The Uncharted Dessert Isle
I scream, you scream, we all scream for... spring (bet you thought I'd say 'ice cream'. Gotcha!) Now that it's warming up, images of tropical drinks, frosty desserts and fun are fluttering through my mind like butterflies. When a bottle of the newly released Smirnoff Sourced Pineapple Vodka recently arrived at my door to create a recipe for Thebar.com, I felt compelled to see if I could capture the feel of spring in a glass. Since it's the season when we start seeing more tropical fruits in stores, (and I'm a fan of pina coladas), I immediately thought of adding coconut in some way. Ginger also came to mind (and then the theme song to a certain shipwreck-themed show followed).... Before I knew it, I had figured out a recipe for a drink that's actually more confection than concoction — the Dessert Isle. There are actually 2 ways to make it— one for a quick fix, and another (pictured above), which takes a bit more preparation, for entertaining guests)
INGREDIENTS1.5 oz Smirnoff Sourced Pineapple Vodka
1 oz coconut water
.5 oz ginger beer
1 scoop vanilla gelato
1/4 ripe mango, diced
sprinkle of grated ginger
sprinkle of grated mango skin
METHOD (quick fix)
Blend Smirnoff Sourced Pineapple Vodka, ginger beer and coconut water in a mixing glass. Place mango pieces into a coupe glass. Add scoop of vanilla gelato (fro-yo) to coupe. Pour Smirnoff Sourced Pineapple Vodka mixture onto gelato. Sprinkle grated ginger and mango skin on top to garnish.
METHOD (for guests)
Mix coconut water with gelato and place in freezer in an ice tray. Once mixture is firm, mix Smirnoff Sourced Pineapple Vodka and ginger beer in a mixing glass. Place diced mango pieces into a coupe glass. Add most of vodka mixture, leaving just a bit in the mixing glass. Add gelato cubes. Spoon the rest of vodka mixture over gelato cubes. Sprinkle grated ginger and mango skin for garnish.
The result is a mix between a ginger pina colada (do you get the name yet? tropical flavors + ginger... "the movie star, the professor and Mary Ann...") and an ice cream float. Yum!
Oh, FYI, Smirnoff Sourced Vodkas are 60 proof and infused with (concentrated) real fruit juice. They're also gluten-free and made without high-fructose corn syrup.
I'd love to know your thoughts if you try this recipe. I'd also love to hear your opinions on the other flavors. Sound off in the comments or feel free to shoot me an email.
**Disclosure: I am working in partnership with thebar.com brand and I am receiving rewards for my participation in this campaign. All thoughts/opinions are 100% my own. Drink is intended for those whom alcohol is legal and appropriate. Please Drink Responsibly!