vodka - Girl & Tonic

Spiked Cherry Limeade | An Easy 3 Ingredient Cocktail

by corrie.pennington / August 25, 2020

This spiked cherry limeade recipe is almost too easy. If you can stir a drink, you can make this cocktail. You might even have the 3 ingredients on hand already.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. If you buy a product via my affiliate link, I will receive a commission. This is at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I actually like!

I’ve been meaning to share this cocktail recipe for months now. Since I started up this blog, actually. It’s been a go-to of mine for over a year now. It’s definitely more of a summery drink, in my opinion. So I decided I would wait until May to post it. The months ticked by sooo slowly (thanks, pandemic).

But then BOOM summer was here and I got distracted by posting classic summer drinks like Piña Coladas and Mai Tais and Jungle Birds. This spiked cherry limeade recipe faded from memory.

One day I posted a quiz on an Instagram story, asking people what they thought my most popular recipe was. It was (and still is) my Cucumber Basil Refresher but nearly evvverryone clicked “Cherry Limeade Margarita“. Huh. That got my attention. Clearly people are fans of this flavor… OH MY GOSH I NEVER POSTED THE SPIKED CHERRY LIMEADE RECIPE I’VE BEEN WAITING MONTHS TO POST! Buhh what have I been doing with my life?!

Okay, that’s a tad dramatic but really. I was shocked to realized I’d never posted this recipe. So naturally I let several more weeks pass by until I’m finally sitting down to type it out now.

It’s honestly so easy that it feels a little silly to type out. Once you see it, you’ll think “Wow, why did I never think of that?”

Those are actually the same words that I said when my friend shared this recipe with me. It’s a brilliantly simple idea:

cherry limeade drink mix + liquor + Sprite = spiked cherry limeade

You can use this formula to make any manner of fruity boozy beverage– just change up your drink mix. Cherry limeade is an obvious winner, but I’ve done this with a cucumber melon drink mix, a watermelon drink mix, and several others. The options are almost limitless.

I like using the True Lime brand of drink mixes (you can find their black cherry limeade one here) because they don’t use artificial flavors, colors, or sweeteners and their ingredients are also non-GMO. But I definitely have the Walmart brand ones in my pantry, too.

As for the liquor to use, take your pick of your favorite clear booze. Vodka is always a good choice because it melds nicely with all flavors. Tequila is great, too, especially if you’re gonna use a citrus-flavored drink mix. Rum’s a pretty safe bet. Gin can get tricky because some gins have a strong juniper taste that might not blend smoothly with some drink mix flavors. But you do you.

You can also use sparkling water in place of the Sprite if you’re looking to cut down on sugar and calories. I’ve found that Spindrift has the strongest lime flavor out of all the lime sparkling waters. It’s my fav and would be amazing in a spiked cherry limeade.

So. Go check your pantry for a drink mix. Pair it with your favorite clear liquor. Pour in something bubbly. Now you’ve got yourself an easy 3 ingredient boozy bev.

If you’re looking for another super easy (I’m talkin’ TWO ingredients) cocktail, check out my Blood Orange Tequila Fizz. I also have a whole post with 17 cocktail recipes that call for 4 ingredients or less. It’s one of my most popular blog posts, and for good reason. 17 cocktail recipes that truly anyone can whip up.

Ingredients for a Spiked Cherry Limeade

1 packet of cherry limeade drink mix powder (I love this one)
1 1/2 – 2 oz preferred clear liquor (I usually opt for vodka)
4+ oz Sprite

How to Make a Spiked Cherry Limeade

Add ice to a highball or Collins glass. Pour in the drink mix powder, your preferred liquor, and Sprite. Stir until the drink mix is dissolved. Garnish with a lime wheel and a fun paper straw.

Spiked Cherry Limeade

A 3 ingredient recipe that's simple, refreshing, and easy to modify.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 2 mins

Course Drinks

Servings 1

Ingredients

1 packet cherry limeade drink mix powder
1½-2 oz preferred clear liquor (I like vodka & tequila with this)
4+ oz Sprite*

Instructions

Add ice to a highball or Collins glass.
Pour in half the drink mix powder, your preferred liquor, and Sprite.
Stir until the drink mix is dissolved.
Garnish with a lime wheel and a fun paper straw.

Notes

*You can use unsweetened lime sparkling water if you’re wanting to save calories and watch your sugar intake.

Keyword cherry limeade, gin, rum, Sprite, tequila, vodka

mocktail

Rowdy Mother | A Refreshing Cocktail or Mocktail Made with a Raspberry Shrub

by corrie.pennington / August 15, 2020

The Rowdy Mother is a rejuvenating and healthy cocktail or mocktail made with a raspberry shrub. It's a drink with a bite, thanks to the red wine vinegar in the raspberry shrub; and yet, it's refreshing, too, thanks to the fresh raspberries and sparkling raspberry water.

The Rowdy Mother is a rejuvenating drink made with a raspberry shrub. It can be made as a cocktail by adding booze or kept alcohol-free by leaving it out. It’s a drink with a bite, thanks to the red wine vinegar in the raspberry shrub; and yet, it’s refreshing, too, thanks to the fresh raspberries and sparkling raspberry water.

Have you ever heard of a shrub before? And no, I’m not talking about the shabby little bushes you should’ve pulled outta your overgrown flower bed three years ago. I’m talking about the shrubs used in drinks.

Shrubs have been around for millennia but the term has only recently resurfaced in the cocktail world, thanks to the resurgence of craft cocktails. A shrub is a non-alcoholic syrup made from vinegar, sugar, and fruit, and sometimes other spices or aromatics.

They can be used in cocktail recipes, alcohol-free drinks, or drunk on their own. They’re an easy way to impart a lot of bite and flavor to a drink with little effort.

Shrubs have long been dubbed as restorative drinks. If you’ve got a few spare minutes, I highly suggest you check out The Ultimate History Project’s article about the history of shrubs and switchels (a fruit-less shrub) in America.

Today, shrubs do provide health benefits. Vinegar is known for its ability to support good digestion and immune health. It also has antimicrobial and antioxidant properties and can lower blood sugar levels. However, not all shrubs are created equal. Some contain “the mother”, or the colony of good bacteria, which means even more of the health benefits are delivered to you.

Other Mother Vinegar is one such shrub. Several weeks back, my husband and I took a socially-distanced vacation to our favorite spot– Fredericksburg, Texas. One of the things we like to do if we’re there on a Thursday is check out their farmer’s market. Lisa from Other Mother was there and we got to chat for a second about her product. I had been wanting to try shrubs in cocktail recipes for a while and OM’s shot-sized bottles would make it easy. I bought the ginger and honey shrub and Lisa was kind enough to throw in raspberry shrub, too, and boy am I glad she did!

Other Mother Vinegar is unique amongst other shrub companies because they use red wine vinegar. This makes it taste smoother than shrubs with apple cider vinegar or white vinegar. OMV is also made using Texas wine, which is pretty cool seeing as how I’m a Texan and all. You can read more about Other Mother Vinegar here.

(By the way, this is not a sponsored post. I just love spreading the word about local businesses!)

If you’re looking to up your cocktail or mocktail game, consider buying some shrubs or even making your own. Here’s a recipe my friend Mark sent me. He’s a great mixologist & a good (Insta) friend, too!

Strawberry-Rhubarb Shrub

– 6 oz. rhubarb, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
– 2 oz. fresh strawberries, cut into quarters
– 8 oz sugar
– 8 oz white vinegar

Add all ingredients to a small saucepan and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rhubarb has completely broken down. Take off heat and pour through a fine-mesh strainer. Let the strained shrub cool before storing it. It can be refrigerated for 3-5 days.

Now on to today’s recipe. The Rowdy Mother recipe is a perfect way to enjoy a shrub. It’s easy, fresh, and can be made boozy or kept clean. Your choice. You can certainly sub the raspberry shrub for whatever flavor you have on hand, but if you can find it (or make your own using Mark’s recipe) I think tart raspberry pairs beautifully with the acidic vinegar.

I’ve also gotta point at that the Rowdy Mother is not named after my mom. (Unlike my other vinegar-based drink, Mother’s Garden!) The Mother part comes from the fact that Other Mother Vinegar shrubs contain “the mother”. Although… my mom can be kinda rowdy sometimes. But those are stories for future posts. (JK, mom.)

If you make the Rowdy Mother, be sure to tag me on Instagram!

Ingredients for the Rowdy Mother

1 1/2 oz vodka or gin (optional)
1 oz raspberry shrub
3 raspberries
1/4 oz lemon juice
1-3 oz raspberry sparkling water (I used La Croix’s cran-raspberry flavor)

How to Make a Rowdy Mother – A Healthy Cocktail or Mocktail with Raspberry Shrub

Add alcohol (optional), raspberry shrub, raspberries, and lemon juice to a cocktail shaker. Gently (very gently!) muddle the raspberries with a muddler or the back of a spoon. Double-strain* over a lowball glass filled with ice. Top off the glass with the sparkling water.

*Hold a fine mesh strainer over the glass while you pour. This will catch any raspberry seeds and flesh from getting in your glass. Totally an optional step.

Rowdy Mother

A revitalizing cocktail or mocktail made with fresh raspberries, raspberry shrub, and sparkling raspberry water.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 3 mins

Course Drinks

Servings 1