Coming from an Italian background and working in the wine industry, I never developed much of a cocktail palate.  My little brother, on the other hand, who spent years as a bartender in Montreal, would often come equipped to family functions and parties with a bottle of the latest trendy vodka. This was his attempt to persuade us all of what we were missing.  It never quite worked – we were pretty set in our wine ways.

 

Recently, while attending a girls’ getaway weekend, I had an opportunity to try two cocktails made with a coconut-flavoured vodka. Maybe it was the memories of vacations past that were triggered by the tropical aroma of coconut or maybe it was just time to shake up my repertoire a bit…either way, I was hooked.  So, although I still love a glass of wine (or two) after a long week, I now keep a bottle of coconut vodka in my freezer. My brother would be proud.

 

Coconut Cosmo

Ingredients

1 ½ ounces of a coconut-flavoured vodka

½ ounce of Cointreau

1 ½ ounces of cranberry juice

1 fresh lime

Ice

 

Preparation

Combine ice, vodka, Cointreau and cranberry juice in a cocktail shaker.

Squeeze the juice from ½ the lime.

Shake vigorously for approximately 30 seconds and pour into a cocktail (martini) glass.

Garnish with a twist of lime.

 

Vodka-Soda with a Tropical Twist

Ingredients

1 ½ ounces of a coconut-flavoured vodka

1 ounce of lemon-lime soda

3 ounces of cranberry juice

Shredded coconut (for garnish)

Ice

 

Preparation

Combine ice, vodka and cranberry juice in a cocktail shaker.

Shake vigorously for approximately 30 seconds.

Pour into an ice-filled glass and top with lemon-lime soda.

Garnish with shredded coconut.