5 Melanin Magic-Inspired Cocktails For A Girls' Night In

BEYCHELLA LEMONADE™️

Beyonce created shockwaves through the internet with her history-making Coachella performance this past weekend, and she took it back to the Black sorority college campus - looking cool as a cucumber! In honor of her, I've conjured up this rosemary cucumber gin Lemonade, aka the Beychella Lemonade.

Recipe

Ingredients:

2 oz Gin

1 oz Fresh Lemon Juice

¾ oz Triple Sec

1 oz Rosemary Simple

Rosemary Garnish

Cucumber Garnish

Honey

Directions:

First, we have to make your Rosemary simple syrup. Take 1 cup of sugar, a handful of Rosemary Sprigs, 2 cups of water, and boil everything down to a syrup in a small pot. Remove the syrup off the heat for a cool down.

Grab your shaker, combine your citrus, spirits, and cooled simple syrup in the tin. Then add ice cubes and shake that thing like Beyonce!

Strain over ice in a Tom Collins Glass, garnish, and drizzle a little honey for the BeyHive!

SUBWAY CAR™️

Growing up in Bedstuy, two things you grow accustomed to are running in-between train cars, and that good ole' EJ Brandy that no one from BK is too proud to sip! Try this sweet and spicy spin on a Sidecar that's Brooklyn AF!

Recipe

Ingredients:

2 oz EJ Brandy or Hennessy

1 oz Fresh Lemon Juice

1 oz Triple Sec

1 oz Honey-Ginger Syrup

Tabasco Sauce

Smoked Paprika

Granulated Sugar

Lemon Peel

Directions:

Make your Honey-Ginger simple syrup. Take ½ cup of sugar, 1 cup of wild honey, a finely diced chunk of fresh ginger, 2 cups of water, and boil everything down to a syrup in a small pot. Take the syrup off the heat for a cool down. Feel free to adjust amount of sweeteners to your personal preference.

First, prep your cocktail garnish. Pour the smoked paprika and sugar on a flat plate. Grab a lemon wedge that is cut down the middle, and wet the rim of a chilled glass. Dab the rim in the paprika and sugar blend, generously coating it.

In your shaker, combine your citrus, spirits, and simple syrup in the tin. Drop in a couple splashes of Tabasco Sauce. Add ice cubes and shake it!

Strain the chilled cocktail into a martini glass. Lastly, grab a lemon peel, give it a little char under a flame, and float it in the drink.

LA NEGRA KIWI MARGARITA™️

This delicious brown sugar kiwi margarita cocktail is inspired by Amara La Negra, a beautiful Afro-Latina artist shining light on, and breaking through the chains of colorism.

Recipe

Ingredients:

2 oz of Tequila

1 ½ of Brown Sugar-Kiwi Base

1 oz of Fresh Lime Juice

¾ oz of Triple Sec

½ oz OJ

Directions:

Make your brown sugar-kiwi base by taking 1 cup of raw brown sugar, 2 to 3 chopped fresh kiwis, a couple dollops of agave, 2 cups of water, and boil everything down to a syrup in a small pot. Take the base off the heat for a cool down. It should be of a thick juice consistency. Feel free to adjust amount of sweeteners and water based on your preferences.

Prep your rocks glass by rimming your glass with sugar.

Grab your shaker. Combine your citrus, juice, spirits, and base in the tin. Add ice cubes and shake it!

Strain the cocktail over ice into a rocks glass. Lastly, garnish with a lime wedge and sugar cane.

GODDESS GLOW CUP™️

This coconut pomegranate daiquiri cocktail is inspired by the favorite fruits of African Orishas like Oya, Oshun, and Ogun. It is packed with all the Goddess goodness, an elixir of the divine feminine.

Recipe

Ingredients:

2 ½ oz Coconut Rum

½ oz Maraschino Liqueur

¼ oz Pomegranate Liqueur

1 oz Fresh Lime Juice

¾ oz Pineapple Juice

Angostura or Orange Bitters

Directions:

Grab your shaker. Combine your citrus, juice, and spirits in the tin. Add ice cubes and shake it! You want to give it a nice shake so that the pineapple juice forms a fluffy head.

Strain the chilled cocktail into a chilled coupe glass. Lastly, drip a couple drops of bitters and then swirl it into the cocktail.

MELANADE PUNCH™️

I saved the best for last, plus you can make large batches for a popping summer party!  This punch is addictive, and the unofficial BLM Cocktail!

Recipe

Ingredients:

1 ½ oz Black Spiced Bacardi

1 oz Silver Rum

3 oz Melanade Mix

2 Blackberries

1 Pineapple Chunk

Mint Sprig

Directions:

Make your punch base. Grab a pack of fresh blackberries, black cherries, a bottle of pomegranate juice, dark plum juice, OJ and Pineapple juice.

Make a blackberry and black cherry reduction by adding brown sugar and a dollop of honey to a large saucepan or pot. Combine your juices and let it simmer for 5 mins. Set aside, then pour into plastic containers when cooled. Taste for sweetness.

You can build this cocktail in a punch glass over ice and adding your spirits. Garnish your glass, using a skewer for the blackberries, pineapple and mint sprig.