Syracuse University’s annual music festival, Juice Jam, is right around the corner and it’s time to get ready to rage with some pretty cool artists including Fetty Wap, Marshmello, and Tove Lo. The festival doesn’t start until around noon, but we all know Syracuse starts partying hours before the gates open up. Here are my top picks for some pre-juice jam drinks that will get you ready to rage your day away at one of Syracuse’s most fun day of the year.

Mimosas

My first pick is just what you would expect for early morning festivities, mimosas. As you probably know, mimosas are typically made with equal parts sparkling wine and orange juice; however, there are tons of different ways to spice up the original mimosa.

If you’re not a huge fan of orange juice, you can opt for a different type of juice like cranberry, or grapefruit.

My personal favorite type of mimosa is pomegranate. For these, I find it’s better to do about 1/3 pomegranate juice and 2/3 sparkling wine, since pomegranate juice is so potent.

If you want to try multiple options, I recommend buying single serving containers of juice. Orange juice, cranberry juice, lemonade, and more always come in single serving bottles so you can mix it up each time you make a new drink.

If you like the original orange juice mimosa, but want to give it a little twist, you can always add a splash of grenadine, which is the thick and sweet red syrup used commonly in cocktails. This will sweeten your mimosa and give it a nice reddish tint.

Moscow Mule

Another great way to spice up your juice jam morning is with a Moscow Mule. This citrusy drink is easy to make and perfectly refreshing for the warm juice jam weather.

The Moscow mule is simple to make. Just mix together a shot of vodka and a splash of lime juice, drop in some ice cubes, and fill the rest of the glass with half a cup of ginger ale.

If vodka isn’t your favorite, you can even substitute tequila to make a Mexican Mule, gin to make a London Mule, bourbon to make a Kentucky Mule, or Irish whiskey to make an Irish Mule.

This drink is usually served in a chilled copper mug, but for the purpose of Juice Jam, it will taste just as good from a red solo cup.

Jello Shots

If drinking alcohol is too boring for you, maybe it’s time to switch it up and take a bite out of a jello shot.

There are all different kinds of jello shots, ranging from blueberry to cherry to watermelon, but if you want to get a little bit fancy for Juice Jam, you can make champagne jello shots.

While the name sounds elaborate, the recipe is actually pretty simple. All you need is champagne, gin, lemon juice, simple syrup, and some plain gelatin.

Here’s how you do it:

Mix the simple syrup and lemon juice together in a saucepan, sprinkle in the gelatin, and let it soak in for about 2 minutes. Put the saucepan over low heat and stir until everything is dissolved. Once dissolved, stir in the gin and champagne, pour the mixture onto a lightly greased pan, and put it into the fridge. A few hours later, pull it out of the fridge, cut the jello into pieces, and there you have it. Fancy little jello shots that will delight all your friends.

Fruity Iced Tea

There are plenty of delicious pre-Juice Jam drinks you can make without alcohol as well. Since you’re probably going to be waking up early, it may be good to start your day off with some caffeine. This fruity ice tea recipe will get you refreshed and ready to start your day.

Start with your favorite iced tea, either black tea, or green tea, and mix in your favorite fruit juice. Cranberry Juice, pomegranate juice, and lemonade are my favorites. Drop in some ice and some frozen fruit and you’re done.

It’s easy to make, and the caffeine will wake you up and get you ready for all of the celebrations to come.

Published on September 23, 2016 at 7:46 pm