Everyone needs a drink every once in a while. Whether you’ve had a rough night class, Monday hit you hard or you are celebrating the arrival of the weekend, raising a glass isn’t as fun when the stuff in it isn’t delicious. While a full, elegant cocktail menu isn’t possible on a college budget, that doesn’t mean we can’t be fun and fancy while drinking. These drinks will be the perfect thing for your next house soiree, girls’ night in, or making Thursday night readings go down a little smoother.
Dark & Stormy
As autumn creeps closer, we are looking for every way to hold onto the last days of summer. A Dark and Stormy is the best cure for the money. All you need is ginger ale, rum, and lots of ice. Make it extra fancy by using spiced rum and a squeeze of lime juice.
Screwdriver
The original worker’s drink with the most unfortunate name. Back in the 1930s, construction workers would take their cans of orange juice to the bar after work, order a shot of vodka, and mix the two with their personal screwdrivers – which is how it gets its name. Do you have orange juice? Do you have vodka? Then you have a Screwdriver waiting to happen – no toolbox required.
The Arnold Palmer
What’s more perfect than lemonade and iced tea together? I’ll tell you: Lemonade and iced tea, pre-mixed, in a bottle you buy at the store. Most people know this drink without any alcohol involved, but a dash of your favorite booze makes a whole world of difference. My personal favorites are vodka, whiskey, or rum. Mix-and-match to your heart’s content.
Sangria
When all else fails, wine is there for you. And when your plain old class of red won’t do, sangria is the only way to go. The following is my grandmother’s (yes, my grandmother’s) recipe, which has been in frequent use since the 1960s: whatever fruit you have lying around (grapes, apples, oranges), ice, your favorite kind of wine, sugar, and club soda. Cut up your fruit and drop it into a pitcher with ice and a spoonful of sugar. Mash it all together, then pour in your wine and top off with half a bottle of club soda. Want to make it extra easy? Use frozen fruit instead of ice, and add a squeeze of lemon to your glass.
Irish Coffee
Good for cold Pittsburgh nights and bad airplane flights. Brew yourself a cup of coffee and put it in your favorite mug. Top with a shot of whiskey. Is coffee not your thing? I recommend hot chocolate with a splash of vodka. Want to take your mocha latte game up a notch? Make your hot chocolate using coffee instead of water, then add your whiskey, and top with whipped cream. Starbucks can’t beat it.
Limeade Margaritas
Ever thought about taking your Mad Mex margarita home in a to-go cup? Now you can make one at home! Get yourself a frozen can of limeade – they only cost a dollar, so stock up! – and any clear alcohol that isn’t gin. Tequila or rum is ideal. Let the limeade melt into a water-ice style slush, and mix in the booze. If you have a blender or food processor, blend the booze and limeade together. Don’t like frozen margaritas? Let the limeade completely melt before mixing. Want to make it extra fancy? Salt the rim of your glass or use frozen pink lemonade for a HerCampus inspired pink drink!