Vodka Cherry Limeade

The other week I was coming back from Pork in the Park when we stopped at a Sonic Drive-in.  I love Sonic.  The food is delicious and the drinks are amazing.  I am a huge fan of the cherry limeade.  After taking a few sips, you realize that it would be amazing with alcohol.  So that is exactly what I did.

Served with a Maraschino cherry this drink is fabulous. Think best drink ever and then place this one in front of it.

Vodka Cherry Limeade

• 3 oz vodka
• 4 oz limeade
• 1 oz Maraschino cherry juice
• 1 Maraschino cherry

This drink is as simple as it looks.  However the key is to find limeade.  Limeade is sold nationally in supermarkets under a couple of brand names.  The first is Zieglers most commonly known for apple cider.  The second is Simply Limeade which is from the same company that brings you Simply Orange.  I am sure that there are a couple more, but I have used these two and they are excellent.

Fill the cup to the top with ice.  Next add vodka.  Now add the limeade.  Fill the glass till it is about 1 inch from the top.  This may be more or less than 5 oz depending on your glass size.  Next top with the Maraschino cherry juice.

Add a straw and a Maraschino cherry and you are ready to drink.

Bartender Tip of the Day

Sometimes crushed ice is the effect that you are looking for. This doesn’t add to the drink, but more to the drinks look. In this instance, I wanted to have crushed ice to give the same effect that you get when you drink a Sonic beverage. To do this, I placed ice cubes in a zip-top bag and then crushed the cubes with a rolling pin. The chunks were not uniform, but provided the same effect that I was looking for. You can do this many ways, but I would stay away from using a blender. Every time that I have tried it, you end up with shaved ice, chunks of ice and some crushed cubes. It never provides a uniform crushed ice.

On a side note – crushed ice takes up more space in the cup so you can serve a bigger glass with the same or less alcohol. It is a way to make it appear as if you are getting more when in reality you are getting less. This is a quick and easy way to start padding your bottom line.