Back to school cocktails!

For those of you who are heading off to school and old enough to drink, we’ve put together a collection of great cocktails for back to school. The requirements we used for selecting these was that they should taste like a candy or a soda pop, and they get bonus points if you can light them on fire.

1. Mexican Red Hots. Remember those little delicious cinnamon candies from childhood? Imagine a tequila/schnapps combination that tastes almost exactly like them. Pour it in shots, and there you go.
2. Mountain Dew. No, not the non-alcoholic soda. This is a trademark infringing little cocktail featuring vodka, Midori, 7-Up (I know, right?) and either draft beer or more vodka, if you prefer. Draft beer certainly makes it look more like a Mountain Dew soda, and the flavor does work in the drink.
3. Jolly Rancher Vodka. Quicker and easier to make than Skittles Vodka, and some people like the taste better. This is the real deal: vodka infused with Jolly Rancher candies.
4. Flaming Dr. Pepper. This is a classic drink that has the advantage of getting set on fire. Just remember to stop making them once you’re too far gone to put the flames out safely, okay? Burning the dorm down would not win you any friends. This one really does taste exactly like a Dr. Pepper… when it’s flat and room temperature, that is. It’s better than it sounds. Plus, you can light it on fire, right?
5. Laffy Taffy. This is a very strong drink that tastes more or less like Laffy Taffy candy. Seriously, this one has about the same alcohol content as the Zombie, which got its name from the state you’re in after drinking it.
6. Marshmallow Infused Vodka. Infuse some vodka with marshmallows, and you get liquid marshmallows with a kick. Great on its own, or added into cocktails.
7. Vanilla Creamsicle. Remember Dreamsicles, those orange and vanilla flavored popsicles? Well, this is the same flavor with a burst of white creme de cacao thrown in because, well, why not? This is an absolutely delicious drink, and because it’s mostly milk, you could almost claim it’s healthy. No one would believe you, but you could.
8. Captain Creamsicle. This variation on the Dreamsicle theme puts vanilla ice cream and orange sherbet in a blender with Captain Morgan’s Spiced Rum. The result is delicious.
9. For those of you feeling a little more sophisticated, we recommend the Caramel Martini. It actually tastes like caramels and… okay, so it’s not really anymore sophisticated, but who are we kidding?
10. Vodka Gummi Bears. And don’t forget the yummies. Vodka infused gummi bears make great party nibbles.