Missouri Spirits’ Boat Shoes Cocktail

After a birthday dinner and a walk through downtown Springfield, my friends and I were ready for a cocktail. But we aren’t young bucks anymore, and not just any drink will do. We want drinks we can talk about. Enter the vodka-based Boat Shoes from Missouri Spirits (507 W. Walnut St., Springfield, 417-501-4674). This little beverage embodies summertime’s sunset. It’s refreshing and a little fruity thanks to homemade pineapple puree and fresh lime juice that embody the feeling of summer. But the cinnamon simple syrup and vanilla add a touch of warmth that make my senses antsy for cool nights. It’s what I would want to drink if I could live at the lake… sitting on my deck, feet up on the railing, sipping some Boat Shoes while I watch the boats dock up and the summer roll into fall.