Summer Drink Guide Featuring Boulevard’s Quirk, Fling Flavors

As Alice Cooper famously sang, “School’s out for summer,” and that is worth celebrating! Moms, throw those lunch boxes out the window because we won’t be packing them for three whole months. CHEERS TO THAT! Lingering afternoons at the pool, a break from the hustle and bustle, nights spent on the patio watching lightning bugs, it is what summer is all about and I am here for it! Did I mention, we also don’t have to pack any lunches?!

At a recent poolside gathering with fellow moms, we used Boulevard’s Quirks and Flings as the inspiration for fun new cocktail concoctions. Boulevard has hit a bullseye in developing specialty craft cocktails in a can and high quality, fruit-led hard seltzers. They are great alone, but also make the perfect foundation for your own creative drink.

Looking for a grownup version of everyone’s most sentimental summertime treat from the 80’s and 90’s? The Bomb Pop cocktail is perfectly Americana and one you will want to reach for after running through the sprinkler in the backyard, to the tune of “Born in the USA.” It’s sweet, colorful and packs just the right amount of punch on a hot day.

The Bomb Pop Cocktail

  • 1 oz. blue raspberry rum
  • 1 oz. grenadine
  • 6 oz. Raspberry Rocket Pop Quirk

Layer grenadine on bottom of glass, pour in ice, then Quirk. Carefully pour the blue raspberry rum over the back of a spoon to create layered look. Garnish with a bomb pop popsicle for an extra dose of fun and nostalgia.

The spicy margarita is having a moment, and what a well deserved one. I might be biased but I’m declaring the Pineapple Chili margarita the quintessential drink of motherhood, as it is representative of all that we embody. Sweet on the inside, but perhaps a little salty right off the bat. Shake up this concoction if you love a margarita with a twist, and fly that motherhood flag high, honey!

Pineapple Chili Margarita

  • 1.5 oz. tequila
  • .75 oz. triple sec
  • 1 oz. pineapple juice
  • 3 oz. Pineapple Chili Quirk

Shake all ingredients and serve with a Tajin rim. Garnish glass with a lime. Drop in a few rings of jalapeno for an extra spicy touch!

A mimosa says “I’m sophisticated,” yet “I’m also not ashamed to have a drink for breakfast.” A MOMosa, takes it to another level with the addition of a Passion Fruit Orange Quirk. It takes the sometimes boring beverage and makes it interesting and refreshing.

Kansas City MOMosa

  • 3 oz. sparkling dry wine
  • 3 oz. Passion fruit Orange Quirk
  • Splash of orange juice

Pour ingredients in champagne flute. Garnish with orange slice.

Looking to make some new mom friends? Make sangria, serve in a watermelon, and they will come. Dry from the wine, aromatic from the fresh juice and strong in every sense of the word, a Watermelon Mango White Sangria screams summertime fun and will quench the thirst of a crowd. It impresses and satisfies a range of tastes.

Watermelon Mango White Sangria

  • Bottle of white wine (dry)
  • 1/2 c. brandy
  • 2/3 c. mango nectar
  • Watermelon juice
  • Orange slices
  • Can of Mango Punch Quirk (add when ready to serve)

Combine in a large pitcher and refrigerate to allow flavors to combine. Hollow out watermelon for a fun way to serve to guests!

Want to feel as if you have been transported to the sandy beaches of Key West without the care of carpools and bedtime routines? If coconut and the refreshing taste of lime is your jam, then crank up Jimmy Buffett and crack open a can of Key Lime Coconut Quirk and you’ll be on your way to paradise.

Key Lime Coconut Cocktail

  • 1.5 oz. vodka
  • 1 oz. key lime juice
  • ½ oz. simple syrup
  • 3-5 oz. Key Lime Coconut Quirk
  • Orange slice for garnish

Modified from a Vodka Collins, stir all ingredients in a glass and serve with extra oranges if desired.

Full disclosure, a paloma is my favorite type of cocktail. It is saved for last because I didn’t want to overdue my admiration right of the bat and leave the other drinks feeling left out. For evenings when you’ve got nothing left to give, a Tequila Paloma Fling right over ice hits the spot. When you have a few springs left in your step, zhuzhing it up with a simple additions is worth the effort. It feels refined, tastes perfectly tart and is just the right amount of bold.

Rosemary Grapefruit Paloma

  • 2 oz. Tequila Paloma Fling
  • 1 oz. tequila
  • 1 oz. triple sec
  • 1 oz. freshly squeeze grapefruit juice

Shake all ingredients and serve over ice. Garnish with a rosemary sprig. Rim glass with light salt if desired.

Ladies, let’s make the most of summer, and raise a glass to making the world go round. Cheers to us!

Kristin Ruthstrom
Kristin is a Lee’s Summit suburb transplant, after living in the Brookside and Plaza areas for over eight years. Raising three young boys with her husband, Jake, has helped her to embrace the messy, wild side of life where love is expressed in bear hugs and body slams. Professionally, she can be found teaching classes as an adjunct professor in the areas of Business, Marketing and PR. She is able to provide her students with applicable, real-life knowledge as she draws from several years working in the corporate sector. “Free time” (ha!, what's that again?) is spent on an occasional date night to favorite local restaurants, reading blogs on everything from home design to politics, riding her sweet beach cruiser bike and thinking of ways to convince her husband to do yet another home improvement project.