Adult Key Lime Pie Drink

I absolutely LOVE key lime pie, and when a friend told me about this cocktail that tastes like key lime pie, I had to try it. I was impressed with how much it actually tastes like the real thing, and how simple it was to make.

Key Lime Pie Drink

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. limeade
• 2 oz. whipped vodka
• 1/4 cup simple syrup
• Whipped Cream
• Ice

Directions:

1. Pour limeade, vodka, and simple syrup over ice. Stir. 
2. Top with whipped cream.

Marsha's Notes and Variations-

• I used Simply Limeade, which is a slightly pulpy limeade, so if that bothers you, then you might want to find another brand. I also used Pinnacle whipped vodka, which is a whipped cream flavored vodka. I imagine any brand of whipped cream vodka would do, but these too specific brands gave me the taste-results I was looking for.
• Some recipes don't call for simple syrup, but I found the limeade to be bitter enough that my sweet tooth demanded it, and it really turned this drink into that dessert-taste I was expecting. If you don't want your drink so sweet, you can certainly leave it out or adjust the amount.
• I also tried putting in a splash of coffee creamer instead of using whipped cream, and it worked okay. It tasted fine, but the acidity of the limeade made the creamer split a bit, so just be aware. I think whipped cream would be a safer choice because it more floats on top of the drink and wouldn't mix as much with the limeade.
• Some people dress up their cups with a lime wedge, or by rimming the cup with crushed graham crackers. Simply wet the edge of the cup with either the limeade or the vodka and then dip the cup into a bowl of crushed graham crackers.
• If you don't want the ice to water-down the drink, you can chill your vodka (and your glass) in advance and not use ice, or you can mix your limeade and vodka in a shaker with ice and strain it into your glass once it's cold.
• Some recipes call for lemon-lime soda instead of limeade, so if you want it sparkly, you can go that route, but you probably wouldn't need the simple syrup since soda is already sweet, you couldn't chill it in a shaker, and it might not have that true "lime" taste. That being said, it would still probably be really yummy.

Marsha's Classic or Fruity Mojito And Long Island Iced Tea

Over the years I have made some delicious classic mint and lime mojitos (very refreshing when it's hot), but I have also sweetened things up a bit and made some amazing fruity mojitos as well. Here I will share both recipes with you. Enjoy!

Marsha's Classic Mojito

Ingredients:

• 1/2-1 shot white rum (Bacardi)
• 2-4 Tbl. white sugar or 1/4 cup simple syrup
• 8 small mint leaves
• Juice of 1/2-1 lime, freshly squeezed
• Crushed Ice
• Soda Water/Club Soda

Directions:

1. All proportions vary depending on your taste, but these are the proportions we like. First you have to decide if you want to muddle your mint leaves in real sugar or crush them with simple syrup. 
• If you use regular sugar, add the juice of your lime to the serving glass, then the sugar, and finally drop in the mint leaves. Muddle (smash with a muddle stick) gently in the bottom of the glass 3 or 4 times to release the mint flavor. Over muddling makes things bitter. 
• If you decide to use simple syrup, I find it easiest to just take my mint leaves, and instead of muddling, I just smack them really good a few times in my hands to release the flavors before adding them to the rest of the ingredients in the glass. Just give them a good spank.
• Pick the smallest, newest leaves of mint from the top of the stem for the least amount of bitterness.
2. Then add your rum and ice; stir. 
3. Top off the glass with a splash of club soda. Again, the amount of soda depends on your taste, but I usually add about a 4 oz. or so.

Marsha's Fruity Mojito

Ingredients:

• 1 shot fruit flavored rum
• 2-4 Tbl. white sugar or 1/4 cup simple syrup
• 8 small mint leaves
• Juice of 1/2-1 lime, freshly squeezed
• Crushed Ice
• Soda Water/Club Soda
• sliced/diced fresh fruit coated in sugar and left to macerate, about a 1/4 cup

Directions:

1. The directions for this recipe are almost exactly the same as above, except you will now use a fruit rum instead. Fruit rums tend to be about 1/2 the strength of white rum. We have really loved Cruzan's Tropical Fruit or Black Cherry flavors, but you could use any that you like. 
2. Earlier in the day, I will prep some fresh fruit to compliment the drink by slicing/dicing it, covering it in some white sugar, and letting it sit in the fridge to release the natural juices, such as strawberries. I have also sliced a kiwi to make a kiwi strawberry version.

Marsha's Long Island Iced Tea

Ingredients:

• 1/2 oz vodka
• 1/2 oz rum
• 1/2 oz gin
• 1/2 oz top shelf tequila
• 1/2 oz triple sec
• 1 oz sweet and sour mix
• 1/4 cup simple syrup (optional)
• 1 oz cola or to taste (more than a splash)
• 1 lemon slice

Directions:

1. Fill cocktail shaker with ice. 
2. Pour in all ingredients except cola and lemon slice, cover and shake. 
3. Add fresh ice into serving glass (Collins or hurricane) and pour over. 
4. Top with cola and stir for iced tea color. Garnish with lemon slice.

Marsha's Notes:
I don't usually like the taste of tequila unless it is subtle/top shelf, so I might sometimes leave this out if I don't have any good stuff on hand. I like my drinks to be sweet, so I add the extra 1/4 cup of simple syrup to mine, but a true recipe doesn't call for it. Adjusting the sweetness just with the cola changes the sweetness AND flavor, unlike adding the simple syrup instead, so that's why I opt for that. But don't kid yourself. This drink has LOTS of alcohol in it, so there's only so much you can do to make it sweet. It's gonna taste like alcohol.

Marsha's Lime Ricky

Scott really loves a good Lime Ricky from Arctic Circle, and so one day I watched the lady prepare one and came home to make my own copy-cat version.  You basically need three things; lemon-lime soda, fresh limes, and grape flavoring. I think the ideal thing might be the grape syrup you can buy in the spring to make homemade snow cones, but alas, it is fall, and so I had to improvise.

I picked these Kool-Aid Singles because they are pre-sweetened and I could just dump a little in.  It makes it hard to know exactly how much I added, where as the syrup would be easier to measure.

So, here's the process.

Marsha's Lime Ricky

Ingredients:

• 1 can lemon-lime soda
• 1/4-1/2 fresh lime
• 1/3 (or so) packet of Kool-Aid Singles grape flavor

Directions:

1. In a tall glass, add the desired amount of ice and about 1/3 of your grape drink mix. 
2. Pour soda over top. 
3. Take a lime that has been cut into quarters and squeeze one quarter into your drink, then drop the wedge in. Stir and enjoy!

Marsha's Notes:
The amount of Kool-Aid you add will depend on how strong you like your grape flavor, and you will also determine the amount of fresh lime juice to add by taste. Scott just likes the juice and throws the wedge away, but in true Arctic Circle fashion, I put my wedge directly into my drink. The choice is yours.