Kicking Off Summer with a Summer Kiss Cocktail...and a Pina Colada Fizz Mocktail!

Just in time for the three-day Memorial Day weekend, I’m sharing a couple of fun and refreshing Summer-inspired beverages with you today. One is an adult’s only fruit-infused cocktail, and the other is a fizzy family-friendly mocktail. Both beverages are flavored with fresh Summer fruit, and they're perfect for any BBQs or other outdoor parties you have planned this long holiday weekend...or all Summer long! First up is an original creation, my Summer Kiss Cocktail, which is flavored with juicy fresh raspberries. I absolutely love the vibrant pink color they brought to my finished drink! The Summer Kiss Cocktail features two of my favorite cocktail ingredients: Skimpy Mixers and Pinnacle Tropical Punch flavored vodka.

Skimpy Mixers are made in Dallas, and they really help keep the calories down in your favorite cocktails while   delivering a bright punch of flavor. For this Summery cocktail, I wanted a tart citrus backnote…so I used Skimpy Margarita mixer. It has just 20 calories per serving, and it contains real fruit juice. If you haven’t tried Pinnacle flavored vodkas, they have a great line of infused vodkas in lots of fun flavors. The Tropical Punch flavor provides just the fruit punch flavor that my cocktail needed. For fizz, I added sugar-free citrus soda, along with some cream of coconut for a tropical nod. Add some ice and blend the ingredients up, and you’ve got a fantastic cocktail to kick off Summer!

Summer Kiss Cocktail

a Weekend Gourmet Original

Ingredients (makes two cocktails):

• 2 ounces Pinnacle Fruit Punch Vodka
• 4 ounces Skimpy Mixers Margarita
• 4 ounces sugar-free citrus soda [NOTE: I used Fresca]
• ½ cup fresh raspberries (approx. 8-10 raspberries)
• 1 ounce cream of coconut
• 1 cup crushed ice

Directions: Add the crushed ice to the bottom of a blender container. Add the vodka, Skimpy Mixer, sugar-free citrus soda, raspberries, and cream of coconut. Cover and blend until the ice is completed incorporated, then pour into two cocktail glasses. Garnish with maraschino cherries if you like. NOTE: For an even icier cocktail, freeze the raspberries.

This cocktail is so delicious! I loved the tart background flavor from the citrus soda and Skimpy Margarita mixer. The tart, juicy raspberries provided a gorgeous color...and their flavor paired really well with the Tropical Punch Pinnacle Vodka. The little bit of cream of coconut provided the perfect coconut flavor and aroma that says Summer is here! Using sugar-free mixers helped keep the overall calorie count of this cocktail down too. This one’s a keeper, folks. Speaking of keeper…wait until you see the fun mocktail I’m sharing today!

As a hostess, I am understand that not everyone wants to partake in an alcoholic beverage...and the little ones like to enjoy a fun tropical drink too! My Pina Colada Fizz Mocktail is my idea of a perfect alcohol-free warm-weather beverage to enjoy poolside. It features all the flavors of a tropical pina colada, with the addition of a refreshing fizz. The fizz in this mocktail comes from adding sugar-free Coconut Cascade Ice before blending. Cascade Ice Sparkling Water has zero calories, and it comes in a ton of yummy fruit flavors. I buy this product nearly every week, so I was really excited to create a special beverage featuring their product! This mocktail is a breeze to make, and it tastes SO good. The smell of the coconut will immediately remind you of being at the beach...even if you live miles inland! Trust me...this one’s going to be in regular rotation at my house all Summer long.

Pina Colada Fizz Mocktail

a Weekend Gourmet Original

Ingredients (makes one mocktail):

• 1 cup frozen organic pineapple chunks
• 8 ounces Cascade Ice Coconut sparkling water
• 2 ounces cream of coconut

Directions: Add the frozen pineapple chunks to the bottom of a blender container. Add the Cascade Ice Coconut and cream of coconut. Blend until the ingredients are completely blended and smooth. Pour into a tall glass and serve with a straw – paper umbrella is optional!

This mocktail is a taste of the tropics! The addition of fresh pineapple provides a fruity punch of flavor, and the cream of coconut amps up the coconut flavor from the Cascade Ice. I loved the fizz that the sparkling water provided...it makes the pina colada light and refreshing. This is a beverage that can be enjoyed by adults and kids alike...and it’s perfect for sipping by the pool or around the grill!

Disclosure: Skimpy Mixers, Pinnacle Vodka, and Cascade Ice provided me with samples of their products to facilitate my recipe development for this article. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

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