Bourbon Slush

The week of Christmas. Not a dust bunny in sight, the silver is polished and all I need to do is sit back and enjoy the season.

Who am I kidding?

The house is a mess, the holiday hand towels are MIA and the Christmas Eve menu has yet to be planned (though it will be fish of some kind). None of that really matters because the bar is fully stocked with everyone's favorites, although what gets everyone in the spirit for an evening filled with family togetherness is Bourbon Slush.

It's festive, easy, can be made a day ahead and is good for a crowd. Since it is a popular party favorite, there are lots of versions. The one I use from Cooks.com:

1 (12 oz.) can frozen orange juice
1 (12 oz.) can frozen lemonade
2 c. strong tea (3 tea bags)
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 c. bourbon
7 c. water
1 bottle maraschino cherries, drained (optional)

Freeze until slush, stirring occasionally and serve with 7-Up or Sprite. For those of you classy enough to actually own a punch bowl, it makes a nice presentation on the cocktail table. I serve it in highball glasses, pour in the soda and give it a quick stir with a cocktail swizzler, or, at our house, a chop stick.

The earthiness of the bourbon mellowed by the tea coupled with the tartness of the lemonade sweetened by the sugar makes a very sippable and delicious frozen delight. If you do decide to add in the cherries keep in mind they soak up the bourbon. One Christmas my mom, who is not much of a drinker, ate just the "fruit" which put her in in such high spirits our family had not witnessed since the Reagan era.

For those of you worried about the overindulgence of holiday season, it's got vitamin C from orange juice, water for hydration and antioxidants from tea. And bourbon does not contain any additives, preservatives or artificial colors.



Maybe Bourbon Slush is already a favorite to toast to family and friends or perhaps it will become a new one.

xxoo and Fa la la la la,

Jill