yes, i know it is not actual friday and that is is definitely not happy hour. 

i'll spare you the gory details of my last couple days, but basically friday i had the blog all queued up and ready to go and then my computer froze. and friday at three was the last time i had free time. 

but none of that matters now. the only thing that matters is that today, i get to be with family, eat a ton of food and there is no work to be done! 

after a bustling holiday season, i just want to enjoy a cocktail and relax. so here is an EASY cocktail with a very festive feel. 

cranberry mint cooler
serves: 1 cocktail
prep time: 4-5 hours (as long as it takes ice to freeze)
active time: 1 minute
ingredients: 6 oz your favorite white wine. .25 cup club soda. sphere or regular ice mold. 10 cranberries. 10 small mint leaves. mint sprig for garnish

start by creating your ice. in your mold, add the mint and cranberries. top with water and set to freeze. 

when you are ready to indulge, add one sphere or a few of your cranberry ice cubes to your glass. 

top with white wine.

add club soda as desired and enjoy. 

garnish with mint and serve.

merry christmas, a

cranberry mint cooler
serves: 1 cocktail
prep time: 4-5 hours (as long as it takes ice to freeze)
active time: 1 minute
ingredients: 6 oz your favorite white wine. .25 cup club soda. sphere or regular ice mold. 10 cranberries. 10 small mint leaves. mint sprig for garnish
start by creating your ice. in your mold, add the mint and cranberries. top with water and set to freeze.
when you are ready to indulge, add one sphere or a few of your cranberry ice cubes to your glass. top with white wine.add club soda as desired. garnish with mint sprig. 

the christmas countdown is on. less than ten days till the madness and then we can all let out a big sigh of relief till next year.

it's funny. until you are an "adult" with lots of work to do before the big day, christmas is what you LIVE for. basically as a child, the whole year is spent counting down till this one day. and as an adult, we spend most of the year working for the day and then feel a huge weight lifted when it is all over.

and since it is likely that most, if not all of my readers are "adults" i have a little something to help us all get through the next week and a half. a pretty little cocktail that hits the spot, wows your guests and takes minimal effort. just what santa ordered.

blackberry + sage gin fizz
serves: 1
prep time: 2 minutes
active time: 1 minute
total time: 3 minutes
ingredients: 2 oz gin. 1 oz simple syrup. 1 oz lemon juice. .5 cup club soda. 4 sage leaves. 2 blackberries. 1 toothpick. 2 cups ice.

start by separating your ice. half in your serving glass and half in whatever glass you will be mixing your drink in.

finely chop one of your sage leaves. 

stack your remaining 3 sage leaves and run your toothpick threw them. 

skewer your two blackberries with the toothpick and reserve. 

in your mixing glass, combine the chopped sage leaf, gin, simple syrup and lemon juice. 

shake or stir well and strain the mixture over ice in your serving glass. 

top off your cocktail with club soda to taste. 

garnish with blackberry and sage skewer and serve. 

xo, a

blackberry + sage gin fizz
serves: 1
prep time: 2 minutes
active time: 1 minute
total time: 3 minutes
ingredients: 2 oz gin. 1 oz simple syrup. 1 oz lemon juice. .5 cup club soda. 4 sage leaves. 2 blackberries. 1 toothpick. 2 cups ice.
start by separating your ice. half in your serving glass and half in whatever glass you will be mixing your drink in.
finely chop one of your sage leaves.
stack your remaining 3 sage leaves and run your toothpick threw them. skewer your two blackberries with the toothpick and reserve.
in your mixing glass, combine the chopped sage leaf, gin, simple syrup and lemon juice.
shake or stir well and strain the mixture over ice in your serving glass.
top off your cocktail with club soda to taste.
garnish with blackberry and sage skewer and serve.