Celebrate spring with friends, a refreshing Arnold Palmer Blackberry Ginger Ale Spritzer, and blackberry and brie crostinis. This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #BlackberryAffair #CollectiveBias.
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Spring is finally here and my screened deck is screaming to be used. Let's just forget completely that the temps are in the 40's and that they are predicting snow flurries over the weekend. Regardless, the deck is my happy place when the weather starts to warm.
There is an extremely short list as to why we bought this house when we moved to Maryland - it has beautiful built-ins, it's in a good school district, and has a large screened deck. Those three things sold us on this house. And last spring through fall we had several gatherings on that deck. It's a great extension of our house as we have a large doorwall (apparently this term is only a southeast Michigander term) that we can keep open.
Opening up the house to the outdoors really makes it easy to entertain. Now we haven't held any large parties at our house like we did in Indiana, our door is always open to friends and family. There are often times when a last minute call from a friend will come through saying they are in the neighborhood. This is when I just whip up an easy snack and tasty drinks.
Here's a list of items that I always keep on hand which make it extremely easy to entertain visitors:
- frozen fruit
- rustic bread
- cheese (brie, cheddar, etc)
- Canada Dry™(right now I have the seasonal Canada Dry® Blackberry Ginger Ale)
- lemonade
- tea
- vodka
Every week while I am grocery shopping, I check to see if I am running low on any of the items and make sure I grab a fresh baguette. Living so close to Giant Food makes it easy to grab everything I need, plus Giant Food is carrying the seasonal Canada Dry® Blackberry Ginger Ale, which is oh so refreshing.
Arnold Palmers remind me of warm weather. They are light and refreshing, but you can customize the drink by turning it into a spritzer. The seasonal Canada Dry® Blackberry Ginger Ale, made with real ginger, is the perfect addition to a plain Arnold Palmer. All you need are equal parts lemonade, tea, and Canada Dry® Blackberry Ginger Ale, with of course the addition of vodka if needed. Top the beverage off with some frozen blackberries and maybe basil if you have it on hand and you will impress your friends and family.
Arnold Palmer Blackberry Ginger Ale Spritzer
Recipe by a traveling Wife
Prep time: 2 minutes
Ingredients
- one part Lemonade
- one part Tea
- one part Canada Dry® Blackberry Ginger Ale
- optional Vodka
- garnish with blackberries and basil
Directions
- Pour all ingredients into an ice filled cup.
- Garnish with blackberries and fresh basil.
- *Optional: Add a shot or two of vodka.
Whenever I am spending time with family and friends, a drink isn't enough. If food isn't being passed around, then I'm not interested. Only kidding! But really, I like food!
So I like to make crostinis and my blackberry and brie crostinis go hand-in-hand with the Arnold Palmer Blackberry Ginger Ale Spritzers.
Blackberry and Brie Crostini
Recipe by a traveling Wife
Prep time: 10 minutes
Ingredients
- Rustic Bread baguette
- 1/2 wheel Brie cheese, cut into thin strips
- 1 cup Blackberries, fresh or frozen
- drizzle of Honey
- 3-5 Basil leaves
Cooking Directions
- Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
- Cut baguette into 1/2 inch rounds and place on cookie sheet.
- Place cut baguette in oven and toast for 3-5 minutes.
- Once baguette is toasted and crunchy, top with brie slices, a few blackberries, drizzle with honey.
- Garnish with sliced fresh basil leaves.
- Enjoy!
Now go enjoy your spring gathering with the Arnold Palmer Blackberry Ginger Ale Spritzer and the blackberry and brie crostinis. Cheers!
What's your favorite fruit to pair with brie?
What is your favorite way to celebrate spring?
