Summertime, and hopefully life has relaxed a bit. What better way to enjoy the warm sunshine and the long days than relaxing, maybe with a book or sharing the serenity with a friend, maybe in a Muskoka chair by the water, or up in the mountains, listening to some sublime jazz and enjoying a cool, delicious drink.
Click on the names of the drinks in the captions to find out how they are made. Enjoy!
The Aperol Spritz originated in the northeast of Italy, our family’s home turf, in the 1950s. It became trendier and even more popular approximately 20 years ago. It is made with Prosecco, a sparkling wine adored in our part of Italy and which I like to have on hand at home, Aperol, a bitter Italian aperitif, and chilled soda. If you like a sophisticated delicious drink that is not too sweet, try this lovely sunset in a glass.
These non-alcoholic drinks, named after famous Americans, are a great refreshing treat if you want something suitable for children, or if you have to drive, or maybe you just don’t want any alcohol. The Shirley Temple and the Roy Rogers are soft drink-based (cola and 7-Up), while the Arnold Palmer is mostly iced tea and lemon. Make a batch and share them with everyone!
There are a lot of positive reasons for the growing trend in non-alcoholic drinks; a couple of them are cutting back on alcohol and wanting to try some of the delicious, inventive, often fruit-based drinks that are now available. If you want to experiment at home, which Cris did – read below – there are lots of recipes available online.
They both look delicious, and the cherries, lime, peaches, etc. make them almost irresistible if you’re looking to try a flavourful summer drink that can be a little less sweet than many of the others. Instead of a sweeter soda, just add mineral water!
If you enjoy the kick ginger adds to your food or drinks, this mocktail is for you. I found the recipe on the Dash of Jazz website. I made the ginger turmeric honey syrup for the drink. I used the dried spices, rather than fresh ingredients, since I did usually have those fresh ingredients in my pantry, but I do have the spices. I thought the syrup was delicious on its own. I added a cinnamon stick which is not part of the original recipe.
The fun thing about making a mocktail is that you can use whatever ingredients you want to use. I like to use mineral water, fruit juice, Sprite, fresh or frozen fruit, fruit syrup and herbs. For one of the drinks I used a blueberry simple syrup my daughter made. She packed a cup of blueberries in a jar and covered them with sugar and left them in the fridge for about 6 months which allowed the sugar to break down the berries. After 6 months all that was left of the blueberries was their skin. The result is a sweet blueberry syrup. We’re currently experimenting with a jar of cherries in sugar in the fridge. In the drink I added 1/2 cup mineral water, 1/2 cup Sprite, 1 tbsp blueberry syrup, 8-10 crushed blueberries. It turned out delicious.
Have you tried making your own cocktails or mocktails? I’ve just started experimenting with them over the past year. Coming home from work, I find it’s nice to mix a fresh fruity drink and have a seat outside and rest for a moment before starting with work at home.
Let us know in the comments what you like in your mocktails.
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