5 PERFECT SUMMER COCKTAILS + tips for crafting a great cocktail

One of my favorite things about summer is the cocktails.  There isn't much that's better than an ice cold cocktail on the patio as the sun glides towards the horizon.  Dan and are working on our yard right now, so instead of a patio we just have a pile of sod and dirt for the time being, but if I close my eyes I'm sitting on our future patio with my feet propped up on our future fire pit.  The point is, it doesn't really matter whether or not you have a dreamy patio to enjoy a cocktail, they're still pretty damn delicious regardless of where you're doing the enjoying.  

Want to make some bomb cocktails this summer?  Here are a few tips for giving your cocktails an extra boost of awesome.

Always use the freshest ingredients when you can.  Squeeze citrus juices fresh from the fruit, and use fresh herbs and spices.  If you plan on making lots of cocktails this summer, it helps to always have lemons and limes on hand.  Instead of using a sour mix, make your own!  I promise it'll taste ten times better.

When muddling fruits and herbs, make sure to muddle the right amount.  Use a heavier hand with fruits, while being more delicate with herbs.

When it comes to booze, get the best you can afford.  I've always heard that you shouldn't

cook

with a wine you wouldn't

drink

, so it stands to reason that a cocktail should be made with liquor that tastes good straight!  Of course, liquor can get super pricey, so it's a balance between affordability and taste, just find something that works for you.  But!  A good liquor can really make a cocktail incredible.

Strawberry Basil Lemonade Sparkler

 (above)

New York Sour

Chipotle Whisky Sour

Make sure to dilute your drinks!  Diluting can feel like it's going against the point of creating a cocktail, but here are simple cues to know when your drink is diluted the right amount.  For cocktails that are stirred, watch the edges of the ice cubes. Once they've lost their sharpness and the edges are rounded, it's done!  If you're making a shaken drink, you'll know it's properly diluted as soon as the shaker gets frosty.  Another tip on ice: if the ice has been sitting in your freezer for too long it can start to take on the taste of other stuff in your freezer, which really isn't the flavor profile you want in your cocktail.  Use fresh ice!

Don't forget the garnish!  My 

favorite

 way to make a cocktail look super fancy is the garnish.  Even the most simple of garnishes can make your cocktail look like it was handcrafted by a world class bartender.  Just a twist of lime, sprig of mint, or a wedge of fruit is all it takes!  Not only do garnishes make your drinks look great, they can also finish out the flavor profile of your drinks.  Just a twist of lemon peel or a star anise can perfectly finish your cocktail!  If you're garnishing with a citrus peel, make sure to twist it over the drink before rubbing the rim and dropping it in.  If you're garnishing with herbs, clap them between your palms to release the oils first.

Using the right type of glass for a cocktail can also help your cocktails shine.  It's not required for a great tasting cocktail, obviously, but it can make it that much more pretty.  I've bought all my different kinds of cocktail glasses at thrift stores!  Or, you know, just use mason jars, I'm guilty of using mason jars for 90% of my home cocktails.

Clover Club

Classic Mojito

visiting sitka

Sitka is one of my favorite places on Earth.  I hadn't spent much time there until my grandparents moved over from Juneau last year, but now I'm subtly trying to convince Dan that we need to move there.  I've always loved Southeast Alaska and spent quite a bit of time in Juneau with my grandparents, who lived there for 60 years.  Sitka, though, has a home-y quality that Juneau always lacked for me.  Juneau's just a bit too large and, despite being a small-ish town, lacks the small town vibe that's made me fall in love with Sitka.  My aunt and uncle have made Sitka their home for decades and I remember visiting them about 20 years ago, boating around the islands speckling the waters surrounding the town, and harvesting rhubarb from their front yard to make rhubarb pies.

Flying into Sitka on a sunny day is truly a treat.  Flying over the southeast in general is pretty fantastic, but coming in low with the mountains of Baranof Island on one side and the Pacific ocean on the other, while gliding over clusters of tiny islands is breathtaking.  Whenever I fly to Alaska I do my best to get a window seat, but especially when flying to the southeast.  I've never been on an Alaska cruise, but I suspect floating into Sitka is also magnificent.

 

One of my favorite things to do in port cities is to walk up and down the docks of the marinas.  I love looking at all the boat names and smelling the ocean air.  My family has always had boats, so we've spent a lot of time on the water and in marinas, I suppose it's a familiar and relaxing place to be.

If you're in Sitka, I definitely recommend checking out Baranof Island Brewing's taproom.  It's a fun little spot to grab some great brews, but quite a few places around town also have Baranof on tap too.  I've also loved taking in a show at the Bayview Pub, or grabbing lunch there during the day.  You can sit by the windows and look out on the bay, hence "Bayview."  They've got a pretty good selection of beers on tap and decent bar food.  My aunt invited us to a show at the Bayview one night and it was really fun to see local musicians, hang out, and dance.

The only place I've ever gotten coffee in Sitka is the Backdoor Cafe, but I love it.  It's, surprise, found at the backdoor behind Old Harbor Books.  It's right next door to the Pioneer Home so we go there before heading over to spend time with my grandparents.  They didn't have internet last time I was there, but they just got new ownership so they might now.  If not, Highliner Cafe has internet, though I've never been there.  I've heard great things though!
There are plenty of tourist traps to be found walking around downtown, lots of little shops and spots to grab a souvenir.  I'd definitely recommend getting a souvenir from a local or alaskan artist.  Not only are there some incredible Alaskan artists producing some stunning work, but you're supporting a working artist, and oftentimes Alaskan artists are continuing their native arts traditions, which I think is incredibly important.  A lot of native Alaskan art traditions and languages actively need support to keep from dying.  Recently the Alaska state government made Alaska Native languages official state languages so it's a step in the right direction to keep the indigenous languages from going extinct!  Anyway, instead of a "Sitka, AK" shot glass or hat, find something made by a local Alaskan artist!  Two of my favorite Alaskan artists are Rie Muñoz and George Ahgupuk, but there are so many great artists featured in Sitka's shops and galleries.

 

Since my grandparents are now living in the Pioneer Home, we spend quite a bit of time with them there.  The pioneer home has a great little gift shop on the first floor to the right of the entrance when you walk in with art and crafts made by the residents.  Another great way to get a really unique and special souvenir!
Right across the street from the Pioneer Home is one of my favorite little shops, Brenner's.  They've got a ton of cute stuff.  The clothes are geared more towards ladies who are my mom's age, but there's a lot of stuff in there for us young gals too.  I love going shopping with my mom, so it's a fun place to go with her.  If you find yourself in need of more outdoor-gear type clothes and accessories, Mountain Miss is my favorite place to browse around. 
If you're in Sitka during the month of June, make sure to check out the Sitka Summer Music Festival events.  They bring in some unbelievable musical talent for their concert series.  We had the pleasure of watching a world class string performance at Harrigan Centennial Hall which was extraordinary.
There are obviously plenty of amazing hikes and other outdoorsy and tourist attractions to enjoy.  Totem park, Alaska Raptor Center, Fortress of the Bear, Sheldon Jackson Museum, and plenty of ocean and flight tours to be found!  You can also head to the Sitka convention and visitor's bureau site to find more tips for your visit.

a delightful giveaway from chicwish

Today I'm partnering with featured sponsor, Chicwish, to bring you guys an awesome giveaway!  One lucky winner will get to kickstart her summer wardrobe with a $100 gift certificate to spend at Chicwish.  They've got tons of great summer pieces and I was particularly taken with their Boho Collection, so I thought I'd share a few of my favorite pieces!  This summer I'm really loving the more flowy and hippie vibes mixed with bold and graphic prints.  Comfy, yet chic.

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6
To enter to win, just follow the directions below!  There are multiple ways to enter so you've got more than one chance!  Chicwish also has a sale going on right now for 30% off + free shipping on orders $50 or more using the code HOLIDAY30 until 6/30, so you can take advantage of that too.   


a Rafflecopter giveaway


photos via chicwish

pebbles

I've been feeling a strong resurgence of pin-up style in my outfits lately.  Getting back into that scene has been fun, and it's so great to meet new, fun people.  On a whim I decided to compete in a pin up contest this August, and I've never done anything like that!  I was never a pageant girl growing up, I was probably the furthest thing from it, actually.  One of my friends from Adventures in Oz won last year's contest and encouraged me to go for it, so I said, "What the hell!" and signed up.  17 year old me would be so proud.  I used to take my El Camino to car shows and car club meet ups back in high school and I remember seeing the pretty girls in their pin up outfits walking around the car shows getting their photos taken against shiny hot rods.  I secretly wished I could rock that style, but I was still too self conscious at the time.  I'm excited to go to a car show and pin up contest ten years later, with the self confidence to rock a hot pin up look.

 

top/courtesy of modcloth :: jeans/courtesy of for elyse :: shoes/thrifted necklace/moorea seal :: shades/gift :: photos by Dan
This might just be the only leopard print thing I own, which is an oversight I promise, my burlesque sisters, to rectify immediately.  Leopard always walks that line between luxe and kitsch, falling to one side or the other depending on the application.  I've never been much of a luxe type girl so I suspect my styling will always meander towards kitsch, which is probably appropriate for a girl with a blog named "Delightfully Tacky."  For all the ways my style has evolved and revolved over the years, it's always interesting to see which things come back to me and resurface.  Every once in a while I step back and I'm like, "does 'delightfully tacky' still work as my blog name?  have I grown out of it?" and then I realize that I'll probably be delightfully tacky my entire life.  It was a phrase I used to describe myself years before I even started the blog and I'm sure it'll describe me years after the blog goes away.

strawberry rhubarb lemonade

The rhubarb is still going strong in our CSA and now they've added strawberries!  One can only make so many strawberry rhubarb pies without it reaching the level of absurdity so I've been thinking of new ways to utilize my stock of strawberries and rhubarb without repeating the same recipes over and over.  We've been having amazing weather, and I think summer might finally be here to stay, so all I really want to drink is iced tea and lemonade.  As a kid I remember going to Red Robin and getting their "freckled lemonade" which was lemonade with muddled strawberries in the bottom.  This lemonade recipe doesn't have muddled fruit (though why the heck not, right?  Go for it), but it's way more delicious than Red Robin's.  I'm having a hard time not guzzling straight through it.  I think my blood sugar thanks me for making that effort.  
One of my favorite things about summer is lemonade stands on street corners.  Kids with their pitchers full of crystal lite and scrawled signs.  I lived on a small cul-de-sac growing up and there wasn't any foot traffic and the only cars that rolled through were our neighbors, so I didn't ever get to have a lemonade stand, except for one time when we had a garage sale.  I remember we got those costco jelly-filled pastries and giant muffins and sold those too.  I also remember sleeping in until like 1 pm, so I probably missed half of my potential customers.  It was summer!  Sleeping in on summer break is, like, totally legit, though not recommended for fledgling entrepreneurs.

Ingredients
3 stalks rhubarb, chopped
1 lb strawberries, pureed (use a blender or food processor)
2 cups sugar
4 cups water
1 cup lemon juice

1. Pour the water, sugar and rhubarb into a large pot and boil for 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and add in strawberries.

2. Let it sit for about 45 minutes and then strain through a sieve or cheesecloth.

3. Refrigerate the syrup for 1 hour and then stir in lemon juice.  If it's too sweet for your taste, add water and/or lemon juice until it reaches the desired taste.  If you have powdered or premade lemonade, you can always add the strawberry/rhubarb simple syrup to that to give it flavor, too.

4. Serve over ice.  I garnished with some mint, because who doesn't love a garnish?  Oh, and if you're feeling a bit saucy, throw in a 1/2 oz of vodka!