I am so excited to be partnering with Dasani and Acorn Influence to highlight Dasani’s new flavored sparkling waters for the holidays. This is a sponsored post. I appreciate your support as I work to bring you the best content possible.

Julie and Lizzie are my two best friends. We’ve seen each other through pre-school and elementary school on through college, weddings, births, deaths in our families, and now menopause. It’s hard to believe that we are half a century old. Inside, I’m pretty sure we are still giggling, laughing tweens looking forward to our next sleepover and hoping we are brave enough to hold a seance or maybe prank call some cute boys.

Our mobile society is constantly changing. Folks seem to constantly move in and out of our lives, and often we barely feel the loss. The norm seems to be that people stay for a certain amount of time, and then they move on. I have been fortunate to count Julie and Lizzie as dear friends for my entire life. Literally. We grew up in the same neighborhood, and we could see each other’s houses from our back porches. Their friendship has been a constant grounding bass line in the song of my life, and no matter how infrequently we see each other, because we have a deep, rich shared history, we pick up right where we left off.

Growing up in a close-knit neighborhood in the 1970’s, our parents were all about big neighborhood parties. One of the biggest, and certainly the longest-running, is the Christmas Eve party. Julie’s parents began throwing that party about the time we were born, and, except for the few times we were visiting Auntie Ev and Uncle Ray when they lived in New Jersey, I have attended every year.

When we were little, we’d end up all piling into Julie’s room and falling asleep long before the parents were ready to wind down. As we got older, all the neighborhood kids would congregate in Queenie and Ivan’s huge playroom with plates of food and cups filled with soft drinks to laugh and chat and eat and eat. Every year, we felt we got a bit more sophisticated, and eventually those cups of soft drinks turned into punch cups of egg nog, glasses of wine, bottles of beer and fancy mixed drinks.

After Julie’s mom died several years ago, Julie took over hosting duties at the home she and Scott share across the street from his childhood home and down the street and around the corner from Queenie and Ivan’s old house. Each Christmas Eve, we make an early-morning pilgimage to Charlotte so Julie and I can drive down to Rock Hill, and Lizzie drives up from her home near Columbia to meet for brunch and a gift exchange and raucous laughter. After we have our girlfriend time, we travel back to Charlotte. The Beloved and I help Julie and Scott with the last few finishing touches on the buffet and drinks table, and then the party begins. Now, Julie’s daughter and son congregate in the den with plates of food and cups filled with soft drinks (and now wine and mixed drinks–time flies) to laugh and chat and eat and eat. Our parents drop in, and now it is they who drop out early. One day, we will be the ones who drop out early, but for now, the old gang reassembles to reminisce about past Christmas parties, catch up on what we’re all doing these days and share a cup or three of holiday cheer.

Dasani Sparkling Water

This year, I will present the Berries on the Cake Cocktail I created using Dasani Sparkling Water, Berry as one of my contributions to a #SparklingHoliday. Let me tell you a bit about Dasani Sparkling Water before we get on with the cocktail. Stick around, you don’t want to miss it!

Dasani Sparkling Water is available at Walmart in four flavors: Lemon, Lime, Berry and Apple. They come in a twelve-pack of 12 oz cans, so there is plenty for sipping all sorts of ways. It makes a lovely mixer for the Berries on the Cake cocktail since it adds no calories and no sugar, just (in my case) a light berry flavor, and unlike many soda mixers, it’s naturally caffeine-free. Whether you’re mixing an alcoholic cocktail, a mocktail or a wine spritzer, Dasani flavored Sparkling Water adds a bit of fizz and a bit of natural flavor to whatever you decide to make.

Berries on the Cake Cocktail

I have so few true cocktails on my site that I decided to step out of my comfort zone a bit and create a mixed drink, one a little girly, a little fizzy, and a whole lot festive that will be the berries on the cake of your holiday! Plus, I made a video for you!

Remember, you must be 21 to consume alcoholic beverages. When doing so, please drink responsibly. No drinking and driving, and no drinking and texting!

Berries on the Cake Cocktail | #SparklingHolidays

Yield: 2

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

The Berries on the Cake Cocktail features Dasani Sparling Water in Berry, which keeps it from being too sweet or too thick. The fizz it lends adds to the holiday spirit. As written, this recipe makes 2 7oz cocktails. Make 2 at a time--it doesn't take long!

Print

Ingredients

For the Garnish

• cake vodka
• colored sugar or festive non-pareils

For the Berries on the Cake Cocktail

• 2 1/2 oz cake flavored vodka
• 3/4 oz berry flavored vodka
• 2 3/4 oz heavy cream
• 4 shakes orange bitters
• 8 oz Dasani Sparkling Water, , Berry

Instructions

For the Garnish

1. Pour the sugar or non-pareils onto a shallow plate.
2. Brush the rim of your glasses with a bit of vodka and then press the rim into the plate of sprinkles. Shake off any extras and allow to dry for 5 minutes or so.

For the Cocktail

1. Combine the flavored vodkas, heavy cream and bitters in a cocktail shaker. Add ice to fill and shake vigorously for 20 seconds.
2. Divide the mixture evenly in the two prepared glasses and top each one off with 4 oz of Dasani Sparkling Water.

And here’s your printable recipe. Right click to save as a jpeg or click to open it as a pdf before saving.  For three free Christmas recipe card templates, see this post.

For more delicious and creative uses for Dasani Sparkling Water, please visit the Pinterest board for Easy Party Drink Recipes.

I appreciate your spending some time with me today. I hope you enjoy the cocktail and that it adds a bit of fizz to your #SparklingHolidays!

Take care, and have a lovely day.