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Don't be sad. We had a good run. All summer romances must end. Besides, every time I smell a mojito, I will think of you and the blog love we created together. So, wipe that tear from your eye. We still have one more weekend.

This being the last hurrah of summer, I've decided to gather the best of the Summer Boozy Goodness drink recipes.

These should keep you going for awhile. And look for Autumn Boozy Goodness arriving on Blogtown soon.

An oh-my-god compendium of cocktails after the jump

June 13th

Red Cricket

4 oz vodka (I prefer House Spirits Medoyeff, but I made it with Stoli last night to great effect)
3 large strawberries
2 1/2 cucumber rounds
4 large mint leaves
1 oz lemon juice
Cricket green tea cola to finish

In a shaker, muddle strawberries, cucumber rounds and mint. Add lemon juice and vodka, fill shaker with ice and shake vigorously for 15 second. Strain over ice in a rocks glass. Top off with Cricket cola. Garnish to your whim. Tilt the elbow.

July 3rd

Pepper Delicious

4 thin red bell pepper rings, seeds discarded
6 to 8 mint leaves
1 ounce fresh lime juice
3/4 ounce Simple Syrup
Ice
2 ounces Aviation gin

In a cocktail shaker, muddle 3 of the bell pepper rings with the mint, lime juice and Simple Syrup. Add ice and the gin and shake well. Strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with the remaining pepper ring.

July 11th

The Classic Sazerac (recipe modified from gumbopages.com, where they know their Sazerac)

1 teaspoon of simple syrup
4 dashes Peychaud's bitters
2 ounces rye whiskey.
1/2 teaspoon absinthe (try it with Integrity's Trillium)
Strip of lemon peel

Coat an Old-Fashioned or rocks glass with absinthe and discard excess. In a shaker, add simple syrup, rye whiskey and bitters. Pop in some ice and stir mixture until cold. Strain into absinthe coated glass and twist peel above the whole shebang. Rub the the lemon twist around the edge of the glass, kick back and enjoy.

July 18th

Fairy Tarragon

1 1/2 oz Sub Rosa Tarragon Vodka
1/2 oz lemon juice
1/4 oz Trillium Absinthe
1/4 oz Galliano
1 dash Peychaud's bitters

Shaken, strained into chilled Martini glass

July 25th

The Portland Tri-fecta

1.5 oz Indio Spirits Cricket Club Gin
1/2 oz New Deal Spicy Ginger Cello
1/2 oz Clear Creek Cherry Liqueur
5 oz Tonic
1/2 oz Lime juice

Shaken, up, with a cherry garnish.

August 1st

"My" Manhattan

2 oz Rye
1/2 oz dry vermouth
1/2 oz Chartreuse
2 Dashes Angostura bitters
1/4 tsp Maraschino cherry juice

Combine ingredients in a large mixing glass, fill with ice and stir until chilled. Strain into a pre-chilled martini glass, garnish with cherry.

August 8th

Ultimate Blogtown Bloody

3 oz Pepper Vodka
1 tsp Juice from Hot Pickled Peppers
1 tblsp sushi vinegar
4 dashes Worcestershire
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp Horseradish
V-8 Juice
pinch Lawry's seasoned salt
pinch Ground black pepper
I slice crispy bacon

Combine all ingredients except V-8, sushi vinegar and bacon in a shaker. Fill shaker with ice and top off with V-8 juice. Shake vigorously (not yourself, the shaker). Once chilled, strain into a pre-chilled, ice filled pint glass. Float sushi vinegar on top and garnish with crispy bacon slice, lemon wedge and hot pickled pepper. Enjoy.

August 13th

Tarragon Mojito Julep

1 1/2 oz Sub Rosa Tarragon Vodka
1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
1/2 oz simple syrup
Fresh mint leaves
Fresh tarragon leaves/sprig
Squirt brand soft drink
Lemon twist and mint sprig garnish

In a rocks glass, muddle a pinch of torn up, fresh mint leaves, and a dozen fresh tarragon leaves with the lemon juice and simple syrup. Fill the glass with lightly crushed ice. Add Tarragon vodka, top off with Squirt and stir. Garnish with a lemon peel twist.