Jackson Free Press

You may not be royalty, but that shouldn't stop you from adding a little pizzazz to your summer wedding. Consider adding these royal-themed drinks to your bar menu. They're provided by http://www.iDRINK.com in honor of the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton.

Wedding Cake Martini
2 ounces cranberry juice
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ounce vodka

Place all ingredients in shaker with ice. Shake. Strain into a martini glass.

Kir Royale
7 parts champagne
1 part framboise or creme de cassis

Fill a glass three-quarters full with champagne. Add a few drops of framboise or creme de cassis.

One "part" is proportional to size of drink you are making. For example a margarita is two parts tequila, one part triple sec and one part lime juice; those parts can be a half ounce, one ounce, two ounces or more, depending on how much you want to make.

A Kir is a popular French cocktail made with crème de cassis (black currant liqueur) and topped up with white wine, according to "The Cook's Essential Kitchen Dictionary: A Complete Culinary Resource" by Jacques Rolland (Robert Rose, 2004, $19.95). The drink, originally called the blanc-cassis, is supposedly named after Félix Kir, once the mayor of Dijon in Burgundy.

Royal Romance
1-1/2 ounces gin
1/2-ounce Grand Marnier
2 dashes grenadine
1 ounce passion fruit syrup

Mix together with crushed ice in a glass, and garnish with mint leaves.