Wendy's Tropical Escape Cocktail...Inspired by Glade's Seasonal Room Fragrances

I love using home fragrances to keep my home smelling inviting and fresh...and I most often use Glade products. I was very excited to have the opportunity to try out selections from their new Wild for Spring Limited Edition, as well as selections from their line of Premium Room Sprays. Both collections feature scents that capture the fresh scents of Spring. I enjoyed burning the long-lasting scented candles, along with using the room sprays for a quick burst of fragrance when I needed it most. I decided to use the fragrances in my home and let them inspire me to create a cocktail to pair perfectly with them. From the Spring limited-edition collection, I burned the Let Loose candle. This scent combines tropical scents like mandarin, pineapple, and oranges. The fruity smell made my living room smell like juicy citrus fruits.

For a burst of fragrance, I paired the Let Loose candle with the Playful Paradise scent from Glade's line of premium room sprays. This fragrance combines fruit and floral scents, including: watermelon, peach, freesia, and a hint of vanilla. It was light and refreshing...and it combined really nicely with the scent form the candle to transport my mind to past vacations on the beach in Cancun! All I needed was a tropical drink to keep the fantasy going. I went into the kitchen, pulled out my blender and created a tropical-inspired cocktail that I call Wendy's Tropical Escape. One sip of sweet, fruity cocktail -- combined with the awesome room fragrances from Glade -- and I was enjoying memories of the tropics right in my living in Texas! I love using scent to create a relaxing atmosphere, and this little experiment worked perfectly.

My original frozen cocktail creation combines two kinds of fresh fruit, a generous helping of coconut-infused rum, and POM Wonderful's yummy POM Hula juice blend. It contains a blend of both pomegranate and pineapple juices, so it worked really nicely with the rest of the ingredients in my tropical drink. Not only does it taste good, but it packs a healthy punch as well! If you prefer a non-alcholic drink, simply substitute coconut water for the coconut-infused rum. You'll still be able to enjoy the subtle coconut background flavor that's essential for a drink that's inspired by the beach.

Wendy's Tropical Escape
a Weekend Gourmet Original

Ingredients: 

• 1/2 cup diced strawberries, frozen
• 1/2 cup diced pineapple chunks, frozen
• 2 ounces coconut-infused rum
• 1 cup POM Wonderful Hula juice blend
• 1/3 cup simple syrup (I love using Not So Simple Syrup's blackberry-infused simple syrup here!)
• 1 cup crushed ice

Directions:

Step 1: Add the frozen strawberries and pineapple to the container of your favorite blender. Add the rum, POM Hula juice blend, and simple syrup.

Step 2:  Add the crushed ice on top. Cover and blend until the ice is thoroughly crushed and incorporated into the other ingredients. Pour into drink glass(es). Garnish with a tropical silk flower, if desired, and enjoy!

Not only is Wendy's Tropical Escape fruity and delicious, it's a gorgeous shade of purplish pink too! The silk flower garnish is totally optional, but it's an easy and fun way to complete the tropical escape theme! I whipped up one of these cocktails one evening this weekend and breathed in the heavenly Glade scents that were wafting around my living room. It was the perfect mini-escape that I needed...and it cost a whole lot less than a plane ticket to a tropical paradise!! I hope you'll try out these new Spring scents from Glad...and that you'll whip up a batch of my fruity cocktail.

Disclosure: Glade provided me with a selection of candles and room sprays from their two seasonal Spring lines. POM Wonderful also provided me with complimentary bottles of their POM Juice Blends to facilitate cocktail experimentation. All opinions expressed are my own.