Blueberry syrup, lemon juice, vodka and seltzer water make for a refreshing summer cocktail worthy of any girls’ night!
Happy Monday! Need a cocktail? How about a major giveaway?
I’ve got both for you today! Stay tuned after the recipe for details on a major Girls’ Night In Giveaway for #TheBacheloretteParty. For now? We talk cocktails.
I talked to you earlier about how easy it is to make your own fruity simple syrup. In fact, it is so easy that we are doing it again! This time, we are making a blueberry syrup to use in a fruity cocktail. Could you add this syrup to, again, a plain lemonade or iced tea? Of course! But it is Monday and I think that merits a cocktail, don’t you?
For this easy cocktail, we are going to muddle some mint in the bottom of our cocktail shaker (I think this muddler and this shaker, both from OXO, are pretty swell). Then we’ll add in some blueberry syrup, the juice of half a lemon, vodka and some ice and give it a shakeshakeshake. Finally, we’ll strain the whole shebang into our glass and top it with some seltzer water for a little bubble and sparkle.
Not a fan of vodka? Try some gin in this recipe. Really, you can’t go wrong. You’ve got your hooch, a little sweetness, and a little tartness from the lemon. What else could you really need?
Blueberry Lemon Breeze
Ingredients
For the blueberry syrup:
- 12 ounces fresh or frozen blueberries
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup sugar
For the cocktail:
- 2-3 mint leaves
- 1 ounce vodka
- 1 ounce blueberry syrup
- Juice from 1/2 lemon
- Seltzer water
- Ice
Instructions
First, make the blueberry syrup:
- In a medium saucepot, place the ingredients for the blueberry syrup. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until berries burst.
- Using a mesh strainer, strain syrup into a measuring cup. Place in the refrigerator until cool. Makes about 1 cup of syrup.
Make the cocktail:
- In a cocktail shaker, muddle the mint leaves. Add the vodka, blueberry syrup, lemon juice and a handful of ice. Shake for several seconds. Strain into a glass filled with ice, then top with seltzer water. Enjoy!
And now…the giveaway!
In honor of The Bachelorette Party, Stef and I have put together a HUGE giveaway for our favorite people – our readers! We are so grateful to each of you for reading and interacting with us each week, so we have gathered some essential goodies for a fantastic Girls’ Night In so that you can throw your own awesome gathering with your favorite girlfriends.
To get your girls’ night started off on a boozy foot, Epic Vodka is giving away 2 sets of 4 Pier One Polka-Dot Martini Glasses and, to help remember your evening (even if it is just a fuzzy memory), 4 “Epic Night” t-shirts.
To make sure you have plenty of carb-filled snacks at the ready, Bob’s Red Mill is giving away 1 package each of their Pizza Crust Mix, Apple Blueberry Granola, Honey Oat Granola, and Brownie Mix. And because these are all gluten-free, all of your girlfriends can indulge. Win! Consider using the granola to make this No-Bake Blueberry Crisp.
It’s girls’ night, so we must keep the snacking going with some dippers! La Terra Fina is giving away four of their popular dips: Chunky Spinach Artichoke and Parmesan, Chunky Artichoke and Jalapeño, Spinach and Kale Dip made with Greek Yogurt, and Spinach and Parmesan Dip made with Greek Yogurt. Think about making Seeded Flatbread Crackers for dipping or Skinny Jalapeño Poppers for ultimate snacking.
Because no girls’ night is in is complete without a batch of cookies, Heidi over Foodie Crush is giving away two copies of the stellar e-book, Cookie Cravings – one for you and one to pass on to a friend! The recipes in this book are by the cookie queen herself, Maria from Two Peas and Their Pod, so you know you’re in for a treat.
It’s cocktail time! OXO is giving away four of their stainless steel bar tools for ultimate at-home cocktail-making. You’ll get their Cocktail Shaker, Double Jigger, Muddler, and Steel Winged Corkscrew. Aside from today’s recipe, these tools would also be perfect for a Cucumber Ginger Pimm’s Cup or a Grapefruit Whiskey Sour. Yum.
Now that we are sufficiently full and boozy, let’s take care of our skin, shall we? CJ’s BUTTer knows that you spend as much time working on your manis and pedis as you do watching trashy TV during a good girls’ night, so they’re giving away one 8-ounce pot of their Creamy Lotion in Lavender and Tea Tree.
Since you’re taking the time to host all of your best girlfriends, Megan over at Ellie Rose Custom Jewelry thinks you deserve a special gift just for yourself! She is giving away one of her custom necklaces – the “You+Me” Necklace, “Golden Bar” Necklace, or “My Special Day” Necklace – in your choice of metal! These necklaces are customizable with your favorite initials, word, date – you name it – for a special piece unique to you. And to make sure everyone is able to spoil themselves a bit, she is offering all EYHO readers a 20% off all items in her Etsy shop from now until this Friday, July 18, 2014. Simply enter the code BACH14 at checkout to redeem your discount!
And, finally, as an added bonus, you will win two $50 Visa gift cards! You can save one for yourself and give the other to a friend or keep them both for a special splurge – it’s up to you!
Yep, that’s right – over $300 worth of goodies will be coming right to your front door! Want to enter to win? Just use the giveaway widget below to enter. Giveaway is open to US residents only, ages 18 and older. Giveaway ends on Sunday, July 27, 2014 at 10 pm CST. Good luck! Giveaway is closed!
*OXO provided product for review and use in creating this recipe. All opinions are, as always, my own! All Girls’ Night In Giveaway sponsors donated product for the giveaway free of charge. Again, all opinions are my own.*
I think I’m becoming obsessed with Megan’s jewelry. And, as you know, I don’t even wear jewelry that much. It might change.
Watch a great movie, do our nails and eat ice cream!
We get together for facial treatments.
Get you nails done and relax by pool with drinks!
I love to watch movies, drink cocktails, snack without worrying about calories and just laugh and have fun for girls’ night in. Beauty treatments are fun too though 🙂
I love to drink wine and eat snacks with my girlfriends!
I am really looking forward to trying this recipe! It looks wonderful, and I finally will have a reason to bring out my father in laws bar shaker that I inherited from him. i miss him so, and this just makes my heart happy. Thank you for your generous give-away !
I just love this comment! I am so glad you have a reason to visit those precious memories 🙂
Eat and drink, of course!
YES all over these cool crisp refreshing cocktails! Let’s make these when I visit!! How AWESOME is it that now when I say “let’s make this when I come visit,” we a.) actually know I’m visiting and b.) know WHEN I’m visiting. I’m so psyched! Let’s make this when I visit! < – gaaaah it'll never get old!
P.S. By golly, what a fabulous giveaway!!
Ahhhh!!! I’m too excited to even properly respond to this
When is this visit happening and can I get in on this hang out????
Also, you both must go curly, so I can get a picture of my ginger curly girls for instagram.
Our favorite thing to do is to sit around and laugh. I love girls’ night!
Normally I’m a vodka girl, but gin sounds amazing in these!
Girls Night In means lots of movies, great food, comfy PJ’s and fun drinks! 😀
I’d love that necklace so I could put my granddaughters birthday on it. Beautiful! The cocktail looks lovely too! 🙂
We cook, eat, pull out the blender for some frozen drinks, and always laugh.
Drink wine and talk! 🙂
Your niece or nephew thinks a lemonade form of this sounds just about right! I’m thinking a girl’s night of Gilmore Girls, peach rings/gummy worms, and some freshly painted nails sounds just about right!
We love to cook lots of junk food (pizza, hot wings, potato skins, etc) and have a movie marathon, typically picking movies by the same actor/actress! Of course, we watch in our pjs & sip on girly drinks.
We love to cook drink wine and catch up with eachother!
Eat junk food and watch movies and have dance parties!
We love gossiping and eating junk food 🙂
You had me at blueberry syrup.
Love to hang out – chatting, laughing, toasting each other, playing table top games… you name it!
Girl’s Night Out is fun cocktails at a new restaurant, with love music and wonderful food!
We love good food and could chitchat all night!
Just went gluten free about a month or two ago, so no beer for me. This looks amazing, thanks!
spa day, who doesn’t love spa treatments
This looks like an awesome set! My girlfriends will love coming over even more when I entertain. Polish our nails and talk smack about our men!
We love to kick back and relax. We chit chat, laugh & discuss our favorite shows.
I love to make great food to share with my girlfriends. Maybe even some sangria
I tried this with some pineapple mint from my garden. Oh..summer in a glass!
Tried this with pineapple mint from my garden. Ohhh, like summer in a glass!
Wow – YUM!