by Leslie Haasch

Created on: August 11, 2008

Nothing says summer like an ice cold glass of lemonade. But sometimes we need to unwind from a hard day's work in the heat of summer and seek something with a little more of a kick. One of the best substitutes for a glass of classic lemonade is its counterpart - hard lemonade. Thankfully, there are plenty of varieties in stores to satisfy this craving. And for those of us who have trouble finding the handy little Jack Daniel's coolers at our local liquor stores, this recipe provides us with the ingredients to make this delicious twist on traditional lemonade.

Jack Daniel's Lynchburg Lemonade
1 part Jack Daniel's whiskey
1 part sweet and sour mix
1 part triple sec
4 parts Sprite
Mix all ingredients, add ice and stir. Serve in a classic mason jar for effect, and garnish with lemon slices or cherries for a bit of color. Now sit back, throw on a little Tennessee bluegrass and enjoy!

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When you're craving a truly fruity summer drink, nothing satisfies that need like a Hurricane. With an array of fruit juices and the addition of a pretty sweet glass, the Hurricane is always a hit.

Hurricane

1 oz vodka
1/4 oz grenadine syrup
1 oz gin
1 oz light rum
1/2 oz Bacardi 151 rum
1 oz amaretto almond liqueur
1 oz triple sec
Grapefruit juice
Pineapple juice
Orange Juice

Pour everything except for the grapefruit, pineapple and orange juices in the order listed into a hurricane glass over ice. Fill with equal parts of grapefruit, pineapple and orange juice. Serve garnished with a slice of orange and let the good times roll! But beware due to the delicious and fruity nature of the Hurricane, it's easy to forget it's full of alcohol and easy to consume in large quantities.

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When you've finished dinner and you're looking for something sweet to help you unwind, a Frozen Mudslide will keep you cool and satisfy your sweet tooth. Measurements are also listed in "jiggers" for those budding bartenders who want to impress their guests.

Frozen Mudslide

4 cups crushed ice
2 (1.5 fluid ounce) jiggers vodka
2 (1.5 fluid ounce) jiggers coffee flavored liqueur
2 (1.5 fluid ounce) jiggers Irish cream liqueur
2 tablespoons chocolate syrup
1/2 cup whipped cream

In a blender, combine ice, vodka, coffee liqueur and Irish cream liqueur. Pour in the chocolate syrup and blend until smooth. To dress up your drinks, stick the martini glasses in the fridge for a short time and drizzle some extra chocolate syrup along the inside of your each glass. Then pour the mixture into each glass and garnish with whipped cream and chocolate shavings. Yum!

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