The Recipe

This homemade orange slush, known only by the definitive designation “The Recipe,” is a sugary shock of pineapple supreme for sure. But it’s the cherry bombs buried within that pop like landmines of glorious flavor. This icy drink has been a longtime favorite of Advocate Assistant People Editor Karen Martin and her mother’s clan for years, and because you can mix it up and freeze it the night before, The Recipe is the perfect refresher for some serious tailgating. “It’s like a snowball for grownups,” Martin says. Alcohol content can be adjusted to taste or done away with completely for a virgin version that kids will love just as much as parents.

46 oz pineapple juice

Crushed pineapple to taste

6 oz frozen orange juice concentrate

6 oz jar maraschino cherries and juice

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 large lemon, squeezed or 1/4 cup lemon juice)

2 1/2 cups vodka or rum

7-Up

1. Mix first seven ingredients together. Stir until orange juice dissolves.

2. Place in a plastic container (about five quarts) and fill the remainder of the container with 7-Up. Mix.

3. Place container in freezer until slushy. Mixture will not freeze solid.

—RECIPE PROVIDED BY LOU DIDIER