A Patio is Naked Without Cocktails: Dori on a Tuesday (Cocktail Recipe)

This is a post sponsored by Wayfair.com where you cannot buy the ingredients for this cocktail but where you can buy all the fun accessories that you need to make the drink in, pour the drink from, sip the drink on, and kick back and rest your feet on. As always, all opinions are my own and I have a lot of them, which is perhaps why it is taking me so long to choose just the right floor cushions for our front porch. Thank goodness for idea boards. I keep my patio daydreaming on here so I can focus on getting my work done but I won’t forget about those fabulous ideas I had to dress up our cocktail parties this summer.

A great vintage or “vintage style” tray is essential not only to help with transporting drinks to the patio, but it also sets the tone for the party. A splash of your own personal style is always welcome. This is the Vita V Home Cocktails Round Serving Tray.

One of my favourite things about spring and summer in New England is that after a long cold winter, we are extremely appreciative of patio weather. To me, patio weather means easy entertaining. I love to spontaneously invite friends and neighbors over for a cocktail and a few little bites (which more often than not turn into dinner) on the patio. The kids can play outside, and if we start to approach dinner time a quick call for pizza extends the night right up to bedtime. This quick easy cocktail is perfect for any day of the week. You just need a few things on hand.

Dori on a Tuesday Cocktail

(This cocktail is called Dori on a Tuesday. It was created on a Tuesday afternoon but can be enjoyed any day of the week preferably from spring through early fall, but you can also go wild and enjoy it all year long.)

You can find San Pellegrino’s Aranciata at most grocery stores (at least in and around Boston). You can find the really cute ones in a bottle at Tuscan Market (pictured here) or at specialty stores. Luxardo cherries can be found at many liquor stores and specialty markets. They are available locally at Formaggio Kitchen and Tuscan Market.

Ingredients:

Campari
Aranciata (A Sparkling Orange Juice Drink such as San Pellegrino’s Aranciata)
Sweet Cherries in Syrup (Ideally Luxardo Cherries)
ice

And there you have it the DOT Cocktail- Dori On a Tuesday. Cheers!

Directions (serves 1):

Fill a rocks glass with ice.
If you are new to Campari, add 1 oz of Campari. If you are a Campari drinker go for 1 1/2 oz of Campari.
Add 4 oz of Aranciata
Add a splash of syrup from the cherries. If you have a sweet tooth, add a few more splashes (1 tsp. -no more)
Spill in two cherries from the jar as you’re pouring in the syrup.
Stir with a fancy swizzle stick (or the handle of a regular spoon) and serve.

I love the look of this sleek and elegant soda maker. You can add a little extra fizz to the cocktail as is, or you can make a less sweet version with orange juice and seltzer water. This is the Liss Professional 2 Quart Soda Siphon available at Wayfair.com.

If you want something a little lighter and just naturally sweet, you can substitute fresh orange juice and then use your seltzer maker to add a little effervescence to the drink.

Lucy Boxed Cocktail Napkins (40 Count) — I’m a little obsessed with the octopus this summer. These cocktail napkins come in a cute box so all you need is a rock or a small votive to place on top so they don’t blow away and you’re all set for cocktail hour. No plates allowed. These area the Boston International Lucy Boxed Cocktail Napkins on Wayfair.com.

A cocktail on the patio is always better with something salty to nibble. My rule for cocktail parties is that every thing should be finger food. Put out some cute napkins, pour some olives in a dish, put a few crackers, cheese, and charcuterie on a board and the evening is just about perfect. Here are some of my favorite cocktail party bites: cornichons, olives, saucisson sec, proscuitto, chunks of a good Parmesan (serve with some quince paste, honey or truffle honey), specialty crackers (olive oil crisps, cheese crackers, Italian breadsticks), burrata, and for something a little sweet after I break up squares of a really good chocolate (1 dark/1 milk- Michel Cluizel, Lindt, or whatever your favourite is)

Cheers to many spring and summer days on the patio.