We were at Navy Pier in Chicago, enjoying lunch at Riva before attending a matinée at The Shakespeare Theater, and opted to sample a cocktail; specifically, a cherry limeade, notable because, aside from the bright green color, it contained no lime – well, other than that slice.
Still light, refreshing, and tasty, though. Made with cherry vodka, Midori (a melon liqueur), and lemonade, I thought it may just be the cocktail to serve friends this summer when a Kalimotxo just won’t do.
To be perfectly honest, this is still a bit of a work in progress, but is really quite nice enough to share.
INGREDIENTS
•3 oz Midori
•3 oz cherry vodka
•2 oz lemonade
•1 oz Cointreau
•Sprite or club soda
First off, I took Riva’s menu description at face value and used equal parts cherry vodka and Midori, then added a splash of lemonade to the glass over ice.
Not bad, but…
A bit of Cointreau with the lemonade made it just a bit better.
Then, I got to thinking…
The cocktail at Riva was light and refreshing and just a touch on the sweet side, so I tried combining the lemonade with the Cointreau, Midori, and cherry vodka, then added a splash of Sprite.
Note: our market carries an assortment of Mexican sodas, made with real sugar and no corn sweeteners.
Nice, but, mebbe a touch too sweet for my taste; so, try it and see if you agree, then swap out club soda for the Sprite.
Much more better.
Bring on summer!