Summer Drinks: Blackcurrant Lemon Drops and Aquavit Sparklers

If you’re looking for some delicious Summer Drinks, look no further than these recipes for Blackcurrant Lemon Drops and Aquavit Sparklers!  Tasty and refreshing!

With summer just around the corner, I do declare it’s time to get making some summer drinks!  Yes.  So today I am going to share the most delicious summer drinks with you!  Good idea right?  Recently I was given the opportunity to try the Blackcurrant Liqueur and the vodka-style Aquavitus from Okanagan Spirits Craft Distillery (I love my job), and mixed up 2 fantastic summer drinks.

But before I get to the delicious drink recipes, I wanted to tell you a bit about the Okanagan Spirits Craft Distillery which is located in the Okanagan valley of British Columbia, Canada.  This distillery was founded in 2004 as a way to better use the excess fruit left over from many Okanagan orchards, and distill them into fruit brandies and liqueurs.  Since then, they are Internationally acclaimed as North America’s only designated World Class Distillery!   Their products contain 100% B.C. fruit, are high quality, they contain no artificial flavours, colours or preservatives, and best of all they are delicious!

The Blackcurrant Lemon Drop

First up is the Blackcurrant Drop.  This drink is the perfect summer cocktail!  It’s fresh, delicious and bursting with blackcurrant flavour!  SO good.  This drink has a delicious layer of gin and lemon which sits on top a layer of  the Blackcurrant Liqueur.  It’s a flavour explosion in your mouth.  And I might even say it’s my new favourite cocktail…I wish you could try it.  You should try it.

How pretty and amazing does that look?!  Not only was this drink so yummy, the Blackcurrant Liqueur is also delicious served neat, or over ice or over ice cream.  Now I neeeeeeed to try the Raspberry, Cherry, Blackberry, Blueberry… Seriously.

Aquavit Sparklers

This Aquavit Sparkler is tart, refreshing and very tasty!  The addition of sparkling wine make these great summer drinks!

Recipe Tips:

These drink recipes each require a simple syrup to sweeten them.  Here are these quick and easy recipes:

How to Make Simple Syrup

To make the simple syrup for the Blackcurrant Lemon Drop, just take equal parts of sugar and water (I used 1/4 cup water and 1/4 cup sugar). In a saucepan boil the sugar and water over medium – high heat until sugar has dissolved. Then remove it from the heat and let cool completely. I just put mine in the fridge until I was ready to use it.

How to Make Honey Syrup

To make the honey syrup for the Aquavit Sparklers, take equal parts of honey and water (I used 1/4 cup water and 1/4 cup honey). In a saucepan over medium – high heat, bring the honey and water to a boil. Then remove it from the heat and let cool completely. I just put mine in the fridge until I was ready to use it.

Blackcurrant Drops and Aquavit Sparklers

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• Total Time: 5 minutes
• Yield: 1 drink 1x
• Category: Drink

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Blackcurrant Drops

• 2 oz Okanagan Spirits Gin
• 1 oz fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 oz simple syrup (see above for the recipe)
• 1/2 oz Okanagan Spirits Blackcurrant Liqueur

Aquavit Sparklers

• 1 oz Aquavitus
• 1/2 oz honey syrup (see above for the recipe)
• 3/4 oz fresh lemon juice
• 2 dashes of bitters (Angostura)
• sparkling wine

Instructions

Blackcurrant Drops

1. If you like, rim your glass with sugar. I just rub a lemon wedge along the edge of the glass, then turn the glass upside down onto a plate of sugar and coat the rim. Set aside.
2. Then fill a cocktail shaker with ice.
3. Add the gin, lemon juice and simple syrup to the shaker, and shake.
4. Strain the mixture into your glass.
5. Then using a spoon, carefully pour the blackcurrant liqueur down the side of the glass until it ‘drops’ to the bottom of the glass.
6. Enjoy!

Aquavit Sparklers

1. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice.
2. Add the Aquavitus, honey syrup, lemon juice and bitters and shake.
3. Strain the mixture into a glass.
4. Top with sparkling wine.
5. Enjoy!

Keywords: lemon drop

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Feeling ready for summer yet?  I sure am..let’s hit the patio mmmmkay?

Have a delicious day!