Libations for Mother’s Day weekend … Raspberry-Lemon Martini … and more!

Just in time for Mother’s Day weekend. I think every mother would agree that motherhood is the single most challenging/rewarding job in the world. Only our children have the ability to fill our hearts and break them with such frequency that it’s painful …. and yet they are the only people who despite that cycle, we will never give up on or walk away from. They are the most common cause of our tears and our biggest source of pride. So to all you Mommies out there …. here’s some libations … because you deserve it!

I wanted to expand on the libations post using flowers in drinks but I posted this raspberry-lemon martini earlier in the week and it was so good that I can’t stop making them and decided to expand on it instead. As much as I enjoy my drinks and love playing around with mixology… I hate spending $50 to make a drink that I may not even like. That’s the mother in me that aims for fiscal responsibility. If I purchase several liquors and then don’t like the drink, I’m stuck with a costly purchase and dusty bottles of liquor that I don’t know what to do with.

So, to encourage you to try it, here is the original, again, and here are some additional recipes that use raspberry vodka and limoncello and a few that even use the sour mix too (though that’s cheap), so that no matter what, you won’t get stuck with liquor. I also adjusted the measurement device from the original recipe as I recently discovered many people don’t have jiggers LOL

tip: If you don’t have bar tools or a small measuring device, a shot glass is aprox. 1 oz

Raspberry-Lemon martini

• 1.5 oz raspberry vodka
• 1.5 oz pink limoncello (regular limoncello would swap out just fine)
• 1/2 oz sour mix
• a few drops of lemon juice
• a few drops of grenadine

Shake ingredients with ice and pour into a sugar rimmed martini glass; makes 1 drink

Raspberry – Limoncello spritzer

• 1 bottle Prosecco (sweet white sparkling wine) chilled
• 4 oz limoncello
• 3 oz raspberry vodka

Stir and pour; serve with fresh raspberries and mint; makes 4 drinks

Limoncello Martini

• 1oz limoncello
• 1 oz vodka
• 1/2 oz sour mix
• 1/2 oz lemon juice

Shake with ice and pour into sugar rimmed martini glass

Bacio del Limone

• 4 oz sparkling wine
• 1 oz limoncello

Serve over ice with fresh berries; makes 1 drink

Lady Cello

• 1 oz  limoncello
• 1 oz rum
• 1/2 oz lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp grenadine

Shake with ice and pour into a sugar rimmed glass; makes 1 drink

Italian sunrise

• 6 oz vodka
• 3 oz bitters
• 1 oz limoncello
• 3 oz orange juice
• 3 oz sour mix

Stir and pour over ice; makes 2-4 drinks

Pink Cello

• 1/2 oz limoncello
• 1 oz vodka
• 1 oz cranberry juice

Shake with ice and pour; makes 1 drink

 Pineapple-Raspberry cocktail

• 1/2 cup cranberry juice
• 1/2 cup pineapple juice
• 1/2 cup raspberry vodka
• 1/4 cup peach schnapps

Mix; serve over ice; makes 2-4 drinks

Raspberry Mojito

• small bunch of mint leaves
• 4 slices of lime
• 3 tbsp. simple syrup
• 6 oz seltzer (could use a lime or raspberry seltzer too)
• 2 oz raspberry vodka

Mash mint leaves and 3 slices of lime; shake crushed mint and lime with simple syrup and seltzer; add vodka and shake once more; garnish with remaining lime slice and fresh raspberries

Raspberry Moscow Mule

• 2 oz raspberry vodka
• 2 oz vodka
• ginger beer
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• fresh or frozen raspberries

Shake sugar, lime juice, raspberries, vodka and raspberry vodka. Pour in a glass and top with cold ginger beer to taste. Garnish with a lime.

Two other easy go-to’s for raspberry vodka :

mix to taste; good for those who don’t have a stocked bar and like it sweet and light

• Raspberry vodka and Sprite (tastes like raspberry sherbet)
• Raspberry vodka and lemonade (spiked raspberry lemonade)