Ever since I started dating my then-boyfriend/now-husband Toby, my taste in alcoholic beverages has been elevated to the next level. I wouldn’t say we are cocktail snobs, maybe more like cocktail enthusiasts. Because if a drink involves specific syrups or bitters, chances are we may not want to make it at home, perhaps not yet.

We also follow the rule of only drinking on the weekends (Fridays & Saturdays), or when we’re on holidays, then we can relax a bit. Any alcoholic drinks make me more tired the next day, even though we usually cap at 2 drinks each night. So, when we are at home or out on a date night on the weekends, you bet we would want to sit back, relax, and enjoy a delicious cocktail to round off the week.

The drinks we make are weather-based. Refreshing ones for summer (such as Hemingway Daiquiri, The Last Word), or richer and bitter with deeper flavors for winter (think: First-Time Caller, Rudolph Collins). Fall and Spring can be a combination of flavors, depending on what type of weather we’d actually get in Washington State on that specific day.

Since we’re in the middle of summer currently, and we may be getting 80+ degrees on July 4th this year (it rarely happens in Seattle/Washington), here is a refreshing recipe if you’d like to try something new.

Saturn

The original recipe does use 1/2 oz of passion fruit syrup instead of the liqueur. Now, we’re the type who prefer less sweet in our drinks, so we use the liqueur instead. The brand we love is Chinola, easily picked up from any Total Wine locations.

This should give you a single serving of the drink; however, Toby likes to make it 1.5 instead (not single, but not quite double as it’s usually our first drink – gotta take it easy!). So, up the amount of everything if you’d like a bigger pour.

If you want to try something new this summer, this is an easy (and very addictive) one to start. It’s definitely one of our guests’ favorites of all times. Enjoy the summer and drink responsibly; and if you have any favorite summer drinks, leave me a comment!