Need something to celebrate? How about the First Day of Summer! Well, here in the Northern Hemisphere anyway! If you’re Down Under winter has commenced. But you don’t have to feel bad about that at all! Because we’re serving up a Hawaiian-style Aloha Mary (read: Tropical Bloody Mary!) and cocktails are for all seasons, right?!
Throughout history the summer solstice has been celebrated with feasts… drinking… dancing! Pagan rituals that include getting naked! (And, YES, I can totally get on board with any of those things!)
The First Day of Summer is the longest day of the year. That means more hours of daylight to keep the party rolling. If you’re near Canada or Alaska, the sun may not even set until it’s nearly midnight! How cool is that?!
If you can invite friends over for a traditional summer solstice bonfire, DO IT! Especially if you live near the coast. Live inland and have a barbecue pit in the backyard? That works too! Now, when I think summer, I think Hawaii with its gorgeous sunsets and exotic cocktails.
At the St. Regis Princeville Resort in Kauai, their signature cocktail is the Aloha Mary, a Bloody Mary with a tropical twist to it. I’ve never met a Bloody Mary I didn’t like, and this one is particularly fun because it gets its heat from wasabi! I serve them at parties all the time and people love ‘em! Check out the recipe below.
No matter how you decide to celebrate the First Day of Summer, take advantage of that extra bit of daylight today to make the fun last even longer!
Aloha Mary
- Fresh lime juice from half a lime
- 10 drops (30 ML) Worcestershire sauce
- 1 pinch wasabi powder
- 2 drops Sriracha sauce
- Generous dash of black pepper
- ½ tsp (2 ½ g) celery salt
- 1 oz (30 ML) premium organic Hawaiian Ocean® Vodka
- 3 oz (90 ML) Clamato juice
- Kauai guava wood smoked sea salt (okay, you might not be able to find this exact one, but smoked sea salts can be found at gourmet markets)
- Asparagus stalk (or a stalk of celery) and a lime wedge for garnish
Combine the lime juice, Worcestershire sauce, wasabi powder, Sriracha sauce, pepper, celery salt, vodka and Clamato juice in a cocktail shaker. Shake and pour over ice into a glass rimmed with smoked sea salt. Garnish with asparagus (or celery) and a wedge of lime.
Leave a Reply