Passion Fruit Bubbly

AKA, Pornstar Martini (with a champagne sidecar) is a fun name but the bubbles are important and can be in it, not beside it so martini doesn’t fit for me. I hear it has origins in London and the pornstar name would shake up the British drinking scene. I batched it and served it as a cocktail versus a martini.

These are delicious and I’ll make them again! They would be so fitting at brunch too!

Passion fruit Bubbly Cocktails
Ingredients: (serves 4)

1/2 cup vanilla vodka
3 oz Passion fruit syrup (or passion fruit liquor + 1 oz simple syrup)
1/4 cup Passion fruit puree
1-2 limes, juiced
2 cups champagne/prosecco
Dehydrated fruit garnish, optional

Directions:
Stir or shake together the vodka, passion fruit puree & syrup, and lime juice. Pour into glasses with ice.
Top with bubbles and garnish.
Cheers!

The passion fruit flavor is so unique and a welcome change from orange flavor – despite being orange colored! I made these for happy hour, after a winery, so it worked out well that I hadn’t come across passion fruit liquor – the vodka and champagne is enough.

Pineapple Mojito

Cheers! I made these pineapple mojitos because we always have plenty of mint and love pineapple. There are a few touches to customize these.

Pineapple Mojito

Pineapple Mojito
Ingredients: (for 1-2 cocktails)

pineapple simple syrup (make ahead: 1/2 cup sugar + 1/2 cup water)
1/2 cup pineapple
mint
1 cup pineapple juice/lemonade/tonic/soda water
1 shot white rum

Pineapple Mojito - The Three Bite Rule

Directions:
Prep and chill the simple syrup: boil the sugar and water to dissolve the sugar. Add in most of the pineapple and chill.
In a glass, muddle together the mint, pineapple from the simple syrup, and a few mint leaves.

Pineapple Mojito - The Three Bite Rule

In a cocktail shaker, shake together ice, a few mint leaves, the remaining pineapple chunks, and juice (if using tonic/soda water, add after). Pour into the glass.

Pineapple Mojito - The Three Bite Rule

Enjoy! Cheers! Top off with more ice, or a splash of juice, or a splash of water to taste.

These are sweet but refreshing from the mint. I’m excited to use the leftover pineapple simple syrup as my sweetener for ice green tea.

Pineapple Mojito - The Three Bite Rule

Peach Tea Cocktail

This one is summer in a glass – refreshing tea, sweet peach, and a little spike. Also, when I say peach- I always am using nectarines but if fuzz is OK with you, go for it!

The Three Bite Rule - Peach Tea Cocktail

I usually only drink tea hot and exclusively in the fall and winter but this summer while I was home I embraced (iced) tea time, in the afternoons to have something fun to look forward to. I was surprised to love mint tea iced and blackberry/elderberry tea was a great treat too.

Peach Tea Cocktails
Ingredients:
(for 2 cocktails + leftover iced tea)
2 peach tea bags (mine was peach mango)
3 cups water
1/2 peach, sliced
1-2 oz peach schnapps/cointreau/lemon vodka/raspberry vodka
1 teaspoon simple syrup or 1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 cups ice

Directions:
Brew the tea and let cool. It should be very strong for iced tea as it will get watered down.

The Three Bite Rule - Peach Tea Cocktail

Add ice to a cocktail shaker with the tea, peach, alcohol, and sugar/simple syrup (if using).

The Three Bite Rule - Peach Tea Cocktail

Shake well and serve over ice.
Enjoy!

The Three Bite Rule - Peach Tea Cocktail

This was so so good. The tea makes it really light and refreshing and gives you the chance to make it as sweet or not as you’d like with simple syrup or sugar. You could amp up the peach flavor by tossing some peach and the pit into the pot when making the simple syrup (and removing when it cooled). Herbal tea isn’t caffeinated so this is ideal for something fun to sip on a hot night. Cheers!

Strawberry Lemonade & Basil Cocktail

Cheers! Starting with lemonade, these cocktails get some muddled strawberries and basil and a splash of lemon vodka. They’re sweet and fresh. Make one or these would be great as a pitcher batch to spike as desired.

Strawberry Lemonade & Basil Cocktail - The Three Bite Rule

I love love love the herbs in a cocktail. I’ve been adding our boatloads of mint to my water and to iced tea so the basil flavor was a welcome change.

Strawberry Lemonade & Basil Cocktails:
Ingredients (for 2):

~6 strawberries, halved or quartered
1 teaspoon of sugar (or simple syrup)
3-4 basil leaves
2 cups lemonade
1-2 oz lemon vodka

Directions:
Split the strawberries into 2 glasses and add a sprinkle of sugar (or simple syrup) and muddle a few times to crush them. Use a cocktail muddle or the handle of a spoon.
Then add in the basil and gently muddle once or twice.

Strawberry Lemonade & Basil Cocktail - The Three Bite Rule

Pour in the lemonade and the vodka and stir well. Top off with ice and another strawberry or basil leaf to garnish. Add in ice and stir again.
Cheers!

Strawberry Lemonade & Basil Cocktail - The Three Bite Rule

I loved this. I made it first and was too aggressive muddling the basil (thus, why they’re best done separately) and I wanted more strawberry. We had just gone strawberry picking so these were the best of the best BUT muddling would really bring even grocery store ones to life!

Apple Cider Sangria

I made some hot caramel apple cider recently and expected to be floored. It was good, but not ground breaking (apple cider, caramel sauce, & cinnamon). Then, I turned the leftovers into sangria and it was the best sangria I’ve ever made. Ever. Seriously. Write this down.
Apple Cider Sangria

I saw the idea for apple cider sangria and adapted it to what I like/had around.

Ingredients:

½ gallon apple cider
2 tbs caramel sauce (optional)
1 tsp cinnamon
½ cup simple syrup (1/2 cup water + ½ cup sugar dissolved)
1 cup cranberry vodka
1 -2 cups red wine
craisins and chopped apple

Directions:

Mix cider, caramel & cinnamon (optional), simple syrup, and vodka together.
Add craisins and apple and keep refrigerated for 24 hours before serving. Drink this as a cocktail or continue on for sangria.
Apple Cider Sangria
Add wine and serve.

Can I gush about how great this was? Ok, great! 😉

It was fall, and crisp, and sweet, and had a serious boozy kick to it. I loved it. The apple cider and cranberry flavors were great together. I liked how sweet and cool it was. Craisins absorb the liquid and plump up.
Apple Cider Sangria

Mr. J was introduced to sangria in Barcelona and and he actually loved it! He liked this one too. It was kind of a hybrid between a cocktail and sangria anyway. It packed a serious punch. I finished my glass and was bopping around totally feeling the wine and alcohol in there!

I want to make more. Already. It was fun to just have sangria around. I’m afraid I “save” thoughts and recipe ideas for special occasions. I think this was a good reminder that anything can become a special occasion.