IT'S SUMMER TIME AND THE LIVING is easy

Especially in the Great Rivers & Routes region of southwest Illinois.

Refresh yourself at The Loading Dock in Grafton. Order the Dock Lemonade (the most popular summer drink) made with vodka and cherry lemonade served frozen – think slushie – or the River Water with coconut rum, melon liqueur, blue curacao and pineapple juice served over ice. Then sit back and watch the Mississippi River flow by.

When Prince sang about Purple Rain he wasn’t talking about a drink. But the folks at State Street Market and The Copper Bar in Alton are certainly singing about their summer cocktail Purple Rain! Take a sip of this delish drink made with Empress Gin, Triple Sec, lemon juice, blueberries and Simple Syrup. It’s topped with an edible flower.

Take a magic carpet ride – or least feel like you are – with the Magic Carpet Margarita from 1818 Chophouse in Edwardsville. This summery libation includes House Habanero and Green Chile Infused Espolon Blanco Tequila, Jasmine Simple, Pierre Ferrance Dry Curacao, Fresh Lime & Strawberry Rim.

Imagine putting your Toes in the Sand with this cocktail from FLOCK Food Truck Park in Alton. This fun drink can be created as a cocktail or mocktail and is made with Plantation 3 Stars Rum, spiced pineapple shrub, allspice syrup, lime, mint and club soda.

Local distilled spirits are used to create a series of cocktails at Old Herald Brewery & Distillery in Collinsville. Sip a classic old fashioned called Old Herald – made with in-house Ghostwriter Bourbon and house made orange and cherry bitters garnished with dehydrated orange and bourbon-soaked cherry. Or try the color changing Tom Collins made with Ardent Spirits Gin, fresh lime juice and house made floral syrup (made from butterfly pea flowers) that changes colors from blue to bright purple as it is mixed. Imagine yourself back in the days of Prohibition with a visit to the Speakeasy in Granite City. Soak up the atmosphere in the bar disguised as a butcher shop and sip a Blueberry Mango Gin Fizz or a Bourbon Peach Smash –summertime flavors at their best.

TAKE A SIP OF A FUN, COLORFUL AND SUMMER-Y COCKTAIL with a side order of Dockside Salsa and fried catfish at The Loading Dock in Grafton. Sit in the sun and enjoy a cocktail with a juicy food truck burger at Alton’s FLOCK Food Truck Park . Summertime sips are on tap throughout Great Rivers & Routes region.

Taste Trip

Taste your way through southwest Illinois on a foodie adventure. The region is full of top-notch restaurants. Satisfy your culinary curiosity with farm-to-table dishes, restaurants lauded by James Beard, seafood, steaks and more.

1 Porters Steakhouse

1000 Eastport Plaza Dr. • Collinsville

Cut in to steak perfection at this upscale steakhouse. The juicy pepperloin steak with house made mustard sauce melts in your mouth. Seafood, pork chops, chicken and more.

2 Gentelin’s on Broadway

122 E. Broadway • Alton

Take your time and enjoy relaxed dining with three course meals including appetizers, pasta, steak and seafood. And don’t forget dessert!

3 Blue Violet 6108 Shoger Dr. • Ste. B • Edwardsville

It’s hip and sure to raise your dining experience to a whole new level with American dishes infused with the cultural flavors of South America, Asia and Latin America.

4 Cleveland-Heath

106 N. Main St. • Edwardsville

James Beard nominated restaurant with Midwestern roots seasoned with California flavors. The menu is anything but ordinary and dining is casual and classically cool.

5 Grafton Oyster Bar

215 W. Water St. • Grafton

Award-winning Cajun/ creole and seafood entrees spice up the menu. Monthly seafood festivals are part of the fun. Enjoy the views of the Mississippi River at this floating restaurant.

6 1929 Pizza & Wine

7 N. Wood River Ave. • Wood River Neapolitan pizzas, salads and shared plates are part of the fun especially when paired with a glass of vino from the generous wine selection. Watch your pizza as it’s cooked in the on-site woodfired oven.

7 Bakers & Hale

7120 Montclaire Ave. Godfrey Dining doesn’t get any fresher than this: local seasonal produce, cheese and meats highlight menu entrees garnished with herbs and veggies from an on-site garden. Creative spins on Midwestern comfort foods.

Hit

More flavors of the region are on the menu during ALL STAR RESTAURANT WEEK in Alton and Collinsville!

From July 9 – 16, let your taste buds lead you to participating restaurants in Alton and Collinsville.

SCAN HERE for Collinsville Restaurant Week