- 8 months ago
Searching for easy, crowd-pleasing cocktails that keep the party going with minimal effort? In this video, Nicole shares six big batch cocktail recipes that are simple to make, super refreshing, and perfect for summer gatherings, BBQs, or lazy weekends with friends. From a classic Lemon Drop to a fun twist on a Cosmopolitan made freezer-style, these drinks are designed for maximum flavor with minimal fuss. Nicole also mixes up a vibrant Watermelon Mojito, a bittersweet Italian Greyhound, and a boozy Arnold Palmer that's dangerously sippable. Whether you're hosting or just want to stock your fridge with something special, these cocktails are sure to impress.
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00:00How it all began, freezer door cocktails are all the rage.
00:04They're so much fun, and they are perfect
00:07for these hot summer months.
00:08I've got six cocktails that I'm gonna show you
00:10that you can make in a big batch,
00:11keep them stored in the fridge or the freezer,
00:13so they're ready when you are.
00:15No prep required.
00:17It's the best martini ever.
00:19What's great about freezer door cocktails,
00:20like I said, they're ready when you are,
00:22but if you're having a party
00:23and you don't wanna be the bartender the whole night,
00:25having martinis ready to go is just clutch.
00:28I'm gonna show you three for the freezer
00:30and then three for the fridge or perfect for your cooler
00:32to take down to the beach or the lake.
00:34Starting off strong with a big batch freezer door lemon drop.
00:38This thing is so refreshing, gets your lips puckering
00:41in those hot spring and summer months.
00:45It's just so good.
00:46For this one, it gets made in a 750-milliliter bottle.
00:49If you have that of vodka, that's great,
00:52but I usually buy my vodka by the handle.
00:56So for this recipe,
00:57just grab any kind of bottle
00:59that's at least 750 milliliters.
01:01It should fill this up perfectly.
01:03Okay, and I need a half a cup of fresh lemon juice.
01:07Fresh has to come from lemons, not from a bottle.
01:12I love to use a reamer for this.
01:15I find that this gets the most juice out.
01:18I do like to strain the juice after,
01:20just for an extra insurance
01:22since you don't have any pulp in there.
01:23It's like extra tart, extra delicious.
01:26All right, next goes orange liqueur.
01:28You can use Cointreau or just triple sec.
01:32I like this for martinis more.
01:35It is important for these to be boozy
01:38and have the right amount of juice to alcohol ratio,
01:41or else it will freeze.
01:43Sugar freezes, water freezes.
01:45So if you add too high of a ratio of sugary liquids
01:49to the alcohol, it's gonna freeze.
01:52All right, now to balance out the tart
01:55and the bite from the alcohol, some simple syrup.
01:58Simple syrup is just equal parts sugar and water.
02:01I like to go a little more,
02:03when I'm making cocktails,
02:04a little more sugar than water,
02:06just so it's a little more syrupy.
02:07And that's it.
02:08I'm just going to add in just a splash of water.
02:11This is going to make up for the dilution
02:13that happens when you shake it with ice,
02:15like in a regular martini.
02:16So I'm just gonna now top it off with water.
02:19That's it.
02:21Give a little toss to the freezer.
02:23We go.
02:26Icy cold and delicious.
02:27And this one's only gonna get better
02:29if you keep letting it go.
02:31But you know, I knew you wouldn't wait a couple days
02:33for me to make this video.
02:35So to serve this up,
02:37like you don't have to get out the shaker or anything.
02:39Get your glass though.
02:41Put a little sugar rim on it.
02:43As this one continues to freeze,
02:44it gets like to where you can have the icy shards on top.
02:48So let it go.
02:51But see, I mean, it's already like frosting up the cup
02:54cause you know it's cold.
02:57Starting off strong.
02:58This is better than any lemon drop I've ever gotten at a bar.
03:01And I'm not exaggerating.
03:02I'm not just telling you that.
03:04It's so good.
03:05It's boozy, but it is so fresh.
03:07You taste the fresh lemon.
03:09A little sugar rim and it's ice cold.
03:11Just don't give me a drink if it's not ice cold.
03:14As cold as it can be and then make it a little colder.
03:16This is that.
03:18I'm proud of this creation.
03:19This is my freezer door margarita.
03:22This one comes with a warning
03:23because it is potent aka strong.
03:27A requirement with this one is that you have to shake it with ice.
03:31You can even top it with a little club soda or like a lemon lime soda at the end
03:36because it does need to be diluted whether it's just through shaking or by adding on a little topper.
03:41But I love this because I love a margarita as you know, but to make it has like some of the most steps, you know, compared to other cocktails.
03:50So we're going to go ahead and do all that to where all you have to do at the end is shake it up.
03:55If your lime is not really juicing very easily, you know the trick.
04:00About 15 to 20 seconds in the microwave loosens up the juice.
04:06Let's see if it works.
04:07I'm looking for three quarter cup of fresh lime juice.
04:10Do not under any circumstances try to make this drink with the stuff in the plastic lime juice bottle.
04:17Not the same.
04:18Okay, got the lime juice.
04:20So you want to take a liter of tequila pour off but don't throw it away just save it for another use.
04:26To this we're going to add in our lime juice.
04:28You want to strain it though.
04:29All right, now everything goes in.
04:31See how pretty it's looking.
04:33All right, then I'm going in with a half a cup of triple sec.
04:36And just enough room to sweeten it up to take out a little of that bite.
04:41About three tablespoons of agave.
04:43And a pinch of salt because it's a margarita.
04:47That's it people.
04:48Before I put it in the freezer, I want to disperse that agave a little bit.
04:52Kind of get it to like dissolve in there.
04:55Because this is mostly alcohol, it's not going to freeze.
04:58You can keep it in the fridge if you want, but for extra cold, keep it in the freezer.
05:02This is a thing of beauty.
05:04Now you can buy those store-bought like margaritas that are even like have booze in them.
05:10But they're not like this, okay?
05:12They like have way more sugar and way more mixer.
05:15This is fresh and delicious.
05:17And I gave you the warning in the beginning.
05:19I'm going to give it to you now.
05:20These are potent.
05:21These are strong.
05:22Drink responsibly.
05:23I said this one is all 100%.
05:26It's like almost concentrated.
05:28So you have to shake it to dilute it.
05:30Which is how margaritas are.
05:32You want them to be a little like frothy at the top.
05:35That happens from shaking.
05:37So the ice is going to dilute it a little bit.
05:38If you need it more diluted.
05:40Which is also sometimes advised.
05:42Top it with a little club soda.
05:44That's how I really have done them at home.
05:46Just to like keep stretching it.
05:48Because these are, these are so good.
05:49Pour it up and shake it up.
05:51A little more rocks.
05:54Because you cannot have too many rocks.
05:57Not only is this probably going to be in your top three favorite margaritas ever.
06:01This is what I consider a top shelf margarita.
06:04Okay.
06:06It's so fresh.
06:08If you like those like electric green margaritas from the restaurant.
06:12This is not for you.
06:13Okay.
06:14This is not for you.
06:15This is for people that like to sip and savor.
06:17I just need some chips and sauce.
06:20The 80's are calling and they want their Cosmos back.
06:25And I'm here to deliver.
06:26I love a Cosmopolitan.
06:28Call me old fashioned.
06:30But I think they're great.
06:31But I'm going to give this a bright springy summery twist with a strawberry Cosmo.
06:37So instead of cranberry juice, I'm going to use a strawberry simple syrup.
06:41Doesn't that sound delicious?
06:43I think it sounds so good.
06:45So good that I want to make it.
06:47All right.
06:48I'm going to start by making my strawberry simple syrup just because the strawberries are so good right now.
06:52However, you could skip this step if you want.
06:55They make like strawberry syrup in the cocktail section of the grocery store.
07:00I'm going to give you a bonus recipe within this recipe and make some strawberry simple syrup.
07:04So you're going to start by just cutting up some strawberries about half a pound.
07:08This is really a great use if you have leftover or like overripe strawberries, strawberries that are about to go bad.
07:14Those will make probably an even better simple syrup.
07:17Classic simple syrup, again, is equal parts sugar and water.
07:21Because I want it a little more syrupy, I'm going to do a little more sugar than water.
07:24So I'm going to go in with a cup of sugar and then just about three quarters of a cup of water.
07:29And we're just going to bring this to a boil, stir it, kind of mash it up and let it go for about 20 minutes.
07:34You're going to bring this to a boil.
07:36You'll notice that it's already turning a beautiful pink color.
07:39I like to kind of give it just a little press just to kind of break up the strawberry just a little bit.
07:44But you don't want to do it too much or your syrup will end up being a little cloudy.
07:49Alright, our strawberry simple syrup is ready.
07:52So I'm just going to strain it.
07:54It smells so good.
07:56Alright, so we just need like a half a cup of our strawberry syrup for this.
08:00It's just going to give it that perfect light pink color that we know and love in a Cosmo.
08:05I'm making this one in a one liter bottle.
08:08One liter is bigger than the 750 milliliters.
08:10So when you are making this, be sure you get a liter bottle of whatever kind of vodka you like.
08:16You're going to pour off one and three quarters cup.
08:19And then you're left with just over half the bottle.
08:23To that, we're going in with three quarters cup of Cointreau or triple sec.
08:28And this also keeps it with an alcohol base and not, you know, too sugary to where it freezes.
08:35If these do freeze a little bit, A, I consider that a bonus.
08:39But if you don't like that, I mean it only takes like ten minutes to thaw out, shake it, and pour it in your glass.
08:45And I hope you all make all these because I promise you, they're so good.
08:49And then half a cup of lime juice.
08:52I think I found me some juicier limes now.
08:55This is how you know when a lime is juicy.
08:57The skin has gotten smooth on the outside, and it's thin.
09:02You can see like the finger go in.
09:04That's going to show you a juicy lime.
09:06Okay.
09:07Lime juice in.
09:09Watch this turn from this to Cosmo with this beautiful strawberry simple syrup.
09:16And then we're going to fill the rest with water to make up for the dilution when you would shake this.
09:22It's probably only like two ounces.
09:26This is going to be delicious.
09:29Slightly darker than your normal Cosmo.
09:33But I really wanted to highlight the strawberry.
09:35I also just feel like I need to sample this one.
09:43This is going to be so good.
09:45To the freezer.
09:47Look how beautiful that is.
09:48Can we just take a minute to admire the color of a strawberry Cosmo?
09:52I really haven't even heard of this.
09:54I know I didn't make it up, but I kind of want to take credit.
09:57I haven't seen it in a freezer form.
10:01Because it's a Cosmo.
10:03Y'all are going to think I'm just saying this.
10:07But I really feel like it's the best Cosmo I've ever had.
10:10Like it is so delightfully cold.
10:13It's just pleasantly sweet.
10:15Not like just sweet enough, but tart from the lime.
10:18If I let it go a little longer, it's going to have the shards of ice on the top.
10:23And to me that is like, if you bring me a martini like that at a restaurant,
10:27I'll be posting it and singing your praises all day long.
10:31This is your girl's night.
10:33We've got our three in the freezer.
10:35Now I'm giving you three for the fridge or the cooler.
10:38These are the perfect ones to pack up and take down to the beach or on the boat.
10:43Or, you know, just keep in your fridge.
10:45These are going to be more juice forward, a little bit sweeter.
10:47So you can't put them in the freezer or they'll just freeze.
10:50And when I think summer cocktails, the three letter word that comes to mind is rum.
10:54And when I think of a rum cocktail, the first thing that comes to mind is a mojito.
10:59I'm giving you a watermelon mojito.
11:01Because that's just like a picture of summer right there in a bottle.
11:05So I'm going to make this in these jugs.
11:08They're already in the refrigerator section.
11:10I find these make great mixers.
11:12So the limeade is perfect for this one.
11:15In a mojito, the ingredients besides rum are lime juice and simple syrup.
11:21And we know simple syrup is sugar and water.
11:23So when you look at the ingredients on this, it is water, lime juice, and sugar.
11:28To me, it's a one-stop shop.
11:30We're going to mix it right in this jug.
11:32I just like the size of it and the fact that it's plastic.
11:34So it just can easily fit in the cooler.
11:37So I'm going to pour out three cups.
11:39And then we're going to fill it with three cups of goodness.
11:41Okay.
11:42Another thing we always have, we have watermelon in our fridge.
11:46It's my kids' favorite fruit by far, mine too.
11:49So to me, it's not really buying an extra ingredient.
11:52So I'm just going to puree this and then just strain it out.
11:56They sell watermelon juice, but I find this gives a better flavor.
12:06Because like watermelon is water, you don't have to add anything.
12:10Like a liquefy watermelon.
12:11You know, it's got plenty on its own.
12:18All right.
12:19And then you just want to strain it out.
12:20And we'll use about one and a quarter cup.
12:22If you like frozen drinks, cube up that watermelon and just keep it in your freezer in a baggie.
12:27And then add that to your blender with some tequila or rum or vodka.
12:32Thank me later.
12:37I mean, let's make junk measuring cups.
12:40All right.
12:41And then going the rest of the way with our rum.
12:46Almost done, but not quite.
12:48We're going to make this look pretty.
12:50And also forgot a key ingredient to a mojito.
12:53Fresh mint.
12:54It's the minty lime goodness.
12:56And mint and watermelon also happens to be delicious together.
13:01Typically in a mojito, you're going to muddle the mint with the lime.
13:07So you want to kind of bruise these mint leaves.
13:09You want to kind of tear them, slap them.
13:12And it just kind of releases those oils when you just smack them a little bit.
13:15So then I'm also going to put some slices of lime in there just to really, you know, make it look good in there.
13:21Some are in a bottle right here to the fridge we go with this one.
13:28After it's been chilling, you want to give it a good shake since you're not like shaking it up in a cocktail shaker.
13:33And then pour.
13:34Shake and pour over ice.
13:36Look how beautiful that looks.
13:38A little lime.
13:40A little mint to remind you it's a mojito.
13:44Cheers to summer.
13:48Well, that isn't refreshing.
13:49Oh my goodness.
13:51This one might be the most surprising.
13:52I didn't even know if I was going to love it as much as I love this right now.
13:57I mean, this is refreshing.
13:58This could get dangerous.
14:00Put this one in the cooler for sure.
14:03This is the one you break out for your spring and summer parties.
14:06Brunch mode.
14:08How does an Italian Greyhound sound?
14:11A Greyhound is simply two ingredients.
14:13It is vodka or gin and grapefruit juice.
14:16This is one of the first drinks I had when I was like learning to drink.
14:19Okay.
14:20And then I heard about an Italian version and you know I'm all in for that.
14:23Italian version is going to be adding Aperol or Campari, which are just bitter Italian liqueurs.
14:30They kind of have like an orangey grapefruity flavor in there.
14:34So this just sounds so good.
14:37You've got to make this one in the jug again.
14:39The ingredient in here is just grapefruit juice.
14:42So there's no added sugar here.
14:43All right.
14:44Into that.
14:45I'm going gin because I think gin and grapefruit are great.
14:47I've just been liking gin lately.
14:49One and three quarter cup gin going in.
14:52Gin going in.
14:54Okay.
14:55And then our Aperol.
14:57I'm going to do a half a cup.
14:59I'm going to have a little room because I'm going to add in a little simple syrup because
15:05you know, this packs the punch and the Aperol is really bitter.
15:08So you do need a little, you know, sweetness to kind of balance it out just a little bit.
15:13All right.
15:14We're about to go back to the beaches of Hilton Head Island in 2001.
15:19That was just yesterday, right?
15:21Look how pretty that looks.
15:25Rosemary is the perfect garnish for this because it's just floral enough,
15:29but you don't want to infuse it with that the whole time because it will become overpowering.
15:34So put in a little bit just to kind of get a little whiff as you sip.
15:37Key.
15:38Do you know if you salt the rim, it becomes a salty dog.
15:42For now, it's just an Italian gram.
15:46Why are they all so good?
15:48This, I think I said it when we made it.
15:51Brunch.
15:52Mimosas are yesterday's news.
15:54The Italian Greyhound, the answer to all your summer parties.
15:58I mean, we are five for five with one to go.
16:02For my final trick, a bourbon cocktail because who says bourbon is just for football season.
16:07But I'm using it to make a boozy Arnold Palmer.
16:10Arnold Palmer, we know, is half and half sweet tea and lemonade or unsweet tea and lemonade.
16:16If you want to make it boozy, a lot of times people will put vodka in it.
16:19But bourbon is kind of a little more of a southern twist, but it is so good.
16:23What you're looking for is roughly like seven cups of sweet tea.
16:27So if you have one of these big jugs, just drink it down until you get just below the handle.
16:32Then you're going to add in your bourbon because it'll be easier and then you don't really have to measure your lemonade.
16:37Three cups of bourbon. Sounds like a lot, but this is 128 ounces. That's a lot of drinks.
16:44Instead of just going half and half, I do a little more tea than lemonade.
16:48I just think the bourbon with the tea is going to be delicious.
16:51Didn't even plan that. Didn't even plan that.
16:54This is your easiest one of the day.
16:56Now you're just going to top it off with lemonade.
16:58That should bring you to about six cups of lemonade, which happens to just about be the whole thing.
17:03This also goes by the name The Back Nine, because you know how you're feeling on The Back Nine.
17:08You're not even a golfer.
17:10I'm going to chill this one for just a bit and then it's happy hour.
17:15After a day on the course, you deserve a batch of these.
17:19I could see this cocktail for like a cookout, you know, because you always like a barbecue with your sweet tea or lemonade.
17:27And this has it both. Shake them all up.
17:31Looks like an Arnold Palmer.
17:36It's going to taste like the dangerous counterpart.
17:42It's kind of scary that you really don't taste the bourbon.
17:44I'm just kidding. You do taste it. You know it's there.
17:47It's going to sneak up on you. It's going to sneak up on you.
17:49The Back Nine, the John Daly, whatever you want to call it.
17:52It's a hollow one.
17:55Where do we go from here?
17:57How do we get, how do we top this?
17:59We just made six of the best drinks.
18:02No bartender required.
18:04Summer is the time to kick back and relax.
18:08And one of these drinks, if not all of them, are going to help you do the trick.
18:12Go ahead, whip these up, keep them on hand.
18:15And when your friends come over, they will be so impressed.
18:18The problem is, they might never leave.
18:21I warned you.
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