic Margarita

I love me a good, classic margarita. It's actually the first drink I had on my 21st birthday! While I personally love many different kinds of cocktails, I definitely come by this one honestly. My mom only ever drinks two things: tequila and champagne. They're complete opposites, so if it's not one kind of celebration, it's got to be the other! So margaritas are one of our favorite things to enjoy together. And since the weather is getting warmer and Cinco de Mayo is right around the corner, this week's Happy Hour is all about that salted rim.

How to Make the Perfect Classic Margarita | A classic lime margarita is a staple in everyone's recipe book. And they're just in time for your Cinco de Mayo celebration!

This recipe is about as foolproof as it gets–just three ingredients! It's easy to put together a pitcher for a last minute get together, or even if you're just having a friend over for a drink in the summertime. And since I prefer my margaritas on the rocks, you don't even need a blender. Alright, enough chit chat. Grab some limes and let's get started!

How to Make the Perfect Classic Margarita | A classic lime margarita is a staple in everyone's recipe book. And they're just in time for your Cinco de Mayo celebration!
INGREDIENTS (MAKES 1)
  • 1.5 oz silver or blanco tequila
  • 1 oz freshly squeezed lime juice
  • .5 oz Cointreau (not triple sec)
  • ice
  • salt for the rim
DIRECTIONS
  • Use the lime rind to wet your glass rim and coat in salt.
  • Add all ingredients to your glass filled with ice and stir a few times until chilled.
  • Garnish with a lime slice or wedge and serve immediately.

How to Make the Perfect Classic Margarita | A classic lime margarita is a staple in everyone's recipe book. And they're just in time for your Cinco de Mayo celebration!

How to Make the Perfect Classic Margarita | A classic lime margarita is a staple in everyone's recipe book. And they're just in time for your Cinco de Mayo celebration!

Classic margaritas are the perfect recipe to have in your back pocket. They're simple, refreshing, and I don't know very many people who don't like them, so they make a great party drink!

How to Make the Perfect Classic Margarita | A classic lime margarita is a staple in everyone's recipe book. And they're just in time for your Cinco de Mayo celebration!

I love my margaritas to have a heavily salted rim. It really helps balance out the flavors for me. But if you prefer it without the salt (or even with a sugared rim!), feel free to do what you like best.

How to Make the Perfect Classic Margarita | A classic lime margarita is a staple in everyone's recipe book. And they're just in time for your Cinco de Mayo celebration!

How to Make the Perfect Classic Margarita | A classic lime margarita is a staple in everyone's recipe book. And they're just in time for your Cinco de Mayo celebration!

Do you prefer your classic margaritas frozen or on the rocks?

How to Make the Perfect Classic Margarita | A classic lime margarita is a staple in everyone's recipe book. And they're just in time for your Cinco de Mayo celebration!

March 7, 20162 Comments

Pot O’ Gold Cocktail

Happy St. Patrick's Day! This isn't a holiday I usually go all out for, but any holiday that includes drinks is one I'll happily celebrate. I'm not a huge fan of beer, however, so I made this drink so I can happily participate in the spirit of the holiday too! This cocktail is inspired by a leprechaun's pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. I love the rainbow sugar rim; it adds such a festive touch to the whole thing.

Pot O' Gold Cocktail | Alexandra Adams

Ingredients:

  • 3/4 oz Goldschlager
  • 1/3 oz butterscotch schnapps
  • apple juice
  • colored sugar
  • edible gold stars

To Make:

  • Dip the rim of your glass in corn syrup and then in the colored sugar.
  • Pour the Goldschlager and butterscotch schnapps in a chilled martini glass.
  • Top with apple juice and stir.

Pot O' Gold Cocktail | Alexandra Adams

I used paper plates to rim my glasses–one for a circle of corn syrup, and the other for all the colored sugar. You can use a bowl, but I found paper plates to be the perfect size for my glasses and their flatness helped coat them evenly all the way around.

Pot O' Gold Cocktail | Alexandra Adams

Pot O' Gold Cocktail | Alexandra Adams

Pot O' Gold Cocktail | Alexandra Adams

You can use any cinnamon schnapps you like–I chose Goldschlager because of the gold flakes in it. However, when you only use 3/4 oz you don't get enough gold for my taste, so I added some edible gold stars on the top too. Add them just before serving, so they don't completely dissolve before anyone gets to see them!

Pot O' Gold Cocktail | Alexandra Adams

Pot O' Gold Cocktail | Alexandra Adams

Pot O' Gold Cocktail | Alexandra Adams

How do you celebrate St. Patrick's Day?

Pot O' Gold Cocktail | Alexandra Adams

AA_footerlogo

© 2024 Alexandra Adams