Don’t Be Basic with Your Pride Cocktails

When you think of a basic Vodka cocktail that gets you to where you want to be you will always think Vodka soda. When you want something more fancy the mind goes to a Vodka Martini. Something fruity is always either a Vodka Cranberry or Sex on the Beach.

If you only go for these stalwarts I have some bad news for you…

This pride season swing for the fences; go for something amazing and demand something fabulous.

EFFEN Vodka sent me their limited edition Pride bottle to review and on it’s own it is a supremely smooth and clean 80 proof vodka that is crisp and light. I used it as the base of two fantastic Pride-inspired cocktails that are refreshing and multidimensional. These are great cocktails  to refresh yourself before or after Pride, or to cool down after an amazing day of marching, festivals, and partying.

EFFEN Vodka Parade Punch

• 11⁄2 parts EFFEN® Vodka
• 1 part tonic water or soda water
• 1⁄2 part lemonade
• 4 strawberry slices
• 3-4 basil leaves
• 2 lemon slices

In a red wine glass, place basil leaves, lemon slices and strawberries. Add large hand-carved cubical ice with the EFFEN Vodka and lemonade. Top with tonic or soda water and garnish with a fruit and basil leaf skewer. I recommend muddling a couple strawberry slices and mint leaves in the bottom of the glass before adding anything else to get a bit more flavor. I also feel that tonic water is a far better choice than club soda in bringing out more complex and satisfying notes in this superb cocktail.

the EFFEN Vodka Parade Punch is amazingly crisp, clean, and refreshing. It will cool you and your squad down on even the hottest of June days, plus it is easy to scale up the recipe to make by the pitcher.

EFFEN Vodka Love is Love

• 11⁄2 parts EFFEN® Vodka
• 1⁄2 part Triple Sec
• 1⁄2 part pomegranate juice (I used POM)
• 1⁄2 part fresh lemon juice

Chill a coupe or martini glass with ice water first. Shake all ingredients on ice in a stainless steel mixer and strain into the coupe or martini glass. Garnish with a lemon peel.

EFFEN Vodka Love is Love is a high-class cocktail that harkens back to classics such as the Vesper and Manhatten. This cocktail can only be done justice by making it at most two servings at a time, but the result is a highly complex, slightly sweet, and extremely balanced high-concept classic cocktail. The Love is Love is best enjoyed after sunset with friends as the atmosphere cools and you reflect on the glorious day that just transpired.

For this Pride season pick up a bottle of EFFEN Vodka and create some stellar cocktails that will blow all your friends aways. Plus, for every special pride edition bottle of Vodka made EFFEN donates $1 to Outfest; an organization that promotes LGBTQ Equality by creating, sharing, and protecting LGBTQ stories on the screen. So Sashay Away and make this pride one to remember.