Grapefruit juice, refreshing and tart, is creating a come-in cocktails today, here is a using the sweeter succulence and rosy shade of the pink variety
INGREDIENTS
- 80ml juice from the ripe pink grapefruit
- Juice of half a lemon
- 40ml sugar syrup (created using equal parts sugar and water, heated until sugar is dissolved then cooled)
- Cold sparkling or soda water
- 2 x mint sprigs
- Crushed ice
METHOD
Pour the sugar syrup right into a tumbler and add one mint sprig, stirring and bruising it gently. Add some citrus juices and stir, then top up with crushed ice and also the sparkling or soda water. Garnish using the second mint sprig.
Bitter Tonic
Anything slightly bitter is deeply fashionable this summer time. Do do this simple, chic drink with various kinds of bitters - Fee Siblings’ Cranberry Bitters, for instance, have been in MS. Observe that a touch of bitters will prove to add a small quantity of alcohol.
INGREDIENTS
- 2-3 dashes bitters, based on taste (Angostura is instantly available, or try The Bitter Truth’s Tonic Bitters)
- 200ml chilled premium tonic water (for example Fever-Tree)
- Lime or lemon slices
- Ice
METHOD
Give a couple of ice to some tumbler then splash within the bitters. Squeeze one slice of fruit over this, then top-up with tonic water and add another slice to garnish.
Shirley Temple
The classic ‘mocktail’, which today is frequently given a brand new lift, as here, having a squeeze of citrus juice (lime is better). Drink having a brightly coloured straw.
INGREDIENTS
- 15ml grenadine syrup
- 15ml freshly squeezed lime juice
- 200ml chilled ginger root ale
- Maraschino cocktail cherry and thin lime slice, to brighten
- Ice
METHOD
Convey a couple of ice inside a tumbler, add some grenadine and lime juice then top-up with ginger root ale, and garnish using the cocktail cherry and lime slice.
Lavender Lemonade
The aroma from the steeped lavender heads is wonderful, but do make sure to use lavender which hasn’t been sprayed with any chemicals. It’s best created using flowers which have began to dry up naturally in high summer time. Makes about 75cl of pink-tinged liquid.
INGREDIENTS
- 10g lavender heads
- 250ml boiling water
- 75g sugar
- 600ml cold water (sparkling if you like)
- Juice of three small or 2 large ripe lemons, strained
- Ice
METHOD
Place the flower heads in a tiny pan and pour within the boiling water. Warm up again and simmer lightly for 2 minutes. Remove heat and then leave to steep for 10 mins. Strain from the flowers, add sugar towards the liquid and stir to dissolve it. Add some cold water. Add some fresh lemon juice and stir (this mixture turns pink here), then serve in tall slim tumblers having a couple of ice inside them.
St Kitts
Adapted from the recipe in Diffordsguide Cocktails. This tastes really tropical and it is deeply refreshing Body for any hot day:
INGREDIENTS
- 75ml pineapple juice
- 25ml freshly squeezed lime juice
- 15ml grenadine syrup
- Cold ginger root ale to top-up
- Lime slice
- Lots of ice
METHOD
Shake the juices and grenadine inside a cocktail shaker over ice, and strain into an ice-filled glass. Top-up with ginger root ale, the correct quantity for your taste, stir and garnish having a lime slice.
Ginger root Elderflower Summer time Cup
This is actually the non-alcoholic cocktail I drink most within the summer time, which is delicate enough to match lighter food - salads, fish, sea food - too. I allow it to be quite dilute but do up the quantity of juice and cordial for more powerful flavours, clearly.
INGREDIENTS
- 25ml elderflower cordial
- Small piece - about 2cms square - peeled root ginger root
- 20ml freshly squeezed fresh lemon juice
- 150ml cold sparkling water
- Mint sprig and lemon slice
- Crushed ice
METHOD
Grate the ginger root finely, adding all of the bits and then any gingery juices right into a normal size bowl using the cordial and fresh lemon juice. Mix well and then leave to infuse for any couple of minutes. Strain right into a tumbler, adding crushed ice and top-up with sparkling water. Garnish using the mint along with a thin lemon slice.
Firepit Steamer
Here’s a warm, spicy but fresh-tasting drink to wrap your chilly hands around on individuals late summer time nights through the fire…
INGREDIENTS
- 100ml cranberry juice
- 100ml red grape juice
- Half a star anise
- Half a cinnamon stick, plus someone to serve
- 2 cloves
- Slice of peeled fresh ginger root root
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
METHOD
To put it simply all of the ingredients except the additional cinnamon stick inside a pan and warm-up very lightly, stirring, and hot (not boiling) for a few minutes before the spices infuse. Strain right into a thick glass tumbler or mug and serve using the cinnamon stick for stirring to produce the steam. Drink while hot.
Cherry Sparkle
Help make your own red cherry juice having a tang of lime then top-up with sparkling water - could anything become more summery? Makes 700ml, for everyone 3-4.
INGREDIENTS
- 225g fresh, ripe red cherries
- 600ml freshly steamed water
- Half a lime
- 50g caster sugar
- Chilled sparkling water, to taste
- Ice
METHOD
Destalk the cherries, wash them, halve them and remove their gemstones. Place the fruit inside a big bowl and bruise slightly with the rear of a spoon. Pour the new water them over and stir. Peel the lime zest off in thin strips and juice the lime, adding both zest and juice towards the bowl, using the sugar. Stir before the sugar is dissolved, cover and then leave for 2 hrs. Strain from the liquid, divide it between three or four tumblers and top-up with ice along with a little cold sparkling water.
Lime Lemon Grass Spritzer
Obtained from Kay Plunkett-Hogge’s brilliant book ‘Make Mine a Martini’ (Mitchell Beazley, 2014), this really is easy, scented, mouthwatering…
INGREDIENTS
- Half a lemon grass stalk, outer leaves removed, core sliced, along with an extra stalk to garnish
- 30ml fresh lime juice
- 15ml sugar syrup (make sugar syrup from equal quantities tepid to warm water and sugar)
- Chilled soda water, to top-up
- Ice
METHOD
Put the lemon grass inside a glass tumbler and ‘muddle’ to produce its oils. Fill the glass with ice and pour within the lime juice and also the sugar syrup. Top-up with soda water, stir briefly and garnish using the remaining lemon grass stalk.
Pussy Feet
A famous Prohibition-era mocktail. There are many variations available, but all generate a lip-smacking cocktail of citrus juices. Here’s the best version (note it has raw egg).
INGREDIENTS
- 50ml orange juice
- 30ml fresh lemon juice
- 30ml lime juice
- 15ml grenadine syrup
- 10ml sugar syrup
- 1 egg yolk
- Cold sparkling water (optional)
- Orange slice
METHOD
Pour all of the juices and syrups right into a cocktail shaker with ice, and add some yolk. Shake well strain right into a large tumbler half full of ice. Top-up with fizzy water if preferred. Garnish by having an orange slice.