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Refreshing drink recipes are perfect to make ahead for summer parties
By Lisa Abraham
Beacon Journal food writer
POSTED: 09:54 a.m. EDT, Jun 18, 2008
Whether you're looking for an easy way to entertain this summer or simply relaxing on the deck, a tall, cool summer sipper is the perfect compliment to the swelter weather.
Mix up a pitcher or a punch bowl and the time-consuming task of bartending is unnecessary. Summer drinks can be made in adult or family-friendly varieties by adding or leaving out the alcohol.
A summer drink can be as simple as adding crushed fruit to a pitcher of lemonade or iced tea. A splash of vodka or rum turns a cooler into a cocktail.
For gatherings that include children, leave out the liquor or offer it on the side for adults. To make mocktails for children's gatherings, substitute syrups in flavors like orange or mint for similarly flavored liqueurs.
Dante D'Avello, chef and owner of Totally Cooked Catering in Cuyahoga Falls, often encourages his clients to consider serving one special cocktail for their events. Not only does it help to control the bar costs, but guests always respond to it enthusiastically.
Even nonalcoholic drinks, such as fruit-infused lemonades or raspberry iced teas, can anchor the beverage selections at any party. D'Avello suggested scattering a handful of berries and some lemon leaves around a pitcher of berry lemonade. ''It always invites people in,'' he said.
Fresh fruit dropped into a cooler glass will dress it up. Strawberries and raspberries soon will be in abundant in Ohio, and later this summer peaches and melons will be on farm stands.
Traditional sangria, Spanish red wine infused with fruit, juices, fruit-flavored liqueur and brandy, is the classic summer sipper. For a lighter option, sangrias can be made with white wine.
D'Avello said most summer drinks can be made ahead of time, or made with a base that can be mixed up in advance and then simply topped off with a finish of sparkling water or soda.
The advance preparation helps to make entertaining easy. ''Why complicate things?'' D'Avello said.
For those who enjoy experimenting, D'Avello suggested brewing flavored iced teas, or working with herbs like mint, rosemary, lemon balm and pineapple sage, to create a uniquely flavored cooler.
''Step over the boundary and create your own signature drinks. Your guests will love you for breaking them out of their mundane refreshment existence,'' he said.
Here are a variety of recipes for summer coolers, some that include alcohol and some that don't. Most of them can be easily adapted to turn cocktail into mocktail or vice versa.
SANGRIA
2 oz. brandy
2 oz. orange-flavored liqueur
4 tbsp. superfine sugar
1 bottle (750 ml) dry red wine, preferably Spanish
1 cup orange juice
1 oz. lemon juice
1 orange, thinly sliced and seeded
1 lemon, thinly sliced and seeded
2 cups club soda
In a large, nonreactive punch bowl or pitcher, stir together the brandy, orange liqueur and sugar until the sugar dissolves. Stir in the wine, orange juice, lemon juice and fruit slices. You may serve it right away, but it is better if left covered and refrigerated for 2 to 4 hours.
Just before serving, pour in the club soda and stir briefly. Ladle the sangria and fruit slices into ice-filled glasses (old-fashioned, highball or wine glasses) and serve.
Makes 1 pitcher.
— Cocktails: Style Recipes, Norman Kolpas
POMEGRANATE-ORANGE COOLER
5 cups fresh pomegranate juice
2-1/2 cups vodka
1/3 cup orange-flavored liqueur
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
2-1/2 cups chilled ginger ale
Orange slices for garnish
In a pitcher, combine the pomegranate juice, vodka, orange-flavored liqueur and lime juice. Cover and chill until very cold, at least 1 hour. Just before serving, stir in the ginger ale. Pour the mixture into ice-filled glasses, garnish with the orange slices if you like, and serve.
Makes 8 to 10 servings.
— The Sunset Grill: 125 Tasty Recipes for Casual Get-Togethers and Easy Weeknight Cookouts, Cheryl Jamison and Bill Jamison
CASABLANCA
1 oz. (2 tbsp.) rum
3 oz. pineapple juice
1 oz. (2 tbsp.) coconut milk
1-1/2 tsp. grenadine
Ice cubes Slice of lime for garnish
Slice of pineapple for garnish
Place all ingredients except the fruit garnish in a shaker and shake well. Pour into a tall glass and garnish with the slices of lime and pineapple.
Makes 1 drink.
— Slurp: Drinks and Light Fare, All Day, All Night, Nina Dreyer Hensley, Jim Hensley and Paul Lowe
TUTTI FRUTTI PUNCH
1 (6-oz.) can frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1 oz. (2 tbsp.) grenadine
2 pints lemon sorbet
3 cups ginger ale
1 cup citrus or orange vodka (optional)
2 pints fresh strawberries, cut in half
3 lemons, cut in half-wheels
Mint springs for garnish
Combine the orange juice concentrate, lemon juice, pineapple juice and grenadine in a large container and stir well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Pour into a punch bowl.
Using a melon baller or small ice cream scoop, add the lemon sorbet to the mixture. Add the ginger ale and vodka (if desired). Garnish with the strawberries, lemons and mint.
Makes about 16 servings.
— 101 Sangrias & Pitcher Drinks, Kim Haasarud
LEMON-LIME FIZZ
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
Zest of 1 lemon, removed in wide strips with a vegetable peeler
Zest of 1 lime, removed in wide strips with a vegetable peeler
2 liters seltzer water, chilledM.
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 2 to 3 lemons)
3 tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice (from 1 to 2 limes)
Ice, for serving Mint sprigs, lemon and lime slices for garnish
In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the water, sugar and lemon and lime zests. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature. Remove and discard the zest. Cover the syrup and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, or for up to 2 days.
Jest before serving, combine the sugar syrup, seltzer, lemon juice and lime juice in a 3- or 4-quart pitcher. Serve over ice in tall glasses. Garnish with mint sprigs and lemon and lime slices, if desired.
Makes 21/2 quarts or 10 servings.
—Al Roker's Big Bad Book of Barbecue
BLUEBERRY LEMONADE
1 pitcher prepared lemonade, homemade or from frozen concentrate
3 oz. blueberry puree (recipe follows)
Ice Blueberries for garnish
Mix the blueberry puree into a pitcher filled with lemonade. Pour into tall glasses filled with ice. Garnish with additional berries or springs of mint.
Makes 1 pitcher of drinks to serve 6.
— Dante D'Avello, Totally Cooked Catering, Cuyahoga Falls
BLUEBERRY PUREE
1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1 tbsp. sugar or honey
1 drop rose water
In a blender or food processor, process blueberries, sugar and rose water until pureed.
Notes: Rose water can be purchased at most specialty food stores, particularly Middle Eastern grocery stores. Frozen fruit purees can be found in the frozen foods section of some grocery stores and most specialty grocery stores. Fruit puree can be made with any fruit that is in season, such as raspberries, cherries and peaches.
— Dante D'Avello, Totally Cooked Catering, Cuyahoga Falls
FRUIT SPRITZERS
Fresh or frozen fruit puree (see recipe above)
Sparkling mineral water or club soda
Fruit for garnish
Ice
Fill a 12-ounce glass with ice. Add 2 ounces of fruit puree and top with sparkling mineral water or club soda. Muddle to blend and garnish with additional fruit.
Makes 1 serving.
— Dante D'Avello, Totally Cooked Catering, Cuyahoga Falls
Lisa A. Abraham can be reached at 330-996-3737 or labraham@thebeaconjournal.com.
Whether you're looking for an easy way to entertain this summer or simply relaxing on the deck, a tall, cool summer sipper is the perfect compliment to the swelter weather.
Mix up a pitcher or a punch bowl and the time-consuming task of bartending is unnecessary. Summer drinks can be made in adult or family-friendly varieties by adding or leaving out the alcohol.
A summer drink can be as simple as adding crushed fruit to a pitcher of lemonade or iced tea. A splash of vodka or rum turns a cooler into a cocktail.
For gatherings that include children, leave out the liquor or offer it on the side for adults. To make mocktails for children's gatherings, substitute syrups in flavors like orange or mint for similarly flavored liqueurs.
Dante D'Avello, chef and owner of Totally Cooked Catering in Cuyahoga Falls, often encourages his clients to consider serving one special cocktail for their events. Not only does it help to control the bar costs, but guests always respond to it enthusiastically.
Even nonalcoholic drinks, such as fruit-infused lemonades or raspberry iced teas, can anchor the beverage selections at any party. D'Avello suggested scattering a handful of berries and some lemon leaves around a pitcher of berry lemonade. ''It always invites people in,'' he said.
Fresh fruit dropped into a cooler glass will dress it up. Strawberries and raspberries soon will be in abundant in Ohio, and later this summer peaches and melons will be on farm stands.
Traditional sangria, Spanish red wine infused with fruit, juices, fruit-flavored liqueur and brandy, is the classic summer sipper. For a lighter option, sangrias can be made with white wine.
D'Avello said most summer drinks can be made ahead of time, or made with a base that can be mixed up in advance and then simply topped off with a finish of sparkling water or soda.
The advance preparation helps to make entertaining easy. ''Why complicate things?'' D'Avello said.
For those who enjoy experimenting, D'Avello suggested brewing flavored iced teas, or working with herbs like mint, rosemary, lemon balm and pineapple sage, to create a uniquely flavored cooler.
''Step over the boundary and create your own signature drinks. Your guests will love you for breaking them out of their mundane refreshment existence,'' he said.
Here are a variety of recipes for summer coolers, some that include alcohol and some that don't. Most of them can be easily adapted to turn cocktail into mocktail or vice versa.
SANGRIA
2 oz. brandy
2 oz. orange-flavored liqueur
4 tbsp. superfine sugar
1 bottle (750 ml) dry red wine, preferably Spanish
1 cup orange juice
1 oz. lemon juice
1 orange, thinly sliced and seeded
1 lemon, thinly sliced and seeded
2 cups club soda
In a large, nonreactive punch bowl or pitcher, stir together the brandy, orange liqueur and sugar until the sugar dissolves. Stir in the wine, orange juice, lemon juice and fruit slices. You may serve it right away, but it is better if left covered and refrigerated for 2 to 4 hours.
Just before serving, pour in the club soda and stir briefly. Ladle the sangria and fruit slices into ice-filled glasses (old-fashioned, highball or wine glasses) and serve.
Makes 1 pitcher.
— Cocktails: Style Recipes, Norman Kolpas
POMEGRANATE-ORANGE COOLER
5 cups fresh pomegranate juice
2-1/2 cups vodka
1/3 cup orange-flavored liqueur
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
2-1/2 cups chilled ginger ale
Orange slices for garnish
In a pitcher, combine the pomegranate juice, vodka, orange-flavored liqueur and lime juice. Cover and chill until very cold, at least 1 hour. Just before serving, stir in the ginger ale. Pour the mixture into ice-filled glasses, garnish with the orange slices if you like, and serve.
Makes 8 to 10 servings.
— The Sunset Grill: 125 Tasty Recipes for Casual Get-Togethers and Easy Weeknight Cookouts, Cheryl Jamison and Bill Jamison
CASABLANCA
1 oz. (2 tbsp.) rum
3 oz. pineapple juice
1 oz. (2 tbsp.) coconut milk
1-1/2 tsp. grenadine
Ice cubes Slice of lime for garnish
Slice of pineapple for garnish
Place all ingredients except the fruit garnish in a shaker and shake well. Pour into a tall glass and garnish with the slices of lime and pineapple.
Makes 1 drink.
— Slurp: Drinks and Light Fare, All Day, All Night, Nina Dreyer Hensley, Jim Hensley and Paul Lowe
TUTTI FRUTTI PUNCH
1 (6-oz.) can frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1 oz. (2 tbsp.) grenadine
2 pints lemon sorbet
3 cups ginger ale
1 cup citrus or orange vodka (optional)
2 pints fresh strawberries, cut in half
3 lemons, cut in half-wheels
Mint springs for garnish
Combine the orange juice concentrate, lemon juice, pineapple juice and grenadine in a large container and stir well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Pour into a punch bowl.
Using a melon baller or small ice cream scoop, add the lemon sorbet to the mixture. Add the ginger ale and vodka (if desired). Garnish with the strawberries, lemons and mint.
Makes about 16 servings.
— 101 Sangrias & Pitcher Drinks, Kim Haasarud
LEMON-LIME FIZZ
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
Zest of 1 lemon, removed in wide strips with a vegetable peeler
Zest of 1 lime, removed in wide strips with a vegetable peeler
2 liters seltzer water, chilledM.
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 2 to 3 lemons)
3 tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice (from 1 to 2 limes)
Ice, for serving Mint sprigs, lemon and lime slices for garnish
In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the water, sugar and lemon and lime zests. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature. Remove and discard the zest. Cover the syrup and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, or for up to 2 days.
Jest before serving, combine the sugar syrup, seltzer, lemon juice and lime juice in a 3- or 4-quart pitcher. Serve over ice in tall glasses. Garnish with mint sprigs and lemon and lime slices, if desired.
Makes 21/2 quarts or 10 servings.
—Al Roker's Big Bad Book of Barbecue
BLUEBERRY LEMONADE
1 pitcher prepared lemonade, homemade or from frozen concentrate
3 oz. blueberry puree (recipe follows)
Ice Blueberries for garnish
Mix the blueberry puree into a pitcher filled with lemonade. Pour into tall glasses filled with ice. Garnish with additional berries or springs of mint.
Makes 1 pitcher of drinks to serve 6.
— Dante D'Avello, Totally Cooked Catering, Cuyahoga Falls
BLUEBERRY PUREE
1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1 tbsp. sugar or honey
1 drop rose water
In a blender or food processor, process blueberries, sugar and rose water until pureed.
Notes: Rose water can be purchased at most specialty food stores, particularly Middle Eastern grocery stores. Frozen fruit purees can be found in the frozen foods section of some grocery stores and most specialty grocery stores. Fruit puree can be made with any fruit that is in season, such as raspberries, cherries and peaches.
— Dante D'Avello, Totally Cooked Catering, Cuyahoga Falls
FRUIT SPRITZERS
Fresh or frozen fruit puree (see recipe above)
Sparkling mineral water or club soda
Fruit for garnish
Ice
Fill a 12-ounce glass with ice. Add 2 ounces of fruit puree and top with sparkling mineral water or club soda. Muddle to blend and garnish with additional fruit.
Makes 1 serving.
— Dante D'Avello, Totally Cooked Catering, Cuyahoga Falls
Lisa A. Abraham can be reached at 330-996-3737 or labraham@thebeaconjournal.com.
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