honeysuckle lemonade with cathead vodka

disclaimer: cathead vodka sponsored our birmingham bloggers 1st anniversary bash & provided us with some fabulous vodka to sample and serve. all opinions are entirely mine.

at the birmingham bloggers 1st anniversary bash (recap post soon!), we served this delicious, simple and refreshing crowd pleaser. it's simple to make and perfect for spring and summertime!

i've been a fan of cathead for many years. i love supporting southern brands, so it doesn't get much better than sipping on a spirit distilled by our neighbors, mississippi. i was first introduced to cathead's honeysuckle vodka at watermark in nashville, after trying it in a lovely cocktail called the southern belle, featuring cathead honeysuckle vodka and fresh peach juice. it was divine.

since, this vodka has been to go-to at cocktail joints. at collins, i often just tell them to throw this in something and make whatever they want. i always love it. it's my favorite - which is why i wanted to serve it to my fellow birmingham bloggers at our party.

 

cathead honeysuckle lemonade

• 1 part (1 oz) cathead honeysuckle vodka
• 2 parts lemonade, freshly made or simply lemonade brand
• splash of club soda or prosecco, optional

combine all ingredients in a glass or cocktail shaker. serve over ice.

the splash of club soda or prosecco gives the cocktail just a little fizz, which i prefer. this drink is also incredibly easy to make in batches and can be served in a large drink dispenser at a party or outdoor bbq. simply follow the same ratios. enjoy, y'all!

this post is a part of a little mini linkup! check out the other posts below for more southern themed cocktails using cathead vodka.

 

the southern lady from bethcakes | honeysuckle vodka collins from hey there sunshine

birmingham bloggers: one year

i talk all the time about birmingham bloggers, how the community got started and how much it means to me. i get asked frequently if birmingham bloggers is my full-time job - and no, it is not. and though the work to keep the community running as well as it does is essentially a second full-time job, i wouldn't trade it for the world. i like the hustle.

in a year of experimenting with this community, i have learned so much, not only about myself but about the amazing people who live, work and create in birmingham, alabama - and i've learned that we have an incredible stock of fabulous, talented people here. browse the birmingham bloggers members for only a few minutes and you'll find a vibrant, thriving voice that represents birmingham so well. i am honored to be able to give these folks a platform to connect.

the future holds a lot for this community and i am thrilled to see where it takes us. we've got events planned through august, and so many ideas for late summer and fall going forward.

tonight, at the nest in avondale, we're hosting the birmingham bloggers one year anniversary bash. we've been fortunate enough to work with a handful of wonderful sponsors for this event to put together a delicious spread of food, cocktails and goodie bags for our members. everyone was asked to wear purple - so of course, i went and got a purple gel manicure and spent way too long trying to find the perfect purple dress, which are surprisingly difficult to come by...

this party is about rewarding y'all for being awesome folks. i cannot wait to give away these prizes. and don't worry, there will be plenty of photos and a recap post very soon.

my friend and co-founder, beth, made this beautiful birmingham bloggers birthday cake, so check out her blog for the recipe! and though we won't have it at the party tonight, we loved having our own little mini celebration. having co-founder molly in athens has been a bummer and we miss her so much (you should see our group texts...) - but we are so happy she'll be joining us for the one year celebration tonight.

countless meetups, 160+ members, new friends and many fun collaborations later - birmingham bloggers is a year old! here's to many, many more. see y'all along for the ride.

5 birmingham favorites

well hello! april has been a quiet month for this blog (more on that in my next post on wednesday) but i'm happy to say things are starting to settle down and i'll be back to regular posting very soon!

having lived in birmingham for almost 2 years, i've got my go-to spots. i could endlessly list our james beard award winning eateries, trendy coffee shops and beautiful outdoor spots, but i figured i'd list the five places i actually frequent on a nearly weekly basis. i have so many favorites that i adore, but these are the places that i find myself most often (and picking just five was really, really difficult!)

01. railroad park - now this is a given, but if you aren't spending time at railroad park, what are you doing? my favorite thing is to take a blanket and picnic to railroad around sunset (and maybe some wine? shhh....) and enjoy the weather.

02. collins bar - kinda don't know what i'd do without this place. our cocktail scene is just getting started, and collins is boldly blazing a popular path. stop in and let the bartenders know what your favorite spirits are, and they'll whip you up something custom. there is no menu!

03. melt - what started as a grilled cheese food truck has now blossomed into a brick & mortar restaurant in the heart of avondale. i'm at melt way too freaking much. their cocktails are divine and the seasonal menu is always rotating with fresh ingredients. my favorite? the buffalo chicken melt and a matilda loaded cocktail. matilda is the name of the food truck!

04. moss rock nature preserve - aside from ruffner and oak mountain, moss rock is my favorite for a simple hike on a breezy day. the entire trail is covered so you can stay cool in the shade, and the boulders in boulder field are beautiful! i love the creek and waterfalls along the trail. this is definitely worth the drive down to hoover.

05. o'henry's coffee - do you realize how hard this is for me? picking a coffee shop? i love all birmingham coffee offerings, but o'henry's has my heart. it was one of the first coffee shops i started frequenting here in town. the o'henry's in highland park opened just as i moved to the area. additionally, i founded birmingham bloggers with beth and molly at o'henry's, hold nearly all of my meetings there, and have ruled their cold brewed iced coffee the best in town.

birmingham folks, what are your top 5 local favorites?