Summer Cocktail Recipes from TUSSOCK JUMPER WINES and Tips for Foodies

As we begin to head outdoors for picnics and beach days, instead of grabbing a canned cocktail or hard seltzer, DIY instead, and make a fresh cocktail to-go in your favorite insulated container. The folks at Tussock Jumper Wines have put together a collection of recipes that are refreshingly easy and can be made directly in a bottle of your choice that will keep your beverage chilled.

We know you'll like these because they are not only simple to prepare, but refreshing and pair nicely with summer fare. Thank you to Cassandra Rosen of Tussock Jumper Wines for sharing these six wonderful recipes with Broadwayworld readers. And check out the additional tips that Cassandra recommends for summer food and fun.

Liquid Sunshine

For this cocktail, there's no shaking, swizzling, or swirling required. Just throw the ingredients in a thermos or large, insulated water bottle, pop some ice in a cooler, and shake it up into solo cups wherever your weekend plans may take you!

4 oz Tussock Jumper Pinot Grigio *available on Drizly
4 oz white rum
8 oz pineapple juice
6 oz orange juice
1 oz lime juice

Method: Pour all ingredients into a thermos and chill for at least 3 to 4 hours. Serve over ice.

Beach Berry Red Wine Spritzer

This red wine spritzer is a cool, refreshing cocktail that's perfect for when you want to drink, but also watch those calories!

6 fresh strawberries hulled, stems removed
10 fresh blueberries
3-4 tsp agave nectar
Juice of one lime
12 oz Tussock Jumper Sweet Cat Red Blend, chilled
6 oz seltzer or club soda, chilled
3 sprigs of mint

Method: In a pitcher, muddle the mint and agave, then add the berries. Muddle again. Add the red wine, and then strain into a thermos. Top with soda, chill at least one hour to let flavors meld. Serve over ice.

Tinto De Verano

A Tinto de Verano is a must try traditional Spanish cocktail. The words translate loosely to 'summer red wine', and are a mixture of a Spanish red wine with a sweetened sparkling soda like lemon-lime, tonic water, or lemonade and soda water.

8 oz Tussock Jumper Tempranillo*available on Drizly
8 oz tonic water or lemon-lime soda
Juice of half a lemon
4 oz sparkling water (optional)

Method: Combine Tussock Jumper and your choice of soda into a thermos. Squeeze in fresh lemon juice. If you prefer a less sweet cocktail, just add a splash of sparkling water.

Sparkling Wine Mojito

If you're in the mood for a mojito, but want something less boozy than rum, try substituting a white wine. A mojito is a tart drink, so it's best made with a dry, aromatic wine like Sauvignon Blanc.

8 oz Tussock Jumper Sauvignon Blanc
6 oz limeade
6 oz cucumber lime sparkling water
2 limes, juiced
Handful of mint sprigs

Method: Muddle the mint in the bottom of a pitcher. Combine all the ingredients except sparkling water, strain into a chilled thermos. Add the sparkling water. Chill 1 hour, serve over ice.

Sparkling Margarita

Make 'boat drinks' the easy way with this fun twist on the margarita. Any fresh limeade or lemonade will work well in this drink.

8 ounces Tussock Jumper Prosecco, chilled *available on Drizly
4 ounce blanco tequila
8 ounces limeade

Method: Pour all ingredients into a chilled thermos. Head to the boat, and prepare to chill!

Summer in Spain

This sweet sparkler is pink, fruity, and perfect for pool or lakeside sipping.

8 oz Tussock Jumper Moscato Rosé, chilled*available on Drizly
3 oz elderflower liqueur
6 oz sparkling water, chilled
1.5 oz lemon juice
Strawberry slices (optional)

Method: Pour all ingredients into a wide-mouthed thermos, stir twice. Serve over ice, garnish with strawberries.

Cassandra Rosen of Tussock Jumper Wines also has great suggestions for food and wine lovers:

Leave Stemware at Home

Rosen also notes that, "A lot can go wrong when you pack glassware, so instead, grab a wine with a cup attached. Tussock Jumper's globally sourced single serves ($3.99 each) come in Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Grigio, and Malbec - making picnic pairings easy." Available at Drizly.com.

No Corkscrew? No Problem!

"Picnic sans corkscrew and choose screw cap wines for outdoor sipping," says Rosen. Tussock Jumper's line of wines have easy-to-open screw caps that can be resealed and kept on ice. Try a bubbly, sweet Moscato Rosé with flavors of mandarin orange and strawberry, or a crisp, tropical Sauvignon Blanc with notes of melon and lime blossom." Available at Drizly.com.

Instead of Full Size Sandwiches, Make Minis: Full size sammies can take up so much room in your picnic basket. Instead take your favorite sandwich filler, such as chicken salad, and use slider buns or mini croissants as the vessels. There's a great selection available in most grocer's bakeries. We like St Pierre Bakery because all their products are fresh and authentic, and contain NO GMOs, trans fats, high fructose corn syrups and preservatives. They are available at both Target and Walmart.

BBQ Flavor without the BBQ Mess: If you're craving a little smoky flavor for your dishes, but don't have a BBQ grill - or perhaps you don't want the BBQ mess - use a quality smoked salt on dishes like chicken or pulled pork. The night before, bake chicken seasoned with a mesquite smoked salt, chipotle chili powder, and garlic, then slice it up for sandwiches or make a smoky chicken salad. The result is a hearty and robust BBQ taste without the fuss of a grill or mess of BBQ sauce. We like SaltWorks for their all-natural Hickory Smoked Sea Salt or Mesquite Smoked Salt. The company uses all-natural wood that is lot-coded, food-grade and free of pesticides as well as a cold-smoking technique to infuse the most authentic flavor. Plus they're available in convenient shakers that you can easily pack in your basket for those who want an extra BBQ kick! Available on Amazon or SeaSalt.com.

A Little Something Sweet: Need something sweet without the fuss? These authentic Chocolate & Hazelnut french rolled crepês by St Pierre Bakery are an easy and accessible dessert or sweet treat. They come individually wrapped so you can easily pack a few in a picnic basket, or slice them up into bite size pieces. Available at Target.

Create Your Own Boozy Ice Cream Sundae: Create your own ice cream sundae with Tipsy Scoop's boozy ice cream. Just choose from flavors like Mango Margarita sorbet, Dark Chocolate Whiskey Salted Caramel, and Raspberry Limoncello, scoop, and top with your favorite candies! Starting at $48 for a 4-pack of pints. Available for nationwide shipping through Williams Sonoma and Goldbelly.

About TUSSOCK JUMPER WINES

As a gold medal award winning wine portfolio, Tussock Jumper Wines sources only the best limited production vintages each growing season from producers around the globe.

For the US market, the Tussock Jumper portfolio includes 24 wines from eleven different winemaking regions. Each of their wines are bottled at the source, capturing the best flavors and aromas from grape to glass.

To 'bring your wine to life®', Tussock Jumper has also developed an augmented reality app, with each regional ambassador 'jumping' off the bottle to help with wine pairings and recommendations. Download it free on the Play Store or iTunes.

Photo Credit: Beach Berry Red Wine Spritzer, Courtesy of Tussock Jumper Wines

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