5 End-Of-Summer Cocktail Recipes For Labor Day Weekend

Every summer ends, New Jersey. Luckily, there’s the Labor Day weekend.

If you need some help getting your end-of-summer party started this Labor Day, why not whip up a batch of these tasty treats for your guests? (For adults 21+ only. These recipes contain alcohol, so party responsibly and use a designated driver!)

PIMM’S CUP

Ingredients:

• 1 cup ice cubes
• 1/4 cup (2 ounces) Pimm's No. 1
• 6 tablespoons (3 ounces) ginger ale
• 1 cucumber slice
• 1/2 orange slice

Directions:

• Add Pimms No.1 Cup and ice to glass
• top with ginger ale
• garnish with cucumber and orange slices, and serve.

FRESH BLACKBERRY MOJITO

Ingredients:

• 3 cups fresh blackberries
• ice as needed
• 4 shots rum (1 1/2 ounces each)
• simple syrup
• soda water as needed
• mint (10 leaves per drink plus 2 to garnish)
• 3 limes, quartered (2 quarters per drink plus one to squeeze on top as garnish)

Directions:

• Sprinkle blackberries in the bottom of four glasses, then muddle or smash them with the back of a fork to extract their juice.
• Add 4-5 mint leaves by breaking them up to release the mint oil and muddle them as well along with a tablespoon of simple syrup.
• Gently muddle the mint.
• Add two lime wedges and muddle them. NOTE: Proper muddling of your mint is the key to a flavorful minty drink or one that tastes like grass.
• Fill each glass with ice, and a shot of rum.
• Mix well, then top the glasses with soda water and squeeze a lime.
• Garnish with mint, blackberries and lime quarters before serving.

Photo and recipe credits: Divine Lifestyle

BLUE HAWAIIAN

Ingredients:

• 1 oz. white rum
• ½ oz. Blue Curacao
• 3 oz. Piña Colada Mix
• 1 cup crushed ice
• fresh pineapple and cherries for garnish
• blue sugar or coconut for rimming (optional)

Directions:

• Rim glass (Optional): For fun, take crushed coconut and roll in blue food coloring, then let dry. Dip rim of glass in rum, then dip into blue coconut.
• Combine rum, Curacao and mix in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into rimmed glasses and garnish with a fresh pineapple slice or pineapple and cherries on a skewer.

Photo and recipe credits: Daily’s Cocktails

THYME FOR PEACHES

Ingredients:

• 1 ripe peach half, skin on
• 1 spring of fresh thyme
• 3/4 oz. fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 oz. simple syrup
• 2 oz. Famous Grouse blended scotch
• 1/2 oz. St. Germain elderflower liqueur
• Ice

Directions:

• Muddle peach half with skin on in a shaker glass along with the fresh spring of thyme, lemon juice and simple syrup.
• Add blended scotch, the St. Germain and ice cubes and shake.
• Strain into a chilled couple or champagne saucer glass.
• "Garnish the cocktail with another thyme sprig for a nice herbaceous nose, and enjoy," according to mixologist Shane Croughan

SKINNY STRAWBERRY DAIQUIRI

Ingredients:

• 1 shot (1.5 fl. oz) white rum
• ½ cup strawberries
• 1 shot (1.5 fl. oz) lime juice
• Ice, to your liking

Directions:

• Blend the strawberries and ice.
• Toss in a shot of rum, and top it off with lime juice.
• Stir and enjoy.

Send news tips/feedback to eric.kiefer@patch.com

This article contains previous reporting by Melody Kettle, Susan C. Schena, Matthew Sanderson, Dana Leigh Smith

Main Image: Patch file photo