SIGNATURE COCKTAIL: MARTIE'S POMEGRANATE LEMON FIZZ MARTINI

This is my own signature cocktail and it is also one of my favorite cocktails. Mixed with three of my favorite ingredients, you will make this one again and again when you have guests coming for dinner, cards, movie night, or girls night festivities.

POMEGRANATE LEMON FIZZ MARTINI (THE MARTIE-NI)

This lemon and pomegranate martini cocktail will become a go-to in your recipe file.

Makes 4 cocktails; serve in a chilled martini glass

INGREDIENTS

6 ounces Absolut Citron vodka

4  ounces PAMA pomegranate liquor

 2 ounces Limoncello (or substitute fresh lemonade if you want to lighten it slightly)

Splash of club soda

Lemon for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

Add ice and ingredients except the soda in a cocktail shaker. Chill your glasses well. Rub a bit of lemon peel around the inside of the rim of the glass. Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker. Shake well and strain into your chilled martini glasses. Garnish with a twist or a slice of lemon and add a splash of chilled club soda.

COCKTAIL RECIPE: THE DOUBLE BUBBLE

If you are hosting the girls after work on Friday and you've got nothing in the house or you need a quick cocktail that will make all of your guests happy, just pick up some sparkling Italian soda  and Prosecco. You can find the Prosecco at any wine store and the sparkling soda at Target, Whole Foods, or World Market. I love the Target brand---and it is only $2.50 a bottle. It comes in several different flavors but I used the blood orange for this recipe. This is also a wonderful way to stretch your wedding budget. If you want to have a Champagne toast but don't have the budget, serve my Double Bubble cocktail instead. You'll pay less for the Prosecco and you will stretch it by adding the sparkling soda. Select a flavor that works well with your menu or select a color that matches your color palette.

A two-bubble cocktail: The Double Bubble. Use chilled Prosecco and chilled Italian Sparkling Soda.

The Double Bubble Cocktail

For 1

3 ounces sparkling Italian soda *use your favorite. I love the Blood Orange.

1-2 ounces Prosecco

ice

This refreshing cocktail is my spin on the traditional Mimosa but you serve it on the rocks. Fill your glasses with ice. Pour the sparkling Italian soda over the ice and float the Prosecco on top. Garnish with a twist or a slice of orange.

For a crowd, I add one bottle of Italian Sparkling soda and one bottle of Prosecco to a chilled glass pitcher right before serving so I don't lose my bubbles.

RECIPE: RASPBERRY VANILLA LEMONADE

I love lemonade in the summer... but about 4th of July, I'm ready for something a little different. Here's a delicious spin on your everyday lemonade... by adding raspberries and vanilla bean, you take it to a whole new level. I would not waste this lemonade on the kids. Vanilla beans and raspberries are kinda expensive and they won't know the difference. Save this recipe for your office party, a wedding, girls night, or book club party. Add some raspberry vodka or Chambord liqueur and this lemonade could be on the menu in any top restaurant.

RASPBERRY VANILLA LEMONADE

Makes about two quarts but it depends on how strong you want the lemonade to be- you can stretch it to a gallon by adding more water. I like it strong because it is always diluted when you add ice. 

Change up your lemonade recipe for this delicious Raspberry Vanilla Lemonade... incredible! And with some hi-test mix-ins, you can craft a specialty cocktail everyone will love.

INGREDIENTS

2 pints fresh raspberries

2 cups fresh squeezed lemon juice

2 cups sugar

2 cups water

1 vanilla bean

2 quarts cold water*

* add the water to your taste. More if you like it weak, less water if you like it strong. I used about 1 quart water and then added a splash of chilled club soda at serving time to make it a bit fizzy.

OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS

Raspberry vodka

Chambord

Chilled club Soda

Lemon wheels

First, make the simply syrup. Put the sugar and water (equal parts) in a pan and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat. Split the vanilla bean down the middle, do not cut it all the way through. Use the tip of your knife to remove the tiny brown seeds inside the vanilla bean. Scrape those into the pan and put the entire pod into the pot and allow to cool completely. I usually put this into a canning jar and store it in the fridge. I leave the vanilla bean in the jar but remove it before using.

For the lemonade: Put one pint of raspberries and the Chambord (if using) into the bottom of the pitcher. Let the berries soak up the Chambord for a while. Use a wooden spoon and mash them to get as much juice as you can out of them. I actually whirred them up with my immersion blender to puree them but you can do it either way. Add the lemon juice and stir together. Add half of the vanilla simple syrup. Stir. Taste. Add the water to your taste. I used about 1 quart cold water and added more of the simple syrup to my taste. But I happen to like it a bit sweet and really strong. Add the remaining raspberries.

If you are adding alcohol, reduce the amount of water to 2 cup. Add 2 cups raspberry vodka. At this point, I sometimes like to put it into the freezer for a few hours and get it slushy. I add one or two bottles of chilled club soda at serving time. If it is a hot day and the temperature requires lots of ice, I always make the lemonade strong without a lot of extra water because as the ice melts, it waters down the lemonade. Just something to think about.