By Matt Durbin, Vice President of beverage and bar for T.G.I. Friday’s
While the weather outside is still nice, treat yourself to a summery cocktail.
As the dog days of August begin to slip away, many Americans are looking for ways to keep the spirit of summer alive. In the recent Hotels.com® Sip Statistics™, we took a look at the top travel destinations and identified the cocktails that locals in each market enjoyed. Regardless of your travel plans, you can always experience the refreshing taste of summer at T.G.I. Friday’s with these new drinks that add a fresh, premium twist to timeless classics.
Classic Cocktail Category: Long Island Iced Tea
New Twist: Blackberry Long Island Tea
Across the board, this is the favorite drink category among Friday’s guests, and for good reason—we invented it! With the Blackberry LIT as we like to call it, we’ve taken our signature, top secret recipe to another level with this cool creation that combines blackberries and our house-made sour mix with Bacardi Rum, Bombay Gin, Smirnoff Vodka and triple sec. Whether you’re visiting the birthplace of Friday’s and this drink – New York City – or enjoying a staycation at home, this cocktail is not to be missed.
Classic Cocktail Category: Mojito
New Twist: Fresh Watermelon Mojito
Guests in Denver, Miami and Chicago agree that the classic mojito is their favorite summertime drink. We’ve given this minty delight a fruity spin with our Fresh Watermelon Mojito that blends Bacardi Rum, lime juice, fresh watermelon, agave, fresh mint and fresh-squeezed lime.
Classic Cocktail Category: Tropical
New Twist: Strawberry Rum Smash
Check out the full SIP Statistics infographic by clicking the link below!
Who can resist a tropical drink with a little tutti frutti flair? At Friday’s, we’ve kicked this cocktail category up a notch with our Strawberry Rum Smash. Hand-crafted, this libation combines Premium Atlantico Platino Rum, the brand co-owned by Enrique Iglesias, with lemon juice, agave, fresh strawberries, fresh mint and fresh-squeezed lemons.
Classic Cocktail Category: Margarita
New Twist: The Tiki Torch
Love a good margarita but want a little twist? With this latest addition to our margarita family, The Tiki Torch, you can embrace the sweet heat of chipotle pineapple with 100% blue agave, Avion Silver Tequila, triple sec, lime juice, fresh pineapple, fresh lime and a sweet & spicy salt rim. And, you’ll be in good company: The Tiki Torch is the preferred drink among our guests in Austin, TX and is almost always among the top picks of our guests.
To take a closer look at all of the findings from the Hotels.com® Sip Statistics™, visit http://press.hotels.com/en-us/infographics/ Cheers!
If you have questions or comments for the author of the Travel Smart Blog, Nicole Hockin, please email: 
