The Golden Cadillac Cocktail

This retro celebration-in-a-glass makes a great dessert drink

June celebrations (weddings, Father’s Day, graduations) are great fun. But then come the after-dinner speeches. You need something with heft to get through them. Preferably something that pairs well with dessert.

Enter the Golden Cadillac, a cocktail that was created to celebrate a newly engaged couple. And their car (more history in the notes).

But for now, cheers! 

The Golden Dream Cocktail

This dessert drink tastes kinda sorta like a Creamsicle

Remember Creamsicles? You know, those orange-covered vanilla ice cream bars that we enjoyed as kids?

We loved them. So of course we couldn’t resist this adult beverage, which tastes remarkably like a liquid version of that favorite childhood treat.

The Golden Dream is sweet (it’s meant for dessert, after all). But it’s not one dimensional. In fact, it features some interesting flavor nuances—and just enough alcohol to give it a kick.

Which makes this our dream dessert. 

The Sundowner Cocktail

This Tiki drink is a Hawaiian original

We often use the term “sundowner” for any alcoholic drink we sip when relaxing at the end of the day. Preferably while watching a gorgeous sunset. But the Sundowner is also the name of a specific cocktail—several different ones, in fact.

The Sundowner Cocktail we’re featuring today was created for the Kon Tiki restaurant at Sheraton’s Waikiki resort in Honolulu. More about that history later.

Right now, just focus on the bracing and refreshing flavor that will be coming your way when you mix up one of these beauties. The Sundowner is the perfect end-of-day relaxer or pre-drinner appetite teaser. It’s definitely a drink you should get to know, and soon. Because it’s 5 o’clock somewhere.

The Harvey Wallbanger Cocktail

It’s like liquid sunshine, dude

The Harvey Wallbanger is a refreshing mix of vodka, orange juice, and Galliano liqueur. Its sunny flavor is perfect for poolside sipping, and it makes an ideal brunch drink if you’re looking for an alternative to the Bloody Mary Cocktail or the Mimosa.

The Harvey Wallbanger was among the most popular cocktails of the 1970s.  There’s confusion about how the drink originated (more on that later).  One thing is certain, though.  Its rise to prominence was fueled by a successful advertising campaign that featured a cartoon surfer in sandals.  His slogan?  “Harvey Wallbanger is the name and I can be made.”  (Yeah, I know.)

Fortunately, this drink is tasty enough to live down those 70s associations.  It’s also exceptionally easy to mix, and you can even lower the alcohol content if you choose.  Which means you can enjoy two or three of these over a lazy afternoon, and still be alert and ready to party that night.  Or be in shape to catch the big wave when it rolls in.