make it at home

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Welcome to Paradise! Our Favorite Drink From Now Sapphire Riviera Cancun!

When traveling, there’s just nothing that beats the excitement and joy you feel right when you arrive at your destination. The hotel is beautiful, the sun is shining and you know there are days of fun and special moments ahead of you!

At Now Sapphire Riviera Cancun, we know how exciting this moment is which is why we love celebrating with a signature arrival drink to kick off the fun!

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The welcome drink for guests at Now Sapphire Riviera Cancun!

Set in a tropical landscape of evergreens, wheat-colored sand and sparkling sea, combining a AAA Four Diamond award designation with Unlimited-Luxury® amenities, Now Sapphire Riviera Cancun offers the perfect escape for couples, singles and families!

Our signature welcome drink is a mix of cinnamon & mint infusion! Make one at home and treat yourself all year long! Simply mix the cinnamon and mint infusion with lime juice and a dash of blue curacao and serve chilled in your favorite champagne or wine glass.

Mix up a few cocktails, sit back, relax and spend a moment reminiscing about your visit to Now Sapphire Riviera Cancun (or planning your next trip)!

NOSRC Ariel Pool

An aerial view of the pool at Now Sapphire Riviera Cancun.

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Make it at Home: Coconut Sorbet

In celebration of our newest Fall in Love promotion with AMResorts, we want to celebrate our love of coconuts on our blog today.  But first, don’t miss out on this great promotion which starts today!

Book your stay with Now Resorts & Spas TODAY!

Book your stay with Now Resorts & Spas TODAY!

While you are getting ready for your next Unlimited-Luxury® vacation at Now Resorts & Spas, try making Coconut Sorbet at home! It’s super delicious and it will whisk you off to a tropical island!

Coconut Sorbet

Ingredients:

2 14.5-ounce cans coconut milk
1/2 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla bean vanilla extract
Dash of salt
1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut flakes, lightly packed

Directions:

In a large heavy-bottom pot, whisk together coconut milk, honey, and salt over medium-low heat until honey melts and incorporates into the milk. Remove from heat and add vanilla extract.  Chill the coconut mixture in a large mixing bowl for approximately one hour– until well chilled.

Chop the coconut flakes into small pieces and whisk into the chilled coconut milk.

Freeze mixture in ice cream maker, following the manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer ice cream to a plastic airtight container and freeze for 2-3 hours before serving.

Enjoy!

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Make at Home: Dirty Monkey Cocktail

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Enjoy a Dirty Monkey at Now Amber

 Now Amber Puerto Vallarta serves countless cocktails each day including the popular Dirty Monkey, a frozen sweet treat. Unlimited-Luxury® includes bottomless top-shelf drinks so you can try as many differnt drinks as you’d like.  Guests enjoy the Dirty Monkey so much that they requested we share the recipe.  With our special reciepe you can enjoy this tasty sweet cocktail at home!

Ingredients

  • Ice cubes
  • 1.5 oz of Vodka
  • ½ fresh banana
  • 2 oz cream
  • 1 oz Coffee liqueur
  • 1 oz Coconut cream (non-alcohol)
  • Hershey’s Chocolate syrup

Mix all ingredients except the chocolate syrup together in a blender until it get frothy. Decorate your favorite glass with the chocolate syrup and pour the mix into the glass. Garnish with a piece of pineapple or your favorite tropical fruit. Enjoy!

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Make at Home: Mango Tango

Sipping on frozen cocktails is a refreshing and delicious way to stay cool when lounging poolside at Now Resorts & Spas! There are countless cocktails to choice from at our bar and lounges becuase they offer bottomless drinks with Unlimited-Luxury®. One of the most popular drinks is the Mango Tango,  a combination of Strawberry Daiquiri and Mango Daiquiri. Enjoy this at home with our recipe below.

tango

Mango Daiquiri (makes 2)

  • 3 ounces rum
  • 1 1/2 cups mangoes, cubed
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 1 ounce triple sec
  • 4 teaspoons sugar
  • 2 cups ice cubes

Mix in a blender until smooth. Pour 1/4 of drink mixture into a glass.

Strawberry Daiquiri (makes 2)

  • 1 ounce light rum
  • 1 ounce strawberry schnapps
  • 1 ounce fresh lime juice
  • dash grenadine
  • dash orange juice
  • 2 cups ice cubes

Blend in a blender until smooth. Pour 1/4 of drink mixture on top of Mango Daquiri mixture.

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Make it at Home: “A Day At The Beach” Cocktail

We really like to relax here at Now Resorts & Spas!  Our bartenders are always looking for great ways to capture the beach into specialty cocktails that will really set the mood for our guests.  “A Day at the Beach” cocktail is the perfect drink to kick-off your vacation or enjoy at home. It will whisk you away to a tropical island!

A-Day-at-the-Beach-Beach Cocktail-Recipes

A Day at the Beach Cocktail

Ingredients :

– 1 oz coconut rum (Malibu)
– 1/2 oz Amaretto
– 4 oz orange juice
– 1/2 oz grenadine syrup

Directions:

Shake rum, amaretto, and orange juice in a shaker filled with ice. Strain into a highball glass over ice. Add grenadine and garnish with a pineapple wedge and a strawberry.

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Make it at Home: Mexican Coffee

We have two Now Resorts & Spas in Mexico and we like to offer our guests an authentic Mexican experience when they visit Riviera Cancun.  We also like to share with our friends at home some of our traditions and offer you the opportunity to “Make it at Home.”

Today’s featured recipe is perfect for a cold evening at home or great to serve to guests at your next holiday party!

Make it at Home: Mexican Coffee

Ingredients

  • 4 scoops of ground coffee beans, Columbian or other variety – a coffee scoop is equivalent to a rounded tablespoon
  • 1 scoop (rounded tablespoon) cocoa powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon – eyeball it, plus a sprinkle for garnish
  • 4 jiggers (1 ounce shots) coffee liqueur (recommended: Kahlua)
  • 1 canister whipped cream with spray top

Directions

Place coffee, cocoa and cinnamon in a filter for coffee brewing. Make 4 cups of brewed mocha-cinnamon coffee. Pour a shot of coffee liquor in the bottom of a coffee mug. Pour in a serving of brewed mocha-cinnamon Mexican coffee. Top off the mug with a generous swirl of whipped cream and garnish with another sprinkle of cinnamon. Repeat for desired number of mugfuls!

Mexican Coffee

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Make it at Home: Cajun Martini

We like to spice things up at Now Resorts & Spas so in addition to serving traditional Martinis, our bartenders mix up a spicier version, Cajun Martini! This is great drink to make at home and image you are at one of our beach bars taking in the beautiful scenery. Cheers!  

Cajun Martini Recipe

(Makes two drinks)

 Ingredients:

  • 4 oz. Absolut Peppar Vodka
  • 4 oz. Dry Vermouth
  • 5 oz. Tomato Juice
  • Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice from one lime  
  • 2 drops Tabasco Sauce

Mix all ingredients in a shaker with ice, shake well, strain out ice and pour in a Martini glass. Garnish with a slice of lime, two olives and one slice of jalapeño. Serve and enjoy!

  

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Learn to Make Castaways Chicken Nachos

At Now Jade Riviera Cancun, guests can enjoy five 5 á la carte restaurants, one bistro, a buffet & and a cozy café. And of these, a favorite lunch spot among visitors is Castaways. It’s situated near both the beach and the pool and is the perfect spot for a quick afternoon bite.

Castaways serves all the best lunch foods including fish tacos, burgers, chicken fingers, french fries, salads and you guessed it…chicken nachos!

This delicious and simple dish will leave your mouth watering. If you’re missing chicken nachos from your stay with us, here’s the recipe to make them at home.

Castaways Chicken Nachos

Ingredients: 

2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 package corn tortilla chips
12 ounces of cheddar cheese
1 tomato, diced
1/2 onion, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, diced

What to do: 

In a bowl, stir together the chicken and vegetable oil.

Cook chicken over medium-high heat and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Spread tortilla chips in a 9×13 inch baking dish. Sprinkle chicken, diced onion, diced jalapeno pepper, diced tomato and cheese over the chips.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven until cheese is melted. Add guacamole and sour cream and enjoy!

Photos of Now Jade Riviera Cancun Resort & Spa, Puerto Morelos
This photo of Now Jade Riviera Cancun Resort & Spa is courtesy of TripAdvisor

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Caribbean Pantry Cooking Essentials

Now Larimar Punta Cana, Now Jade and Now Sapphire Riviera Cancun offers guests unlimited gourmet dining with cuisine from around the world while staying true to their Caribbean roots.  The chefs use several locally grown produce and spices found in the Dominican Republic and the Mexican Caribbean.

Grab key ingredients that are used in the Caribbean to create dishes with the essence of region.  Below we broke down the stables in Caribbean cooking so you can enjoy the flavors at home!

Plantains- This popular fruit, a distant cousin to the banana, can be used for desserts or the main dish. They are intended to be cooked rather than eaten raw. The color of the skin helps to determine how ripe it is and that will determine the use of the plantain. For sweet desserts, the skin must be black.

Callaloo – This leafy green vegetable resembles spinach and historically is said to have a magical property casting love spells on those who eat it. Boil it and serve it as a side dish or mix it into a favorite stew recipe.

Scotch Bonnet Peppers – This little pepper packs a powerful flavor! These colorful peppers are spicier than a jalapeno so use with caution!  They rank 9 out of 10 according to the Scoville chart. Bonnet peppers are the perfect addition to a gumbo, soup or salsa.

Cassava – This bitter root vegetable is a staple crop for most Caribbean islands. The cassava tuber contains cyanide and must be cooked before it is consumed. Traditional the tubers are grated, washed and then pressed into a paste. The paste is then used as a glaze or to make popular cassava bread.

Coconuts- These nutrient-rich fruits are very versatile and can be used for a variety of recipes. The sweet milk is perfect to include in a rum punch or other favorite tropical drink.

Allspice- This is actually a fruit from the allspice tree also known as the pimento tree. Once it’s dried, the spice resembles peppercorns and has the scent of cinnamon, nutmeg, clove and pepper.

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Drink of the Day: Miami Vice

Now Resorts & Spas may not be located in Miami, but our guests can’t get enough of the tropical cocktail, Miami Vice! This drink is the perfect blend of a strawberry daiquiri and a piña colada. To surprise your friends at your next pool party of BBQ, try making this yummy cocktail at home with the below recipe. We guarantee they’ll feel like their in the tropics!

Miami Vice 

Ingredients:

5 oz rum
1 can frozen pina colada mix
1 can frozen daiquiri mix
Fresh strawberries
Fresh pineapple

What to do: 

Mix pina colada with 2.5 oz of rum with ice. Set aside. Mix daiquiri with 2.5 oz of rum with ice. Pour pina colada and daiquiri mixture into a tall glass at the same time or if it gets too messy, alternate pouring one then the other. Garnish with fresh strawberries and fresh pineapple and serve!

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