Memorial Day weekend is upon us! As we celebrate those who have served in the armed forces and remember and honor all of their accomplishments, we also look to this day as the beginning of Summer. A kick off to leisure, travel and more time spent with friends and family. This is especially poignant in 2021 when so many loved ones have not gathered for well over a year.  

Summer 2021 deserves a celebration. Let's kick off the season in style.

For the gals at Drinking Dresses we plan on doing that the only way we know how - in our fab frocks with cocktails in hand - sharing stories, sipping a little too much rosé and hanging with our crew. We've decided to jazz up our weekend wardrobe by matching our Drinking Dresses to our cocktails. Check out some of our favorite Memorial Day cocktail recipes and their perfect frock pairings! 

TEQUILA ROSÉ

We love this drink because it is a nice refresher to two of our summer go-to's (margaritas and rosé). It's not too sweet and has that perfect tequila punch! We poured this pretty cocktail in our Retro Yellow Palm Tree Tumblers and it pairs perfectly with the Grandma June in our Phenix print. 

Ingredients

Syrup:

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 6 ounces rosé
• 1/4 cup freeze dried strawberry powder

Cocktail:

• 1/2 ounce blanco tequila
• 1 1/4 ounce strawberry + rosé syrup
• 1/2 ounce fresh lime juice
• ice
• salt
• lime wheel, to garnish

Instructions:

1. To make the syrup, combine sugar, rosé, and powder and stir together.
2. Combine tequila, syrup, lime juice, and ice in a shaker; shake for 15 seconds.
3. Pour into a salted old-fashioned glass; garnish with a lime wheel.

KENTUCKY LEMONADE

This cocktail is sunshine in a glass. The fresh lemon keeps the cocktail nice and crisp while the bourbon adds a comforting warmth. This cocktail was deserving of our coveted Hazel Atlas Monkey and Elephant Tumblers. And what more fitting of a frock than the Nico Dress in our Topical Geo print. Bottoms up!

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 1/2 cups fresh lemon juice (from approximately 6 lemons)
• 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
• 1/2-2/3 cup Bourbon (depending on your tastes)
• 6 cups ginger ale
• additional lemon slices (for garnish)

Instructions

1. In a small saucepan, combine granulated sugar and water and heat over MED heat.  Heat until sugar dissolves into water and mixture is clear.  Simmer 1-2 minutes, and then remove from heat.
2. Add lemon juice, mint leaves, and Bourbon, then let mixture cool
3. Pour mixture through a fine strainer into a large pitcher to remove solid particles and mint leaves.  Add ginger ale and stir to combine.  Add ice and lemon slices and serve cold.

BLUEBERRY WHISKEY SPRITZERS 

We couldn't celebrate the great Red, White and Blue without a blueberry cocktail. This recipe hits the spot for celebrating the beginning of Summer. Sweet and tart, it hits all the right notes. We served these up in our Vintage Blue Wave Rocks Glasses and paired the cocktail with our sizzling Sherry Baby Dress in our Blue Burst print. Cheers!

Ingredients:

Syrup:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup blueberries (frozen is fine if fresh aren’t in season)

Cocktails:

• 1/2 cup whiskey
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/2 cup blueberry syrup
• 1/2 cup tonic water
• Fresh blueberries for garnish (optional)

Instructions:

For the Syrup:

1. Combine sugar, water, and blueberries in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring mixture to a simmer, stirring occasionally, and cook until sugar has dissolved and blueberries have softened.
2. Remove saucepan from heat and let cool for 10-15 minutes.
3. Strain syrup into a separate bowl to remove the blueberries and set syrup aside. Save the berries for smoothies or jam!

For the Cocktails:

1. Add a few ice cubes to four cocktail glasses.
2. In a large shaker, combine whiskey, lemon juice, and blueberry simple syrup. Add a handful of ice and shake to chill.
3. Divide drink evenly between your four cocktail glasses.
4. Top each cocktail with a splash of tonic water and garnish with blueberries if desired. Serve immediately.