hallelujah. 

we made it. to say i'm happy it is friyay would be the understatement of the year. now that i've got a beverage in my belly and some time in the ocean under my belt, i'm finally starting to RELAX. 

in the last two weeks i've taught two dozen spin and yoga classes, a dozen swim lessons, made a dozen cakes and catered for a dozen girls. and i capped it all off this morning, teaching yoga to a class that include my studios founder. i can't lie, i was heavily feeling the nerves. but it is over, it went great, and i survived the marathon of dozens. 

after the madness, it was drink time. my girlfriend nicole is in town from colorado and she is loving shirley temples these days, so we made a twist on the classic lemon lime soda + grenadine drink. 

dirty shirley
serves: 1 cocktail
prep time: 10 minutes
active time: 2 minutes
total time: 12 minutes ingredients: 5 oz lemon lime soda (sprite or 7up). 2 oz vodka. .5 oz campari. .5 oz grenadine. 5 bing cherries. basil sprig for garnish. cup of ice. 

start by breaking up 3 of your cherries and soaking them in the vodka, letting the vodka infuse with the cherry flavor. you could soak these for ten minutes, up to overnight if you like. after the cherries soaked, strain out the cherry chunks. 

in a glass with all your ice, pour in the grenadine and campari. 

pour in the cherry infused vodka.

top off with lemon-lime soda. 

garnish with basil and the remaining cherries and enjoy. 

xo, a

dirty shirley serves: 1 cocktail
prep time: 10 minutes
active time: 2 minutes
total time: 12 minutes ingredients: 5 oz lemon lime soda (sprite or 7up). 2 oz vodka. .5 oz campari. .5 oz grenadine. 5 bing cherries. basil sprig for garnish. cup of ice. start by breaking up 3 of your cherries and soaking them in the vodka, letting the vodka infuse with the cherry flavor. you could soak these for ten minutes, up to overnight if you like. after the cherries soaked, strain out the cherry chunks. in a glass with all your ice, pour in the grenadine and campari. pour in the cherry infused vodka. top off with lemon-lime soda. garnish with basil and the remaining cherries and enjoy. 

it is starting to look a lot like summer. kids are getting out of school, the heat in socal is rising and the longest day of the year is less than a week away. and few things feel more like summer than pineapple. 

the problem is, pineapple drinks tend to be much to sweet. i like a cooling, floral cocktail with a hint of fruitiness. and this cocktail delivers. watch out, it's hard to have just one. 

pineapple sunrise
serves: 1 cocktail
prep time: 3 minutes
active time: 2 minutes
total time: 5 minutes
ingredients: 4 oz pineapple juice. 2 oz vodka. .5 oz campari. 2-4 oz club soda (to taste). tumbler glass filled with ice. toothpick, lime wedge and pineapple slice for garnish. 

start by combining your pineapple juice and vodka. stir well to combine. 

pour the vodka and pineapple juice into you glass. 

top with the campari (let it settle to the bottom to create that really pretty layer of color). 

top off your cocktail with club soda to taste. use your toothpick to skewer the lime and pineapple piece. 

garnish your drink with the lime and pineapple skewer. enjoy! 

xo, a

pineapple sunrise
serves: 1 cocktail
prep time: 3 minutes
active time: 2 minutes
total time: 5 minutes
ingredients: 4 oz pineapple juice. 2 oz vodka. .5 oz campari. 2-4 oz club soda (to taste). tumbler glass filled with ice. toothpick, lime wedge and pineapple slice for garnish. start by combining your pineapple juice and vodka. stir well to combine. pour the vodka and pineapple juice into you glass. top with the campari (let it settle to the bottom to create that really pretty layer of color). top off your cocktail with club soda to taste. use your toothpick to skewer the lime and pineapple piece. garnish your drink with the lime and pineapple skewer. enjoy!