Canadian summer starts now. Today. July 1. Happy Canada Day! Throughout my years, Canada Day has taken all different forms. As a young kid, it was the first weekend we went up to our trailer at the lake. As a teenager, it was sneaking some Growers cider and getting eaten alive down at the Forks or Assiniboine Park, watching the fireworks. In my 20’s, it was a great night to make tips, in my 30’s it was the perfect day to take my Kids down to Gyro Park for all the local music and festivities and in my 40’s it has been a day of thoughtful reflection.
This year, however, I feel like I am on Team Canada. I love my country dearly and I am so grateful to be able write this blog, work, live and play with my family on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the Syilx Okanagan people. The land provides us with, I started listing things off when I realized a quote was better here, the land provides us with So much, “how much is so? Much much more than you’ll ever know.” We are SO lucky. We have SO much. I am just SO grateful.
This year I made an Ultimate Canada Day Playlist of all the songs of the summer, the music that I remember from my childhood up until today. I’ve left off the obvious hits like Summer of ‘69 and Patio Lanterns but each of these songs holds an explicit memory for me and of my life growing up here, in Canada. I am so thankful, proud and feel just plain lucky to be Canadian.
- Big Yellow Taxi * Joni Mitchell
- You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet * Bachman-Turner Overdrive
- Echo Beach * Martha and the Muffins
- Don’t Forget Me When I’m Gone * Glass Tiger
- Black Velvet * Alannah Myles
- Working for the Weekend * Loverboy
- We Run * Strange Advance
- When I’m With You * Sheriff
- Lunatic Fringe * Red Rider
- Heaven Coming Down * The Tea Party
- 4am * Our Lady Peace
- Stick to Your Vision * Maestro
- When I’m Up * Great Big Sea
- One More Astronaut * I Mother Earth
- Head Over Feet * Alanis Morissette
- Instant Pleasure * Rufus Wainwright
- Any Man of Mine * Shania Twain
- Push * Moist
- O Siem * Susan Aglukark
- Blow At High Dough * The Tragically Hip
- Promiscuous * Nelly Furtado
- Spirits * The Strumbellas
- Call Me Maybe * Carly-Rae Jepsen
- When the Night Feels My Song * Bedouin Soundclash
- Last Girls at the Party * The Beaches
July long weekend is when summer TRULY begins here in Canada! Ninja and I have been taste testing delicious cocktails over the last few weeks to help you mix the perfect drink this summer.
I love a good martini! This Poolside Martini is a good martini. It’s so pretty and it sparkles in the sunshine plus it tastes delicious! So good in fact, I had three lol!
I love the flavour of elderflower in a cocktail. This St Germain Spritz has elderflower, looks gorgeous and tastes as good as it looks!
I used to like ordering an Island Breeze when I was in my 20’s because they felt like summer to me. This Lake Breeze cocktail is a play on that with a little bit of grenadine mixed in to make you feel like you’re on a vacation by the lake or in my case life between 2 lakes lol!
This is a mixture of all my favourite things an Aperol spritz, ginger beer, and a fizz. This Aperol Ginger Beer Fizz is a party in your mouth!
Looking for a fun shooter this summer? I’ve got it! Try these Life Saver Shooters for a playful summer shooter that is easy, pretty, and tastes like candy!
Is it really summer if you haven’t had a margarita? This Tropical Margarita was so yummy! I love a good blended drink. This is like a summer Slurpee for adults!
Ingredients
1 oz. peach schnapps
1 oz. blue curaçao
2 oz. rum
Sprite, to taste
cherry or strawberry, for garnish
Directions
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice.
Add the peach schnapps, blue curaçao, and vodka to the shaker. Shake until mixed.
Strain into martini glass. Top the glass off with Sprite.
Garnish the drink with a cherry or a strawberry shaped heart.
Ingredients
4 oz St Germain Elderflower Liqueur
4 oz Prosecco
4 oz club soda
Ice cubes
Garnish: lemon twist or slice
Directions
Fill a glass with ice cubes.
Pour St Germain Elderflower Liqueur over the ice. Add Prosecco, to the glass.
Add 2 ounces of club soda. Mix.
Add a lemon twist or slice as a garnish.
Ingredients
4 oz Aperol
8 oz ginger beer (chilled)
1 oz lime juice
ice cubes
Garnish: orange peel
Directions
Pour Aperol and lime juice into a glass. Stir.
Add ice to the glass. Top it off with ginger beer.
Stir gently. Garnish with orange peel and serve immediately.
Ingredients
2 oz rum
2 oz pineapple juice
1/2 oz lime juice
a splash of Clue Curacao
a splash of Triple Sec
a splash of simple syrup
Garnish: Lifesavers, hard or gummy
Directions
Add ice to cocktail shaker.
Add rum, triple sec, lime juice, pineapple juice, simple syrup, and blue curaçao.
Shake well.
Strain into shot glass and garnish with Lifesavers.
Ingredients
1 oz Triple Sec, Cointreau, or Grand Marnier
2 oz Tequila
2 oz coconut water
3 oz pineapple juice
½ oz lime juice
ice cubes
Garnish: maraschino cherries, lime wedge
Directions
Place all ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice.
Pour into a glass. Garnish with fruit.
Check out How Was Your Week, Honey? Episode #433 Sex in the Driveway. This week, we get together for some morning drinking to discuss: books, new computer, Middle School Grad, kids’ meals, SOW, East Coast music, Benson Boone, and Hacks.
Thank you to Life and Linda for featuring my Burgers post at her Love Your Creativity Link Party, Fiesta Friday for featuring my Chicken Burgers with Bang Bang Sauce at her Fiesta Friday Link Party and to French Ethereal for featuring my YA Book list at her Share Your Style Link Party .
That’s a WRAP on middle school! 🤯 this was a great week!
SBean had her grade 7 farewell dinner and dance, went to the beach, made necklaces, had her middle school leaving ceremony, went out for dinner, went out for ice cream, went to the pool, and dyed her hair!
HBear had a picnic, spent time with her boyfriend, went to a pool party, went out for dinner, had ice cream, and dyed her hair!
Ninja finished his birthday puzzle and I finished another reading challenge!
14 thoughts on “Oh Canada & Summer Cocktails”
I remember so many of those same summer songs! I don’t drink alcohol but all those drinks you shared look SO good for some summer fun.
I don’t really drink much but when I do, it is a fruity drink, so several of these really sound yummy!
http://www.chezmireillefashiontravelmom.com
Not really a big drinker myself. My husband and I have a podcast, really it’s just our date night lol we get together on the balcony and have a cocktail! These fruity drinks have been perfect for these hot summer evenings! Thank you so much for stopping by!
Happy Canada day from Australia! Those cocktails look so good and perfect for celebrations and Summer evenings. #WeekendCoffeeShare
Thank you! It has been hot here, in the 30s so these have been perfect summer sippers so far! Thanks for stopping by 😊
I really enjoyed your photos of all t he drinks! Making those drinks at home would really require an incredible stock of liquor and a wide variety of juices and soft drinks. THey sound like fun and would be cooling, but wow! what would you do with all the leftovers? I guess it’s white wine for me.
best… mae at maefood.blogspot.com
Ha! We do have a pretty nice selection of liquor. My husband was a bartender when we were in University, so he likes making us drinks. We do a date night podcast once a week and we have a cocktail while we chat! We try to use the ingredients we have and restock as needed. I too enjoy a glass of white wine… if my Hubby isn’t around lol! Thanks for stopping by!
Happy Canada Day for the first! Looks like you have been having a fun time of it.
cheers
sherry https://sherryspickings.blogspot.com/
Happy Canada Day! It’s been a fantastic start of the summer to be sure! Thanks for stopping by 😊.
Kristin, I love that you and your husband enjoy these drinks during your date night! I’m particularly interested in that tropical margarita. 🙂 I’ll be making that soon! Thank you for sharing with us at The Crazy Little Lovebirds link party.
I am lucky that my husband loves to bartend for our weekly date nights! The tropical margarita was delicious! You could have it on the rocks or blended! Enjoy 😊
Love your playlist! And I so enjoyed seeing all of your photos. Your family is awesome!
Thanks so much for sharing with Sweet Tea & Friends this month dear friend.
Thank you! I 100% believe that you cannot have a bad day with a Canadian playlist full of great songs! Have a great week and thank you for stopping by!
Hey Kristen, Thanks bunches for sharing with Bookish Bliss Musings & More Quarterly Link Up. ❤️