Most of you are enjoying a much needed half day today, even with the looming weather outside (but the rain is a tradition now, right?). Lots of prepping for a fun filled Midsommarafton tomorrow, which definitely includes making your way to Systembolaget to get plenty of drinks to last you through the day and night. The usual will be on the drink list – an array of snaps, some local Swedish brewed beer, and some boxed wine.
But this year we dare you to switch things up. If you have added or might consider adding vodka, gin, or rum to the list we got the perfect cocktails to make this Midsommar more enjoyable than any before it!
1. The Healthier Magic Mojito
Mojitos are the staple summer drink, but you don’t have to be on a boat in St. Tropez to enjoy them. It’s just as satisfying under a bit of Swedish clouds!
Ingredients:
- 20 mint leaves
- 1 cucumber (thinly sliced)
- 4 limes
- Carbonated water (Without a lot of added salt)
- Rum
- Cucumber Simple Syrup (This can be made by putting half sugar half water in a pan and adding 3/4 of the cucumber slices, heating up until all sugar is dissolved, and then strain cucumbers and place in the fridge for 20 minutes to cool it down.)
Recipe:
- Muddle a quarter of the leaves in the bottom of each glass
- Cut lime into quarters
- Squeeze or crush three quarters of a lime into each glass (save one quarter for garnish)
- Add a couple of cucumbers to the glass (you can save some for garnish)
- Add 2 tablespoons of the cucumber simple syrup
- Fill the glass with crushed ice
- Add 1 shot of rum (2 if you want a stronger cocktail)
- Top off with carbonated water
- Garnish glass with 1 lime quarter and 1 cucumber slice
2. The Light & Salty Chihuahua
This drink brings the Caribbean straight to the Scandanavian shores and even though it’s pink in color we don’t think the boys will mind drinking it either!
Ingredients:
- tequila
- Orange flavored liquor
- 3 cups of grapefruit juice
- grapefruit (sliced for garnish – you can also use a strawberry to mix it up)
Recipe:
- Fill glass with ice
- Pour 1 shot of tequila (or 2 for a better time)
- pour 1/2 shot of orange liquor
- Top it off with 3/4 cup of grapefruit juice
- Garnish with grapefruit slice or strawberry!
3. Refreshing Watermelon Gin Fizz
With watermelon now constantly at sale at the supermarkets these days it’s not hard to be tempted into buying it! Watermelon is the token summer fruit and what’s better than celebrating summer with a watermelon based cocktail?
Ingredients:
- 5 cups of diced watermelon
- Gin
- Lime juice (or 4 limes)
- 1 1/3 cups of ginger ale
- 1 lime for garnish
Recipe:
- Freeze 1 cup of the diced watermelon for garnish
- Add some crushed ice to each glass
- Puree 4 cups of watermelon and strain dividing evenly into all 4 glasses
- Add 1 1/2 shots of gin
- top with 2 tablespoons of lime juice (or one squeezed lime in each glass)
- Garnish drink with frozen watermelon and one slice of lime
If you want to get fancy, throw it all into a blender, and add the garnish after for a frozen watermelon fizz!
4. Light Fruit Punch
Who doesn’t love a fruit punch? Especially when it takes about 5 minutes to do. It will be a guaranteed hit at Midsommar, especially when you tell them it has alcohol in it!
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of diced fruit (plums, apricots, peaches, clementines)
- 2 cups of apricot juice
- champagne or sparkling wine
- carbonated water
Recipe:
- In a large pitcher add ice
- Then add diced fruit, apricot juice, sparkling wine and carbonated water.
Yes it’s really that easy!
5. Fresh Cherry Lemonade
We’ve saved one of the best for last. Lemonade is one of the most refreshing summer drinks there are and the fact that it tastes even better with alcohol is just an added bonus. It won’t be long before you’ll be annoyed at how many times you’ve been asked to refill the pitcher again.
Ingredients:
- Gin, Vodka, or Bourban (whichever tickles your fancy!)
- 2 cups of sweet cherries (pitted)
- whole cherries & sliced lemons (for garnish)
- 1/2 cup of lemon juice (or squeezed lemons)
- 1/3 cup sugar (or honey!)
- 2 1/2 cups cold water
Recipe:
- Combine cherries, lemon juice & sugar in a blender and puree until smooth.
- Strain into a pitcher
- Stir in water
- Serve over ice and garnish once poured into individual glasses
