Pina Coladas And Mofongo n’ Waffes At San Juan’s Bistro Cafe
So here in Atlanta, I’ve gained a bit of a bad rap among my friends due to my distaste for brunch. Let me explain…I absolutely love brunch foods (grits, waffles, bacon, literally all of it), but dining out for brunch has become a little taxing to say the least. Restaurants are always packed, the music is sometimes painfully loud, wait times are out of this world and the city of Atlanta has all but done away with bottomless mimosas :(
But on vacation, I love brunch! And during my trip to San Juan, Puerto Rico my friends discovered the most amazing brunch spot: Bistro Cafe. Located near Isla Verde, Bistro Cafe is known for its extravagant, Instagram-worthy dishes and cocktails. The decor is jungle chic, making it the ideal background for those Instagram flicks.
Given my love for Pina coladas, that was the first thing I ordered. It was so friggin’ cute! It came adorned with a little, orange flower and there was a popsicle in the drink. The drink was tasty, but I could have done without the popsicle given that it was pretty sizable and resulted in less Pina colada (please don’t judge me lol). I also indulged in one of their sangrias which was pleasantly boozy and equally as charming as the Pina colada aesthetically-speaking.
The Valentine’s Day Cocktail You Need Based On Your Dating Status
Regardless of your dating status, we could all use a little love this Valentine’s Day. And what better way to spread the love or show yourself a little love than with a delicious cocktail. Whether you’re rolling solo dolo this V-Day or you’re in a fully committed relationship, I’ve compiled a list of cocktails you should indulge in based on your dating status. Cheers!
Dating Status: Solo Dolo 💁♀️
Cocktail: CÎROC Pomegranate Sweetheart Cocktail (Pictured Above)
Ingredients
1.5 oz CÎROC Pomegranate
1.5 oz Hibiscus tea
1.5 oz Concentrate coffee brew
0.5 oz Grenadine
Directions
Add all ingredients into a shaker filled with ice. Shake for 6 to 8 seconds. Strain into a coupe glass and garnish.
And Just Like That…I Created My Own Twist On The Cosmo
For many of us, our introduction to the Cosmopolitan (or Cosmo) was through the HBO sitcom, Sex & The City. The popular, pink drink can easily be spotted on cocktail menus at bars and restaurants across the country.
While the original Cosmopolitan recipe was created by mixologist/author Toby Cecchini in the late 80s, you’ve likely come across a gazillion, tragic recreations of the Cosmo. Which is ironic given that the Cosmopolitan is really a simple cocktail to make. Cecchini’s recipe merely calls for Absolut Citron Vodka, Cointreau, fresh lime juice and Ocean Spray cranberry juice.
Now if I can do a big of bragging, I’ve actually had the honor of indulging in a Cosmopolitan made by Toby Cecchini himself, and it was amazing. His Cosmo was everything a cocktail should be: boozy, impactful, easy on the eyes.
This week, I was pretty set on recreating this classic Cosmopolitan recipe, but in the unkind spirit of quarantine, I didn’t have all the necessary ingredients. And chances are you probably don’t either. So, I introduce to you The Edited Cosmo! A recipe by moi. And below The Edited Cosmo recipe, you’ll also find the recipe to Cecchini’s Cosmopolitan.
The Frozen Drink I Couldn’t Get Enough Of In Puerto Rico
Before my most recent visit to Puerto Rico, I was only familiar with “Gasolina” from the Daddy Yankee song. You know the one…the hella upbeat reggaeton song that was released in the early 2000s (what a time to be alive, by the way). But upon exploring San Juan’s La Placita neighborhood, my friend and I came across a teeny, tiny tobacco shop that served a number of hilariously-named shots (Bongwater, Peanut Butter Blowjob, etc.).
They had one frozen cocktail on tap — and I mean, when in Rome (or Puerto Rico in this case) — always go for the frozen drink. The name of the frozen drink was Gasolina and it was dee-lish and cheap! $5 to be exact. I don’t know if y’all have ever been to San Juan, Puerto Rico before, but cheap drinks aren’t really their jam. So we were in heaven…boozy heaven. Unfortunately, I’m really struggling to find the name of the spot we bought the Gasolina frozen drinks from. Buttt it was on a street name Calle Roberts and the storefront was very small. So good luck, my friends. It shouldn’t be hard to find though.
Sip Away Your Winter Woes With This Refreshing Citrus Rum Punch
If there’s one thing you should know about me it’s that I’m an absolute rum punch fan. And the great thing about rum punch is there’s sooo many variations on this tropical sip. I actually had a completely different recipe in mind for my rum punch, and I may revisit it at some point, but the rum punch I crafted was my Fresh Citrus Rum Punch. I wanted to create something with ingredients that we all likely have, and I’m pretty sure we’re all stocked up on citrus right about now.
For the Fresh Citrus Rum Punch, I opted for a medley of freshly-squeezed fruit juices: orange, lemon and lime. For my rums, I chose spiced rum and coconut rum. And because this is the Fresh Citrus Rum Punch, I added a little Cointreau (orange liqueur) as well. Although I have a set recipe for the Fresh Citrus Rum Punch, feel free to play around with the ingredients. Add some freshly-squeezed grapefruit juice, swap out spiced rum for an aged rum, etc.
Firecracker Frosé Is Your New Favorite Boozy Slushie, Trust Me
It’s been a minute, but I finally stepped back into the Lushworthy Lab to work on some boozy, new creations this week. First up was my own personal take on the ultra-popular frosé wine cocktail. Although everyone has their own twist on frose’, it typically consists of frozen rosé blended together to make a boozy slushie.
My wine of choice was Little Black Dress Rosé. And I opted to kick things up a notch with the addition of Smirnoff Red White & Berry (a cherry, citrus, and blue raspberry-flavored vodka). That’s how I ended up with the name Firecracker Frosé. Smirnoff Red White & Berry is basically the classic Firecracker popsicle in boozy, liquid form.
The Four-Ingredient Cocktail Guaranteed To Wow Just About Any Crowd
If you can’t already tell from my last recipe, I’m really having a great time mixing up drink recipes with Chambord. A raspberry liqueur straight out of France, Chambord is super versatile and tasty all on its own. It can be mixed with just about any spirit to create a Lushworthy concoction of your choosing.
For my latest recipe, I wanted to create a cocktail that was heavy on the spirits, instead of one heavy on a variety of mixers. I opted for Van Gogh Acai Blueberry Vodka and Chambord, and gave my drink a tart edge with the addition of fresh lemon juice. And since I wanted an extra ingredient that would provide a little pizzazz, I opted for chamomile bitters.
Toast To The Final Days Of Summer With The “End Of Summer Fling”
Can you believe how fast summer has gone? It’s hard to believe we’re already in the final weeks of barbecuing, pool hopping, and sipping on tropics-inspired cocktails. Since my love for summery cocktails runs deep, I created a special drink to help us bid adieu to the season. I call it the End Of Summer Fling. Cute, right? The spirits I’ve used for this particular cocktail are Grey Goose and Chambord.