All work and no play makes for a very boring, stressful, and sad life. It is critical for your sanity to find activities that can help you relax. After all, stress is the number one killer because it can lead to a host of illnesses like hypertension, heart attack, stroke, diabetes, and even cancer. If you want to enjoy a good quality of life, it is essential to find a perfect balance between work and relaxation. You must find fun things to do like watch movies, get a massage, receive a mani or pedi, and the like. However, if you don’t feel like going out, making your own cocktails to enjoy with your loved ones is another great idea to do on your downtime.

TGIF—It’s Time for the Weekend

There is no shame in wanting to break free from the shackles of your office cubicle. TGIF or thank God it’s Friday is the best because you can perfect the art of doing absolutely nothing. Sit back, relax, chill, and unwind. After all, you have earned it after hours upon hours of back-breaking and toxic work responsibilities. You really owe it to yourself to take a breather so you can be well relaxed, rested, and refreshed. This way, you will be ready to face the new work week with much vigor and enthusiasm.

Now it’s time to get on with the program and start mixing those fancy cocktail blends in your own kitchen. If you have kids, paying for a night out can be costly because you have to factor in baby sitters costs. But bringing happy hour into your home is actually an even better idea. Cocktails cost an arm and a leg in restaurants and bars. Skip the hefty price tag and make your own with the right liquor, Monin flavored syrups, club soda, garnishing, and the right glassware.

Blending the Best of Both Worlds

Blend the line between a barista and bartender in your own kitchen. Your kitchen, your rules. When you think about it, both industries share some of the same ingredients, the same materials as a mixing tin, and even the same style. The only difference is one has a caffeine kick and the other has an alcoholic content.

Now, imagine pairing the best of both worlds and coming up with a coffee-infused cocktail. Some would say it is a spirits-infused coffee. Whatever you want to call it, one thing is certain—all of these tasty, caffeinated, boozy drinks create a special buzz. The standard classic is an Espresso Martini. But why go for the ordinary when you can add a few extra steps to be extraordinary.

Kick things up a notch with this Salted Caramel Espresso Martini Recipe

Ingredients

1-ounce premium vodka

1-ounce vanilla vodka

1-ounce Monin Cold Brew Coffee Concentrate

¾-ounce Monin Salted Caramel Syrup

Garnish: Mint leaf, flecks of caramel, and a coffee bean

Procedure

1. Combine all the ingredients in shaker in the order that they are listed above.
2. Add ice cubes into the shaker.
3. Put the cap on and shake vigorously.
4. Be sure that you strain the cocktail into a chilled martini serving glass.
5. Garnish with a mint leaf for contrast, a coffee bean, and flecks of caramel. Now you can enjoy.

Put a Spin On a Good Old Classic

You’ve heard it before: when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. So do exactly that, but be sure to put in an interesting spin on a good old classic by spiking it with liquor. Lemonade has everything that can make you relax because it is cool and refreshing, with the perfect mix of just the right amount of tart and sweetness.

If you are a fan of lemon drop martinis, then you will certainly enjoy a boozy lemonade. You don’t even need a martini shaker. Just a spoon and your pitcher or glass is more than enough. With this Monin recipe, you can level up and even change the color from yellow to blue. Here’s the All-American Spike Lemonade recipe, where they use red and blue for total patriotism.

Ingredients

1 ½-ounces of raspberry vodka

¾-ounce Monin Blue Curacao Syrup

3-ounces of lemonade

Garnish with: lemon, lime, and star-shaped frozen raspberry juice.

Procedure

This is a no-nonsense drink. Just mix everything together in a tall glass and enjoy.

The keyword is enjoy! This is why it is called happy hour. After all, life is short and you do deserve to be happy no matter what.