Simply Cranberry and Kumquat Cocktails - Simply Yummy!

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Everyone knows we like to throw parties. So when Eddie was coming home from filming in Thailand I wanted to throw a party for him.

I knew he was going to be super tired when he arrived home, so I made a cake and a fancy cake banner for his arrival night and set my sights on a having a small gathering of family over to see some of his pics from the trip. He got to spoon a 600 pound tiger, and I knew that my family would want to see that pic!
I wanted to create a signature cocktail for the event so I got mixing with Simply Cranberry Cocktail.
They sent me a free coupon in the mail for a taste-test, so I grabbed some product and gave it a try. It was going to be perfect! I wanted something light but full of flavor. I like that it is made with not-from-concentrate cranberry juice- kept chilled. The flavor is the perfect balance of sweetness and tartness, with no added preservatives. I picked it up in the fridge section at Ralphs, and I am sure it is all grocery stores.
Eddie loves vodka, so I experimented with a variety of flavors and settled on Simply Cranberry Cocktail mixed with vodka and enhanced with a squeeze of lime and dash of kumquat. I used the 59oz bottle since I was making lots of servings. You can get a smaller/single serving version (13.5oz) for on-the-go, and if you love the other Simply beverages, you won't want to miss Simply Cranberry Cocktail. 

Since my sister is pregnant, I decided to make a virgin style with sparkling water. 

Of course - I had to craft a cocktail stir stick for the drinks. I used pink, yellow and orange felt flowers. I picked these colors to match the cocktail. I hot glued them in layers to a skewer. I added a pink rhinestone to the center for a pop of sparkle. I made the skewers a few days in advance of the picture night.
 
The first step was skewering kumquats. I added three per stick. Note: you can freeze kumquats for an extra pop of cold. 
 
For the drink I mixed:4 ounces of Simply Cranberry Cocktail 1/2 ounce of Vodka (you can add more)Squeeze of lime wedgeSqueeze of kumquatServed over 3 large ice cubes.Garnished with kumquat felt flower skewer.Enjoyed by all!What is your favorite way to make a party or get-together at your home more festive? Tell me about it in the comments for the chance to win a $100 gift card!Rules:No duplicate comments. You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods: a)Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post b)Tweet about this promotion and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post c)Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post d)For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry. This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected. The Official Rules are available here.
This sweepstakes runs from 5/7/2012 ñ 6/6/2012.
Be sure to visit the Simply Cranberry Cocktail Brand Page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggersí reviews and find more chances to win!
"Simply Cranberry_ô" is a trademark of Simply Orange Juice Company.