Beat the Heat

It's only Monday, but these hot Summer days have me looking forward to the weekend, or at the very least Happy Hour. Whip up something refreshing once it's quitting time, and enjoy! Here's a recipe of one of my favorite Summer-time cocktails:

   Bing Cherry Mojitos

Serves 12

Ingredients 

• • 1 1/4 cups sugar
  • 1 1/4 cups freshly squeezed lime juice (about 9 limes)
  • 3 pounds Bing cherries
  • 18 ounces best-quality black cherry or plain vodka
  • 1 bottle sparkling water (750 mL)

  
  

  Directions

1. Bring sugar and 1 1/4 cups water to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat; let cool completely. (Makes about 2 cups syrup.) Syrup can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 1 month.
2. Put lime juice into a medium nonreactive bowl. Halve and pit cherries; add to lime juice. Stir in syrup. Refrigerate at least 1 hour (up to overnight).
3. Stir cherry mixture and vodka in a large serving bowl. Fill 12 glasses with ice. Spoon 1/2 cup cherry-vodka mixture into each glass. Top off with sparkling water. Serve immediately.

                                                                                xx Arielle