When I host parties I like to have a pitcher of a cocktail ready for guests. It is an easy way to save time since I am not mixing individual cocktails, and guests can serve themselves. At my most recent party I realized that I needed to make something that appeals to both men and women, since the Strawberry Peach Sparking Rose Sangria from the last party wasn’t exactly a hit with the men. Inspiration struck at dinner at Chicken Shop when my friend Maya ordered a Bourbon Lemonade and it occurred to me that it would be an easy cocktail to prepare, and that men would drink it. Plus, Charles and his friends love bourbon.
Preparing this cocktail is as simple as combining three ingredients and stirring (and adding a garnish if you want). I decided to add some club soda to the lemonade to give the cocktail some carbonation. I put my husband in charge of selecting a bourbon. Charles has a collection of bourbons, so at the start of the party a few of the guys did a tasting to determine which bourbon to add to the lemonade. Old Grand-Dad was the winner. The result was a delicate fizzy lemonade flavored with bourbon. It was light and summery, and just the cocktail to serve at a rooftop party.
Old Grand-Dad is a particularly strong bourbon, so we were conservative with the amount we added to the lemonade – which was probably a good thing since people drank it very quickly.
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Ingredients
- 1 bottle of Lemonade (1.75 Liters)
- 1 Liter of Club Soda
- 1 cup Bourbon (such as Old Grand-Dad)
- Mint and sliced Lemons for Garnish
Instructions
- Just mix everything together.
- Optional step: make some lemonade ice cubes (with just the lemonade) that you can add to the lemonade throughout the night to keep it cold.
(Yes, I made Charles model. Oh and the flowers in the top photo are Wave Petunias which are flourishing on our rooftop!)
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