The BVC Sparkler

This festive drink is sure to be a hit at any gathering.  On a hot day it is light and refreshing and before you know it you will be asking for a refill.  The pop rocks add a little surprise and extra snap to the drink.  The red, white, and blue ice cubes are a nice touch and when they melt the fresh fruit adds to the scrumptious flavor of the drink.

The BVC Sparkler

Ingredients

4-5 big slices of watermelon (you basically want enough to fill the shaker to the top)

2 oz watermelon vodka

2 oz lemonade

1 oz Triple Sec

Champagne or sparkling wine (you want to use a nice white brut champagne.  We used Laurent-Pierrier)

Pop rocks (watermelon or strawberry flavor)

Honey

1.  Muddle the watermelon in a shaker.  Add watermelon vodka, lemonade, and Triple Sec.  Fill shaker with ice and shake vigorously for 30 seconds. 

2.  Take your a Collins glass and lightly put honey around the rim.  Lay rim in the pop rocks.  Fill glass with the red, white, and blue ice cubes.  Pour watermelon mixture over ice cubes.  Top with champagne.

To Make the Ice Cubes:

blueberries

strawberries, sliced in half and then into thirds

water

ice cube tray

1. In each slot in the ice cube tray put about 2-3 blueberries and about 3 slices of strawberries.  Fill tray with water and let sit in freezer for a few hours.  Best to do this the night before.

**If you are having a big gathering of people you can make this in larger batches.  The proportions for a large batch are as follows

8-12 big slices of watermelon, muddled

2 cups watermelon vodka

2 cups lemonade

3/4 cup Triple Sec

1. Combine all ingredients in a pitcher or punch bowl.  Add red, white, and blue ice cubes.  Leave a bottle of champagne next to the pitcher so people can add their own to the drink (leave a note card next to the champagne instructing people to top their drink.  You can rim some Collins glasses ahead of time with pop rocks and have them sitting out.