Cocktail for you, mocktail for your dog

[ This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of ZippyPaws. The opinions and text are all mine. ]

 

Who loves a good happy hour? My go-to drink is an Aperol Spritz, which I’m currently sipping on as I sit in a cafe in Paris — à votre santé (“cheers” in French)!

One of my biggest changes in 2019 was cutting down on the alcohol. I used to love a bottle of wine at night but now I have a drink or two per week, usually less, depending on what’s going on, ie: if there are any social events.

Ever since I started antidepressants in December, I sometimes go several weeks without a drink. BUT I never feel “limited” and try not to restrict myself. I just listen to my body and it’s definitely craving less. The changes are amazing! I feel more clear-headed, clean and not to mention, it’s less calories, sugar + money.

ZippyPaws recently sent us their new Happy Hour collection of toys and I thought it would be cute to put together some cocktails and dog-friendly mocktails, especially with us in summer. I’ve been a fan of ZippyPaws for awhile now and love how everything is so beautifully-designed and high quality. All of Weston + Fira’s toys have stood the test of time as well!

The Bloodhound

1 strawberries + 1 for garnish
¾ oz. dry vermouth
¾ oz. sweet vermouth
1 ½ oz. gin
ice

Strawberries are super ripe in the summer, so this is a perfect way to use them. 🙂 Muddle the berries in the bottom of a glass then mix in the rest of the ingredients. 

Refreshing and sweet, you can make a dog-friendly version with just water + muddled strawberries!

Onto the next drink…  

 

The Salty Chihuahua

1 oz. tequila
½ oz. Triple Sec
6 oz. grapefruit juice
Salt rim + grapefruit slice

This drink is pink and super adorable! To make it dog-friendly, I just pureed watermelon. I added some of the puree to the human-friendly drink too and think it goes really well as a blended summer drink. 

 

The French Bulldog

2 oz. gin
2 ¹⁄₂ oz. grapefruit juice 
¹⁄₂ oz. St Germain

Yum! I read that gin goes really well with the tartness of grapefruit. I didn’t make a dog-friendly version of this drink, but had to add it because french bulldog!

 

The Toys

The pups are LOVING these toys. Why? Aren’t they just like every other toy, you ask? WELL, these squeak of course but the inside contains a special water bottle and you know how much pups adore chewing on those loud plastic things. It’s also removable which you can then throw the cover into the wash! Love.

You could add your own water bottle in it but it wouldn’t have the special noisemaker part. So make sure not to lose the included water bottle. Enjoy!