Recipes: World Cup Drinks

Though I’ll never be accused of being a big-time soccer fan, I can’t help but get wrapped up in all the World Cup 2010 excitement. (Hello, David Beckham!) One way to share the excitement is putting “cup” in World Cup with these festive cocktails and smoothies. Score!

Brazil
The Ultimate Caipirinha
(Classic pitcher recipe)
8 oz Cabana Cachaça
8 teaspoons superfine sugar OR 4 ounces of simple syrup
5 Limes quartered
Muddle the quartered limes in the bottom of a pitcher. Add all other ingredients and plenty of ice. Stir about 30 times.

USA
Mixed Berry Smoothie
1 cup Driscoll’s Blueberries
1 cup Driscoll’s Raspberries or Blackberries
1 cup Driscoll’s Strawberries, halved or quartered
1 cup vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup orange juice
1 Tbsp. finely chopped crystallized ginger
Berries for garnish
Blend all ingredients plus two ice cubes in a blender until smooth. Garnish with additional berries before serving.

France
Chambord Lemonade
15 oz vodka
5 oz Chambord
30 oz sugar free lemonade
Stir ingredients together into a pitcher and add ice. Garnish with fresh berries or a lemon.

Italy
Tuscan Sangria
One 750-milliliter bottle Tuscan red wine
24 oz fresh orange juice
6 oz Tuaca (a vanilla- and citrus-flavored liqueur)
3 oz Punt e Mes (a bittersweet Italian vermouth)
4 oz fresh lime juice
4 oz limoncello
1/4 cup sugar
Ice
Orange slices and cinnamon sticks, for garnish
In a pitcher, combine the red wine, orange juice, Tuaca, Punt e Mes, lime juice, limoncello and sugar. Stir well to dissolve the sugar. To serve, fill wine glasses halfway with ice. Add the sangria and garnish each glass with an orange slice and a cinnamon stick.

Mexico
Corralejo Repo Margarita
(Pitcher batch recipe)
30 oz of Corralejo Blanco
14 oz of fresh lime juice
10 oz of La Sierra agave nectar
Combine all ingredients and serve on the rocks or neat with a lime wheel garnish and salted rim.