Happy Memorial Day! I love summer holidays — tiki torches, barbecue, summer dresses and cocktails with little umbrellas in them — I love it all (especially the cocktails!) Here are some fun recipes for your memorial day party this afternoon or for any summer soiree you may be hosting.

Bing Cherry Mojitos

via Martha Stewart
Ingredients
Serves 12
* 1 1/4 cups sugar
* 1 1/4 cups freshly squeezed lime juice, about 9 limes
* 3 pounds Bing cherries
* 18 ounces best-quality black cherry or plain vodka (www.beekmanliquors.com)
* 1 bottle sparkling water (750 mL)

Directions
1. Bring sugar and 1 1/4 cups water to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat; let cool completely. (Makes about 2 cups syrup.) Syrup can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 1 month.
2. Put lime juice into a medium nonreactive bowl. Halve and pit cherries; add to lime juice. Stir in syrup. Refrigerate at least 1 hour (up to overnight).
3. Stir cherry mixture and vodka in a large serving bowl. Fill 12 glasses with ice. Spoon 1/2 cup cherry-vodka mixture into each glass. Top off with sparkling water. Serve immediately.

New Orleans Hurricane

via Allrecipies.com
INGREDIENTS
* 1/2 cup ice
* 2 fluid ounces light rum
* 2 fluid ounces passion fruit flavored syrup
* 1 cup lemon-lime flavored carbonated beverage
* 1 ounce lime juice
* 1 fluid ounce 151 proof rum

DIRECTIONS
1. In a shaker, combine ice, light rum, passion fruit syrup, lemon-lime flavored carbonated beverage and lime juice. Shake well and pour mixture into a Hurricane or other large specialty glass. Float the 151 proof rum on top of the drink.