Take 2 parts hot weather and mix with 4 (or 6 or 8) parts new vodka flavors; serve whatever happens over ice.

Summer is fun. New vodka flavors are fun. (So are new rum, tequila, bourbon...you get the idea.) Add a splash of club soda, lemon-lime, or fruit juice. I was looking at the new Pucker Vodka flavors we've just got in, and went to see what their website (puckervodka.com) had to suggest. First, they've got a drink recipe tool called the "randomixer" which has some very fun ideas. Second, I noticed that while the drinks (mostly) look interesting, a lot of them are more complicated than I like. I'm a big fan of keeping it simple--less time in the kitchen (or at the bar), more time with friends. For me, more than 3 ingredients in a drink is a Very Big Deal and I don't do it often (although I appreciate it when other people do! One friend of mine makes the world's best margaritas, but he starts with hand squeezing three citrus juices....).

One of the thinks I like best about flavored vodkas and rums is that they punch up the flavor in your cocktail without adding more work. Add fruit juice and something to make the drink fizzy (such as soda or seltzer) and you're done. Like this simple recipe from the Pucker site for a Cran-apple Fizz:  2 parts green apple vodka, 2 parts cranberry juice, 1 part soda water. Pour over ice. Not too sweet, making it really refreshing on a hot Florida day!

Or take an old-fashioned vodka Collins (1 part vodka, 2 parts sour mix, shake, pour over ice, fill glass with soda water).  Use Pucker Citrus Squeeze to add a citrus twist to the lemonade taste of the Collins.

The Pucker Grape adds the flavor of Concord grapes to your drink; the Cherry Tease an intense burst of fresh cherries (just in time for a cherry cola). Happy summer!