Margaritas are an example of summer drinks that can use a variety of fruits, vegetables and herbs.
It’s perfect weather for a tall, cool drink. Have some fun and make your summer drinks with fruits, vegetables and herbs from your own garden or from a local farmer’s market. Here are a few ideas.
Summer drinks: Cocktails
Fresh-style margaritas
This recipe works with virtually any fresh fruit or vegetable, making it extremely versatile for a summer cocktail. Here are some ideas for flavor combinations:
- Blueberries and strawberries
- Cucumber and orange
- Thyme and cucumber
- Blackberries and mint
- Watermelon and orange
Base margarita ingredients
1.5 ounces silver tequila (preferably something organic like Republic or El Tesoro)
0.75 ounce fresh squeezed lime juice
0.5 ounce light agave nectar
Gently muddle fruits, vegetables and/or herbs of choice in the bottom of a cocktail shaker. Combine the tequila, lime and agave on top and shake with ice for 15-20 seconds. Strain over fresh ice in a double old fashioned glass and garnish with whatever ingredients you used. You can also make this in the cocktail glass. Stir vigorously to chill ingredients. Credit: boulderlocavore.com.
Gin and tonic with cucumber
According to The Gin Guide,”adding cucumber to your gin and tonic brings a fresh, mellow and sometimes floral or sweet character, and so it typically harmonises with fresh, smooth and summery gins.”
Ingredients
6 thin slices cucumber
1/4 lime
1.5 ounces gin
4 ounces tonic water
Muddle 3-4 slices of cucumber (and mint or rosemary if using) in the bottom of a glass. Fill 1/2 full with ice. Squeeze the lime over the glass and toss that in as well. Pour in the gin, then pour in the tonic, and stir. Garnish with the rest of the cucumber and a sprig of mint or rosemary if desired.
Variations: Add a few fresh mint leaves or a sprig of rosemary.
Mojito
Do you have lots of mint in your garden? A mojito is a great way to enjoy the flavor and fragrance of fresh mint.
Ingredients
5 to 6 fresh mint leaves
1.5 to 2 ounces white rum
0.5 ounces simple syrup (or 0.5 ounces maple syrup or 2 teaspoons sugar)
Ice cubes
Club soda, to top
Garnish: mint spring
Muddle simple syrup and mint in a cocktail shaker. Add rum and lime juice. Fill shaker with ice, cover and shake vigorously until outside of shaker is very cold, about 20 seconds. Strain cocktail into a tall glass filled with ice. Top off with club soda; garnish with more mint. You can also make this in a highball glass. Stir well to chill the ingredients.
Variation: Muddle a few fresh raspberries with the mint. Replace simple syrup with 0.5 raspberry liqueur (Chambord)
You can make non-alcoholic summer drinks with garden fruits and herbs.
Non-alcoholic summer drinks
Strawberry balsamic basil soda
Roasted strawberries, balsamic and basil make a refreshing drink that will keep you cool.
Ingredients
1 pint strawberries
1 tablespoon balsamic or cherry balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
Pinch of salt
1 cup water, divided
½ cup sugar
1 cup basil leaves
Club soda
Sliced strawberries and basil leaves for garnish
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. On a foil-lined baking sheet combine the strawberries, balsamic vinegar, sugar and a pinch of salt. Roast the strawberries for 20-25 minutes until the berries are slightly sticky and caramelized. Puree the strawberries in a blender with ½ cup water until smooth. Strain the mixture through a sieve, pushing the juice through with a spatula. Discard solids.
In a small saucepan combine ½ cup water, ½ cup sugar and basil and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Let the syrup cool completely and then strain through a sieve into a clean container and discard the solids. Add the strawberry puree to the basil simple syrup and stir to combine.
To serve, spoon 2 tablespoons of the strawberry syrup into an 8-ounce glass, top with club soda, and stir. Taste and add more syrup if desired. Garnish with sliced strawberries and basil leaves if desired. Syrup can be refrigerated for up to a week. Credit: Scaling back.
Fresh herbal lemonade
Herbs and lemon are a great combination. Make a pitcher of fresh lemonade and add fresh thyme, rosemary or basil.
Yield: 1-1/2 quarts
Ingredients
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
4-5 sprigs fresh thyme or rosemary or several basil leaves
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
4 cups of water
In a small saucepan set over medium heat, add sugar and your herb of choice to 1 cup of water. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Allow simple syrup to cool slightly.
In a pitcher, add simple syrup, lemon juice and 4 cups of water (more or less water to adjust to your taste). Stir to combine. Serve lemonade over ice, garnished with additional herbs and lemon slices if desired.
Variations: Experiment with the strength of the lemon flavor. Add more lemon juice, water or sugar to adjust to your personal taste. To turn this lemonade into a summer cocktail, add a splash of vodka, tequila or even champagne. Adapted from Oh the lovely things.
Cucumber-mint limeade
Yield: 1 quart
Ingredients
1 cup fresh lime juice (about 7 limes)
1 cup sugar
Zest of 3 limes (about 1 1/2 T)
1 cup mint leaves
1 liter bottle lemon/lime seltzer, chilled
1 medium cucumber, thinly sliced
Place juice, sugar, zest and 2 cups water in a 2-qt saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and stir until sugar is dissolved, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat, add mint leaves and let sit for 30 minutes. Pour through a fine strainer into a 1-qt. pitcher, stir in cucumber slices, and chill. Add entire bottle of seltzer to pitcher and serve immediately over ice. Credit: Saveur.
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