Five Star Cocktail: Blackberry Bourbon Lemonade

Once or twice a year, my mood reader heart craves a book that will rip me apart and leave me changed. On the Savage Side by Tiffany McDaniel took that as a challenge and grabbed ahold of my heart without mercy. 

This book deserves to have a drink poured in its honor, to celebrate the power of McDaniel’s writing, and reflect with those who deeply relate to this story. I’ve chosen to pair it with a Blackberry Bourbon Lemonade. I took inspiration from this blog post when looking for the perfect drink to honor this book and I’m excited to share it with you today.

Just like On the Savage Side, the Blackberry Bourbon Lemonade has an impactful depth and a levity of sweetness that keeps you coming back for more! This is the easy warm weather drink you’ll be making all summer!

Before I dive into my recipe, check out my review of On the Savage Side here.

You can order this book and all of my other favorites from the Books list in my Amazon Storefront

I get compliments on these glasses all the time, so I’m linking them here along with the other barware I use regularly! These make incredible wedding and housewarming gifts!

Hobnail Glasses

Crystal Shaker Set

You can find more of my favorite glasses and barware here.

Blackberry Bourbon Lemonade

Ingredients:

8-10 blackberries

8-10 mint leaves

2 oz bourbon

4 oz lemonade

Ice

Directions:

  1. Combine blackberries, mint leaves, and bourbon into a shaker and muddle until the berries have been crushed and the mint leaves have released their oils. 
  2. Pour the mixture into a glass filled with ice. *You may choose to strain the liquid into the glass, but personally I like the added fruit!
  3. Top with lemonade.
  4. Garnish and enjoy!

Send me a “cheers” if you make a Blackberry Bourbon Lemonade! You can find all of my thoughts on current reads on my Instagram page!

Want to see more Five Star Cocktails? Below are some of my favorite books paired with a cocktail to match!

Strawberry Basil Margarita for The Hotel Nantucket by Elin Hilderbrand

Strawberry Bourbon Smash for Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez

Spice Pineapple Margarita for I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

French 75 for Atomic Habits by James Clear

Spicy Passion Fruit Margarita for The Reunion

Large Batch Strawberry Margaritas for Maame by Jessica George

Will you try the Blackberry Bourbon Lemonade? What book would you like to see paired next? Looking forward to On the Savage Side by Tiffany McDaniel?

Leave a comment below and let’s chat! 

Five Star Cocktail: The Garden City

Katherine Center’s books are known for bringing all of the warm fuzzies and her 2023 release, Hello Stranger, is a contender for her sweetest love story yet! It’s my latest read to earn a Five Star Cocktail celebration!

In a recent Instagram Reel, Center shared her perspective on love stories. She spoke about the concept of hope within a love story. That knowing there will be a happily ever after isn’t a spoiler or predictable, but rather allows the reader to experience a rare emotional bliss of something to look forward to, hope. You can check out that reel right here.

Center is a master at creating stories that evoke hope.

This book exudes kindness, sweetness, and levity, which all come as a breath of fresh air in such a stressful time. 

I knew I wanted to celebrate it with a cocktail to match! So, off I went to Pinterest, in search of a drink that felt light, floral, balanced, and welcoming. I found this article from Empress Gin and knew it was what I was looking for! I made a couple of slight adjustments (add a little more gin, simple syrup instead of lychee syrup), but still honored the original recipe. And, that presentation! Let me tell you, this one truly tastes as good as it looks! 

Before I share the recipe and instructions for the Garden City, check out my review of Hello Stranger.

You can order this book and all of my other favorites from the Books list in my Amazon Storefront

The Garden City by Empress Gin

Ingredients:

2 oz Empress Gin

1 oz grapefruit juice

½ oz lemon juice

½ oz simple syrup

Directions:

  1. Shake grapefruit juice, lemon juice, and simple syrup on ice. 
  2. Pour mixture and ice into a coupe glass.
  3. Top with Empress gin.
  4. Garnish with a pansy and grapefruit and enjoy! 

Send me a “cheers” if you make the Garden City! You can find all of my thoughts on current reads on my Instagram page!

Want more Five Star Cocktails?

Strawberry Basil Margarita for The Hotel Nantucket by Elin Hilderbrand

Strawberry Bourbon Smash for Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez

Spice Pineapple Margarita for I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

French 75 for Atomic Habits by James Clear

Spicy Passion Fruit Margarita for The Reunion

Large Batch Strawberry Margaritas for Maame by Jessica George

Will you try the Garden City? What book would you like to see paired next? Looking forward to Hello Stranger by Katherine Center? 

Leave a comment below and let’s chat! 

Five Star Cocktail: The Strawberry Margarita

Maame by Jessica George might just be THE contemporary fiction novel of the year. Okay, March might be too soon to call it, but this book will certainly make it to many reader’s favorite lists this year. 

Maame was the February 2023 Read with Jenna pick and a February Book of the Month selection. It took no time for the rave reviews to begin rolling in and for me to get a serious case of FOMO. I downloaded the audiobook and into the story I dove. 

I loved it! Today, I’m sharing a five star cocktail to celebrate this magnificent book. No doubt, Maame will continue to be a popular pick for book clubs everywhere in the coming months. 

I wanted to create a large batch drink, perfect for serving at book club gatherings that allowed for minimal work on the hostess! 

Enter, the Strawberry Margarita

Before I go into the recipe and directions for preparing the drink, check out my review of Maame here. You can order it and all of my other favorites from the Books list in my Amazon Storefront!

You can also find a step-by-step video tutorial linked here.

The Strawberry Margarita

Ingredients:

  • 2 C tequila blanco
  • 2 C Master of Mixes Lite Strawberry Daiquiri & Margarita Mixer
  • 1 C blood orange juice
  • ⅔ C orange liqueur
  • ⅔ C lime juice 
  • Lime wedge
  • Sugar

Mocktail Option:

  • 2 C Master of Mixes Lite Strawberry Daiquiri & Margarita Mixer
  • 2 C lime seltzer
  • 1 C blood orange juice
  • ⅔ C orange liqueur
  • ⅔ C lime juice 
  • Lime wedge
  • Sugar

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients to a large pitcher

2. Stir well

3. Use a lime wedge to prep the rim of a drinking glass

4. Rim the glass in sugar (or salt!) 

5. Fill the glass with ice

6. Pour, garnish, and enjoy!

I began this Five Star Cocktail journey last year as a creative way to honor my five star reads, the books that made the biggest impact on me. Through these videos and blog posts, I also strive to showcase that you don’t need to be a mixologist to craft delicious cocktails at home! My goal, with each drink I share, is attainability without compromising flavor!

Need to boost your cocktail game? Click here to check out my party and hosting essentials.

Send me a “cheers” and let me know if you make a pitcher of Strawberry Margaritas! You can find all of my thoughts on current reads on my Instagram page.

Want more Five Star Cocktails?

Strawberry Basil Margarita for The Hotel Nantucket by Elin Hilderbrand

Strawberry Bourbon Smash for Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez

Spice Pineapple Margarita for I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

French 75 for Atomic Habits by James Clear

Spicy Passion Fruit Margarita for The Reunion

Large Batch Strawberry Margaritas for Maame by Jessica George

What book would you like to see paired next? Looking forward to Maame by Jessica George? 

Leave a comment below and let’s chat!

Book Review: Maame by Jessica George

Maame by Jessica George might just be THE contemporary fiction novel of the year. Okay, March might be too soon to call it, but this book will certainly make it to many reader’s favorite lists this year. 

Maame was the February 2023 Read with Jenna pick and a February Book of the Month selection. It took no time for the rave reviews to begin rolling in and for me to get a serious case of FOMO. I downloaded the audiobook and into the story I dove.

Before I share my reflections, read the synopsis for Maame below:

Goodreads:

Maame (ma-meh) has many meanings in Twi but in my case, it means woman.

It’s fair to say that Maddie’s life in London is far from rewarding. With a mother who spends most of her time in Ghana (yet still somehow manages to be overbearing), Maddie is the primary caretaker for her father, who suffers from advanced stage Parkinson’s. At work, her boss is a nightmare and Maddie is tired of always being the only Black person in every meeting.

When her mum returns from her latest trip to Ghana, Maddie leaps at the chance to get out of the family home and finally start living. A self-acknowledged late bloomer, she’s ready to experience some important “firsts”: She finds a flat share, says yes to after-work drinks, pushes for more recognition in her career, and throws herself into the bewildering world of internet dating. But it’s not long before tragedy strikes, forcing Maddie to face the true nature of her unconventional family, and the perils—and rewards—of putting her heart on the line.

Smart, funny, and deeply affecting, Jessica George’s Maame deals with the themes of our time with humor and poignancy: from familial duty and racism, to female pleasure, the complexity of love, and the life-saving power of friendship. Most important, it explores what it feels like to be torn between two homes and cultures―and it celebrates finally being able to find where you belong.

My spoiler-free thoughts:

FIVE STARS. This will definitely be a contender for my favorite book of the year. Maddie’s story was complex with difficult family dynamics, an identity crisis, and navigation through love and friendship. It was also friendly and familiar with internal monologues and very relatable Google searches for a woman in her mid-twenties. 

She wants to find love and appreciation, but in an era of online dating profiles is left feeling disconnected. She wants to break out on her own, but feels tethered to familial duties. She wants to discover herself and bloom to be who she truly is, but is left torn between two cultures. 

You can still be “coming of age” in your twenties. Maddie is proof that being a “late bloomer” is perfectly normal. Life, beauty, opportunities are still working out for you if you are brave enough to go for them. 

Read this book! Listen to the audio! Maddie will quickly feel like a friend you want to cling tight to. 

Maame by Jessica George is out now! You can order your copy here.

I recently share a Five Star cocktail recipe on my Instagram page honoring Maame! You can check it out here!

Want more Five Star Cocktails?

Strawberry Basil Margarita for The Hotel Nantucket by Elin Hilderbrand

Strawberry Bourbon Smash for Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez

Spice Pineapple Margarita for I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

French 75 for Atomic Habits by James Clear

Spicy Passion Fruit Margarita for The Reunion

Do you have any thoughts on Maame? What are some of your favorite Read with Jenna book club picks? Do you have a favorite book of 2023 yet? 

Leave a comment below and let’s chat!

Book Review: On the Savage Side by Tiffany McDaniel

Once or twice a year, my mood reader heart craves a book that will rip me apart and leave me changed. On the Savage Side by Tiffany McDaniel took that as a challenge and grabbed ahold of my heart without mercy. 

I’m a huge fan of McDaniel’s writing. She authored Betty in 2020 and it was one of my favorite reads of the year. I’ve since been waiting (not so patiently) for her next heart-wrenching book.

Before I dive into my review, check out the synopsis of On the Savage Side below:

Goodreads:

Six women–mothers, daughters, sisters–gone missing. When the first is found floating dead in the river, it reveals the disturbing truth of a small Ohio town. Inspired by the unsolved murders of the Chillicothe Six, this harrowing and haunting novel tells the story of two sisters, both of whom could be the next victims, from the internationally-bestselling author of Betty.

Arcade and Daffodil are twin sisters born one minute apart. With their fiery red hair and thirst for an escape, they forge an unbreakable bond nurtured by both their grandmother’s stories and their imaginations. Together, they create a world where a patch of grass reveals an archaeologist’s dig, the smoke emerging from the local paper mill becomes the dust rising from wild horses galloping on the ground, and an abandoned 1950s convertible transforms into a time machine that can take them anywhere.

But the two sisters can’t escape the generational chaos that grips their family. Growing up in the shadow of the town, the sisters cling tight to one another. As an adult, Arcade wrestles with these memories of her life, just as a local woman is discovered drowned in the river. Soon, more bodies are found. While her friends disappear around her, Arcade is forced to reckon with the past while the killer circles ever closer. Arcade’s promise to keep herself and her sister safe becomes increasingly desperate while the powerful riptide of the savage side becomes more difficult to resist.

Drawing from the true story of women killed in her native Ohio, acclaimed novelist and poet Tiffany McDaniel has written a powerful literary testament and fearless elegy for missing women everywhere.

My spoiler-free thoughts:

It’s five stars for me, but in a “read this book, it’s going to completely wreck you” type of way. Clocking in at 464 pages, it’s one of those books that looks huge but you fly right through in some sort of ethereal experience.

In the same vein as Betty, On the Savage Side is not for the faint of heart. It goes deep into rough and painful topics such as drug addiction and sexual abuse of a child, but McDaniel’s writing is so mesmerizingly beautiful and writes about these topics with intention. If you have reading sensitivities, I would suggest looking up themes before diving into this one.

The one phrase that keeps coming to mind when I try to describe the weight of this story is heartbreakingly beautiful. It’s hard to read and sad, reminiscent of Demon Copperhead (review linked), but there’s this thread of hope woven throughout the story that kept me cheering for Arc and Daffy. The ending left me speechless, stunned, and with a little whiplash. 

Save this story for a time when you have the emotional capacity for a deep and powerful read.  

On the Savage Side is out now. You can order it and all of my other favorites from the Books list in my Amazon Storefront! Be on the lookout for a Five Star Cocktail in honor of On the Savage Side on my Instagram page soon!

Want more Five Star Cocktails?

Strawberry Basil Margarita for The Hotel Nantucket by Elin Hilderbrand

Strawberry Bourbon Smash for Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez

Spice Pineapple Margarita for I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

French 75 for Atomic Habits by James Clear

Spicy Passion Fruit Margarita for The Reunion

Large Batch Strawberry Margaritas for Maame by Jessica George

What are your thoughts on Tiffany McDaniel’s books? Do you have a favorite? Is On the Savage Side on your TBR? 

Leave a comment below and let’s chat!

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