Summer is here (at least in Vegas it is!) and what better way to kick off the season than with our old friend, Vodka. It's mixable, it bloats gummy bears to delicious intoxication and who could forget summer favorites like Sex on the Beach, Lemon Drops, refreshing Sea Breezes and Long Island Iced Teas.
Ahh...the tastes of summer.
We thought we'd start out with a couple of fun ways to include vodka in your summer fun. If you've tried these nifty takes on vodka already, tell us how they went! If you haven't tried them, you'll be pleased when you do.
Interested in Vodka's history and other fun facts? We'll be posting that soon!
#1 Drunken Gummi Bears!
The premises is easy, you take your favorite Gummi Bears (worms, fish, whatever) and soak them in vodka. Put as many as you plan on consuming in a glass bowl, pour enough vodka to cover the gummies, cover and refrigerate. As they soak, they absorb the vodka and plump up. For less alcohol content and firmer bears, soak for about 5 hours. Soak up to 48 hours for squishier bears and stronger alcohol content. Make sure you don't soak them too long or they turn to vodka jelly and disintegrate. Take any leftover vodka and mix yourself a drink - it's sweet.
Recipes, recommendations and tastes vary, so have fun with it! Try a flavored vodka, or add some concentrated fruit juice for a little extra flavor. Make fun skewers or Bearsicles. It's ok to play with your food!
#2 Vodka Infused Melon Balls
Easy enough to make and deliciously refreshing on a summer day! There are many versions of this recipe - all the better for you to experiment with and find your favorite. Take your melons - watermelon, honeydew and cantaloupe and ball or cut them. Soak overnight in a combination of vodka and juice, or just vodka if you're adventurous. We like tasty pineapple juice and vodka, but flavored vodkas and sprite will work for a little extra kick. Or, just go all out with straight vodka.
Don't feel like balling the melons? Opt for a frozen watermelon vodka smoothie instead with your favorite ingredients.
If you can find the time, the Watermelon Vodka Shark is always a crowd pleaser.
I had to find this picture on Pinterest, when I tried a while back I mangled my shark into an epic fail, but that's another story.
#3 Skittles Vodka
Skittles vodka is fairly easy to make, but a bit messy. Simply take your favorite candies, skittles, lemon heads, hot cinnamons - whatever hard candy you like and separate out the colors if necessary. Put about 10 skittles per ounce of vodka in a clean water bottles to dissolve. This can take up to overnight for some candies like skittles, less for Jolly Ranchers. Make sure to shake the bottles frequently to help them dissolve. You'll be left with some sludge from the candies in most cases which will need to be strained out. Try coffee filters and strain the mixture into another container. After straining, store in a (preferably glass) container, chill and it's ready to serve - straight or mix with some club soda or over ice. Delicious!
Candies like the Jolly Ranchers won't need straining and infuse more quickly. Test out your favorites and tell us about your tasty experiments!
Tell me you wouldn't LOVE a jello shot with the cute vodka-soaked Gummi Bears on top? That's just awesome summer fun right there!
So we at Tipsy Totes don't look irresponsible, we'll remind you to be responsible! Don't drink and drive and watch kids around your delectable treats. They look like kid-friendly foods and we definitely don't want the kiddos to sample any adult beverages by mistake!
