Happy Hour at Home

In previous blogs, I've shared recipes for Fruit Tea and Cranberry Orange Cooler.  Today, in honor of National Vodka Day, I want to share a beverage recipe for the over 21 crowd.

Some people drink vodka straight, but I'm not one of them.  I prefer vodka mixed with other beverages.  My favorite alcoholic beverage is a Vodka Collins.  This lemon lime adult beverage is made with sweet and sour cocktail mix -- a blend of sugar, lemon and lime juices -- plus a lemon lime carbonated beverage and, of course, vodka.

A few months ago, I found a recipe for a frozen lemon lime vodka drink that is reminiscent of a Vodka Collins.  The most obvious differences are it doesn't use sweet and sour mix, contains pineapple juice and is frozen.

The recipe uses canned frozen lemonade and limeade which takes the place of the sweet and sour mix in a Vodka Collins.  The undiluted lemonade and limeade are mixed with pineapple juice and vodka.  I use 3 cups of vodka, but you can reduce the amount if you prefer a drink that's not as strong.

Combine the ingredients in a freezer safe container and store it in the freezer.  Although vodka is a clear colorless liquid like water, it will not freeze solid.  The frozen mixture will have a slushy consistency.  I've stored the mixture in the freezer for a month without any noticeable change in taste.  If you store it longer, it might not taste as good as it did when it was first made.

The slushy frozen mixture.

When you're ready to use the mixture, scoop the desired amount into a glass.  I use a cookie scoop and put two scoops in each glass.  Finish filling the glass with the lemon lime carbonated beverage of your choice. I've tried Sprite, diet Sprite, ginger ale, 7-Up, diet 7-Up and cherry 7-Up. Out of all those beverages, I liked diet 7-Up the best.  I thought the finished product was too sweet when I used a regular soft drink.

Unless you live in a warm climate or we have an Indian summer, it might be getting too cool for this potent potable.  If you file the recipe in your recipe box, you can make it when the days start getting warmer.  It makes enough for a crowd -- the number of servings depends on how much of the mixture you put in each glass -- but it's also good one glass at a time.  Add some cheese, crackers, veggies and dip and you've got happy hour at home.

Frozen Lemon Lime Vodka Slush

1 (12 oz.) can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed (undiluted)

1 (12 oz.) can frozen limeade concentrate, thawed (undiluted)

1 (46 oz.) can pineapple juice

3 cups vodka

lemon lime carbonated beverage 

lime slices (for garnish; optional)

Combine the first four ingredients in a large freezer safe container.  Store in the freezer.  To serve, scoop the desired amount of mixture into a glass and finish filling with the lemon lime carbonated beverage of your choice. Garnish glasses with lime slices, if desired.

© Margaret's Morsels