Mango Passion Cocktail

When I was in Thailand, I had a wonderful mango cocktail which has forever stayed in my memory. I've replicated it here, and the taste is very similar. It's a perfect summer drink that looks and tastes like summer sunshine. Also a great party drink, evoking images of a tropical beach paradise. Serve this Thai mango cocktail with your choice of finger foods, or really spice things up with some exotic Thai party dishes (see below for recipe links). Cheers!

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• SERVES 6-8
• 2 ripe mangoes
• 1/2 cup vodka (for gluten-free diets: replace with more champagne)
• 1/4 cup lime juice (or juice of 1/2 lime)
• pinch of salt
• 1-2 Tbsp. natural syrup, like maple syrup OR substitute 1/4 cup palm or brown sugar (to taste)
• 1 bottle champagne, OR sparkling white wine (OR substitute sparkling spring water if you prefer less alcohol)
• Garnish: ice cubes OR crushed ice, lime wedges/slices, plus fresh cherries or other fruit of your choice

1. First, cut the mangoes and drop all their succulent flesh into your blender.
2. Add the vodka, lime juice, salt, and syrup. Don't put the syrup away, as you may need a little more in a minute.
3. Blend well to create a kind of mango puree. Now do a taste-test, adding more syrup if desired (how much syrup will depend on the sweetness of your mangoes). This drink should be a balance between sweet and sour, but leaning more toward the sweet.
4. If you added more syrup, blend again and continue to taste-test until you're happy with the results.
5. Pour this wonderful mango concoction into glasses, only half-filling them. Now top the glasses up with your choice of champagne, sparkling wine, OR sparkling spring water if you prefer less alcohol.
6. Top with a couple of ice cubes or some crushed ice. If desired, garnish glasses with slices/wedges of fresh lime, plus your choice of fresh fruit (I used fresh cherries). CHEERS!

Non-Alcoholic Version: To make this drink non-alcoholic, substitute the vodka for 1/4 cup water OR mango juice (or other tropical juice, such as guava or pineapple juice). Then top up your glass with sparkling spring water (such as Perrier) instead of champagne. ENJOY!