The Fresh Prince Special

It's the summa time

Summa, summa, summa time

Time to sit back and unwind

Just cleaned my porch and am AMPED about some summertime cocktails! Here's a twist on an old classic (I assume... I mean, it's simple enough). The fresh basil in this cocktail pulls the sweetness together so well you'll be sitting and sipping in your rocking chair, hollering at the honeys and flowing through every Fresh Prince lyric you never even knew you had in you. 

2 oz. coconut rum

1 oz. amaretto

2 oz. pineapple juice

1 oz. mango nectar

3 fresh basil leaves, finely chopped

Combine all ingredients and shake with 3 ice cubes. Strain and pour. Garnish with a three-grape spear.

Best served on the porch, obviously.

Shaken Vanilla Chai

The sun is out and it is high time for midday cocktails!

One of the many perks of the Starbucks barista life is the plethora of markouts we are given. Each partner is allotted one pound of whole bean coffee, one box of K-cups, one tin of Tazo tea or one box of chai concentrate every week! Amazing. So you know imma whip up some springtime cocktails with my partner benefit. This is sweet, a little spicy and perfectly caffeinated. 

This has been my go-to the past few weeks. Here's how you make it.

1/2 Cup chai tea concentrate

1/2 Cup vanilla soymilk

2 oz. rum

1 scoop ice

Shake all ingredients. Strain and serve chilled over one cube of ice. Garnish with cinnamon and Annie Dillard.

Earl Grey Amaretto Palmer

Time for a little mixology - this is #veganista, after all.

This has been my favorite midday cocktail the past few days (my go-to changes every week). It's an earthy/sweet twist on an old classic. Here's how you make it:

1. Brew half a pitcher of Earl Grey tea using 5 tea bags to make it extra strong. When it's finished steeping (4 minutes), stir in half a cup of sugar until it's all dissolved. Next, water it down with ice until the pitcher is full.

2. Fresh homemade lemonade: mix together juice from roughly 5 lemons (1 cup juice), 1 cup simple syrup (heat 1 cup water with 3/4 cups sugar, let cool), and 3-4 cups cold water. 

3. 1 oz. amaretto

4. 1.5 oz. vodka

5. Mix all ingredients together in a shaker. Shake with ice and serve with a lemon wedge.