Red, White and Blue Cocktails for Independence Day

I'm headed to PCB this Thursday.  As next Wednesday is the Fourth of July, I'm going to play with these amazing sounding cocktails from Brooklyn Crafted, Sparkling Ice, and Purity Vodka.  I really love these products!


**Red, White and Blue, Berry Mule

INGREDIENTS

2 oz berry Vodka (blueberry or raspberry)

6 oz Extra Spicy Brooklyn Crafted Ginger Beer Mini

Blueberries

Blackberries

DIRECTIONS

Muddle blueberries and blackberries in shaker. Add vodka and shake. Fill Moscow mule mug with ice. 

Pour in muddled berries and vodka and fill with Brooklyn Crafted (roughly 6oz). Garnish with blueberries and blackberries.

**Soaked Watermelon Slice Popsicles

INGREDIENTS

¾ cup tequila

½ cup Sparkling Ice Strawberry Watermelon

¼ cup lime juice

1lb watermelon

DIRECTIONS

Stir together tequila, Strawberry Watermelon Sparkling Ice, and lime juice in a large bowl. Cut watermelon into wedges and soak in Sparkling Ice mixture for 15 minutes. Insert popsicle sticks into wedges then freeze on a rack-lined baking sheet for 1 hour.

**Purity Berry

INGREDIENTS

3 parts Purity Vodka

1 cup mixed berries

1 long piece of lemon zest

4 parts distilled water

DIRECTIONS

Combine the ingredients in a glass pitcher and let sit, refrigerated, for at least 4 hours – or preferably overnight, before serving.

Serve the vodka mixed with the berry water either shaken or served strained or combined over ice.

Massive Hammerhead Shark Caught From Beach -July 4th Weekend - Panama City Beach - Catch & Release

http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2017/07/wading_man_has_hammerhead_on_t.html

In a vivid hammerhead shark video from Panama City Beach, Fla., it's not immediately clear who's the predator and who's the prey.

Posted Saturday on YouTube by user Curtis Williams, the clip begins high above the beach, where a hammerhead is clearly visible a few yards from a lone person in the water. As the camera drove descends, closing in, the shark appears to turn toward the man, and the man appears to point toward the animal and approach it, rather than fleeing.

The reason for that behavior becomes clear after a few seconds: The shark is hooked and the man is pulling it in, hand over hand. With the animal apparently exhausted, he's eventually able to work it to shore.

The video doesn't show whether the shark was released afterward. However, when YouTube commenters asked about its fate, Williams responded that the shark had been turned loose and allowed to swim away.

Independence Day in PCB.... A View From our Balcony

The Fourth of July is awesome at the beach.  Although there are organized displays at both of our piers, the visitors on the beach put on the REAL SHOW.  I can't even imagine how much these folks spend....and they try to out-do each other.  It gets better and better each year. And to be able to enjoy it on our own balcony is wonderful!

(An amusing side note.... last year, Dom and our Son in Law were shooting bottle rockets off of the balcony.  Within minutes, there was a knock on the door from security.  Dom told the guy, "Geez.  I'm sorry.  My daughter is here for a visit.  I'll tell her to stop immediately!" )

Dom and I had crab legs, sweet corn (non GMO) and new potatoes for dinner, and watched the fireworks on the beach for hours.  Truly magical.