August is waning but my thirst for a craft cocktail shared with friends isn't.
Once my mid-August birthday rounds the bend, I know summer is coming to an end. My birthday typically coincides with the Perseif meteor showers, the hottest days of the summer, and lots of days on the lake. Recently, the Pacific Northwest has seen so much summer smoke from wildfires that August has been far less enjoyable than the long, hot, lazy days of my summers' past, and some Seattlites with hazy eyes and burning throats are praying for rain and pinning pumpkin recipes on pinterest. But not me. I believe every season is owed its time to be. The good, the bad, the stressful, the smokey, I want to experience them all.
And so, while I am tempted daily to count down the remaining Happy Camper Cocktails events, say farewell to my perma-to do list and thick smokescreen outside, and look forward to the slower days ahead, I try to stay in the moment. I enjoy my garden and my (finally) ripening tomatoes. I enjoy the sight of my children's naked limbs as they run through the backyard pool or sprinkler, joyful and wild. I tell myself to enjoy the process of each week, and the learning curve. I am learning to maximize efficiency, minimize anxiety, little by little as I navigate my growing cocktail catering business and maintain my mom status.
At present, the moment is spent inside, due to the aforementioned smoke filtering our August sun, but still. I find enjoyment, wherever I can, every day. I make myself one of these drinks, and I say cheers to a good summer. It's been a summer of growth for all of us, my children's long limbs included, and I'm not quite ready to say Farewell to August.
FAREWELL TO AUGUST cocktail
WHY IT’S GREAT: A REFRESHING, PACIFIC NORTHWESTERN ALTERNATIVE TO THE BORING VODKA SODA
Glass: rocks glass, stemless wine glass, cocktail glass or juice glass- just don't let it get too tall
Ingredients:
- 1.5 ounces vodka
- .25 ounces Simple Goodness Sisters’ Marionberry Mint syrup
- 2 ounces club soda
- 1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
- ice (crush it if you feel like it)
- 3 blackberries speared on a toothpick and a sprig of mint, optional but pretty!
How to make it: combine all ingredients except for the club soda in a cocktail shaker halfway full of ice and shake for 10 seconds. Pour contents into a fresh glass of ice and garnish. That is it! Fast, fresh, and easy to batch (make multiples of) for a crowd.
Happy drinking, friends! Please continue to tag us on Instagram and facebook when you receive your first bottles! And if you are a blogger and want to collaborate, please let us know. We can’t wait to see what you’re making with SGS syrups.Haven't bought yours yet? Follow this link to our shop! Remember, these make awesome, stress-free but thoughtful gifts for teachers, neighbors, employees, holiday hosts, friends, and family!
photo by Kerry Jeanne photography
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