Bourbon Black Raspberry Cocktail Recipe

This post is sponsored by Sparkling ICE but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

Fall, tailgating, and all things football have been happening around here for almost two months now. We aren't mad about it one bit. This is the South and football season is the true season Southerners wait all year long for. And if things keep going the way it looks like for some of our favorite teams, we'll be enjoying football season well into the new year. 

And...

What goes better with Fall, tailgating, and football than a nice crisp cocktail? Better yet...a bourbon cocktail. Because, again, this is the South. Is a cocktail really a cocktail if bourbon isn't included? 

A few weeks ago we came up with this Bourbon Black Raspberry Cocktail recipe, and it's been on game day repeat ever since. It has just enough mixture of crisp and sweet, with that infamous bourbon bite. It also is pretty low on the calories and sugar thanks to one of our favorite multi-purpose ingredients. 

We love Sparking Ice sparkling waters, and drink at least one every single day. They come in tons of great flavors so there is always something for everyone, and they are naturally flavored with zero sugars added to them. Added to our carts lately has been this pink variety pack. 

Not only does it contain some of our favorite Sparkling Ice waters, we also have found they are a great go-to when it comes to crafting cocktails. Their flavorful taste has allowed us to eliminate the need to blend fresh fruits or grab a ton of different mixers. One Sparkling Ice water makes up for the same great taste for many drink recipes. Such a great bar hack, especially when we are tailgating and we don't want to pack our entire bar to set-up outside of our car. 

Give this recipe a quick try and see if you become a Sparkling Ice cocktail convert!

Bourbon Black Raspberry Cocktail Recipe

Serves: 2
Prep Time: 2 mins
Total Time: 2 mins

Ingredients

• 1 Bottle of Black Raspberry Sparkling Ice water
• 4 oz. of Bourbon (unless you're feeling a little more Southern, which in that case make it 6oz.)
• 1 oz. of lime juice
• optional garnish: sugar for rim, lime slices or raspberries

Instructions

• Measure and pour bourbon over ice cubes in a glass. 
• Add 1/3 of the bottle of Black Raspberry Sparkling Ice to the bourbon. 
• Stir slightly, garnish, and enjoy! 

Quick and easy cocktail drink for the win! 

The Bourbon Black Raspberry Cocktail isn't the only drink you can mix with Sparkling Ice waters. The Sparkling Ice website actually has a ton of great drink recipes! We've loved trying JJ's Tropical Fizz, and the Peach Nectarine Shandy.

We made some low calorie holiday cocktails that were a huge hit amongst holiday guests, and Carrie Beth also has an awesome Sparkling Spiked Peach Tea that is out of this world - both using Sparkling Ice waters.  

Check out the Sparkling Ice locator to see where you can find some to make your own tailgate worthy cocktails!  

Cheers friends! 

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Low Calorie Holiday Cocktails + Gift Idea

This post is sponsored by Sparkling ICE but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

The weekend is here friends, and I have a little something to help kick it off - low calorie cocktail recipes. Today we are chatting about my favorite sparkling drink and how you can use it as a base to make a few of your soon to be favorite cocktails. That's right - I'm taking mommy juice to a whole new level. 

A little background first. A few years ago I gave up caffeinated sodas cold turkey. In my head my plan was to drink only water. But, while I was glad to give up soda, I quickly grew bored of just plain water. I realized I craved something with flavor and/or carbonation. 

Carrie Beth actually suggested Sparkling ICE. Her girls liked several of the flavors and after chatting with them, they told me which were their favorites. Soon a love affair began with me and the Coconut Pineapple flavor. It is so good! I literally have one every single day. 

I've tried a variety of the Sparkling ICE flavors, and you can't go wrong with any of them. I have a few clear favorites and even order them in bulk via Amazon's Subscribe & Save program. As a Prime member I save 15% off and get my favorite drink delivered directly on my doorstep. Mom win for sure! 

If only everything in life were so easy. 

Not only do the Sparkling ICE drinks give me a great alternative to just boring plain old water, but they have a few other benefits as well. They are naturally flavored and the colors are derived from natural sources. They contain zero sugar, have zero calories, and are packed with vitamins and antioxidants.  All such an added bonus to its already great taste! 

LOW CALORIE HOLIDAY COCKTAILS WITH SPARKLING ICE

One day as I was mixing a different kind of mommy juice, I realized that the Sparkling ICE waters -with their fizzy goodness - would actually make for a great cocktail base. And as a bonus, if you mixed them right, they would be lower in calories and sugar as a result of using them as alternatives to juices or other mix-ins. I pondered and then made it my civic duty to give this a whirl. 

It was a tough job, but I was so here for it. 

After many committed taste trials, I came up with three great festive holiday cocktail options. All low in caloric intake, and all so yummy you wouldn't care anyway. 

HOLLY JOLLY PUNCH

Ingredients

• 6 oz. of Sparkling ICE Coconut Pineapple
• 3 oz. of orange juice
• 1 oz. of cranberry juice
• 3 oz. of vodka
• optional garnish: slices of orange and frozen cranberries

Directions

• In a large glass, mix all juices together. Stir in vodka. Garnish as desired and serve chilled.
• Note: If making a large batch freeze your cranberries and they not only help to garnish your holiday drink, but also help keep the punch cool for a little while. 

 

APPLE CIDER MOSCOW MULE

Ingredients

• 2 oz. of Sparkling ICE Crisp Apple
• 2 oz. of Ginger beer
• 2 oz of vodka
• 1 cup of ice
• optional garnish: apple slices and cinnamon stick

Directions

• Fill a copper mug with ice. 
• Pour Sparkling ICE Crisp Apple, Ginger beer, and vodka over the ice. 
• Mix with cinnamon stick and leave for garnish. Add apple slices
• Serve and enjoy! 

LOW CALORIE BOURBON BLACK FOREST

Ingredients

• 3 oz. of Sparkling ICE Black Cherry
• 2 oz. of bourbon
• 1 oz. of Kahlua
• optional garnish: cherries 

Directions

• Place Sparkling ICE Black Cherry, bourbon, and Kahlua in a cocktail shaker with ice. 
• Shake for approximately 20 seconds and then pour into a martini style glass
• Garnish with cherry and serve immediately. 

Note: This drink is typically topped with a whipped cream or garnished with chocolate, but to keep it low calorie I removed those. Same great taste, but if you aren't worried about the calories or sugar portion of the cocktail then go ahead and add them back in. It's quite tasty both ways! 

CHEERS! FESTIVE FIZZ FOR EVERYONE! 

While on my mission to craft the perfect holiday cocktails, I thought each one would make for a great holiday gift idea too. My girlfriends and I are always thinking of cute little favor ideas for holiday parties and thought packaging up a mini version of each low calorie cocktail would be a great way to spread a little mommy juice holiday cheer. 

ITEMS NEEDED

• Sparkling ICE bottled water drinks
• Mini bottles of alcohol
• Fruit and garnish that won't ruin when not refrigerated
• Stemless wine glass or fun cup
• Clear gift wrapping
• Festive ribbon
• Gift labels (we used these)

INSTRUCTIONS

• Place large square of gift wrapping on table. 
• In the middle place your Sparkling ICE bottle as the center. 
• Surround with fruit, mini bottle and garnishes. 
• Take all four corners of gift wrap and bring up to the top of the bottle. 
• Secure with ribbon and add gift tag. 
• Sign, deliver, and cheers! 

Such a simple and easy gift idea! I love that my favorite daily drink is able to easily be transformed to bring a little extra holiday cheer this season. 

Do you have a low calorie cocktail recipe that you love? Or one that you would like to see? Do share - we are always willing to do our part to make sure everyone has a mommy juice that they love.  

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