Category: Beverages

Hibiskey Sour

The Hibiskey Sour is a cocktail invented and named by my wonderful husband. We had some leftover cold hibiscus tea in the refrigerator that needed to be used (I was trying to convince our 14-year-old that cold hibiscus tea would be an apt substitute for the brand-named cold tea that she was having trouble finding; I was not successful). The only problem with this creation was that it almost immediately necessitated the brewing of more hibiscus tea! Hibiscus tea bags may or may not be easy to find where you live. We found them at a local Japanese grocery store. That was years ago, honestly. I don’t even remember why we bought them. For a cocktail recipe, probably. It must not have been a very good recipe because the hibiscus tea bags have sat in our pantry ever since. This cocktail, however, is delicious. Enjoy!

Ingredients

2 oz whiskey, such as Jack Daniels
2 o cold hibiscus tea, prepared according to package directions
1/2 oz lemon juice
1 oz simple syrup (or to taste)

Directions

Combine all ingredients with ice in an old-fashioned glass. Serve. Makes one cocktail.

Strawberry Lemonade

Strawberry Lemonade makes a pitcher-full so it’s fun to do for parties, barbecues and picnics. Depending on the time of year, I have used both fresh strawberries and frozen with excellent results. If I’m making this for kids, I blend it until it’s completely smooth. Children are notorious for being picky about suspicious chunks in their drinks. Adults usually enjoy a bit of texture. The mint is just a garnish so I wouldn’t use that unless I already had some.

Whiskey Sour

A cold whiskey sour makes a nice post-dinner cocktail. It’s a little bit tart, and a little bit sweet, making it a good sipping drink and a suitable dessert when no brownies are at hand.

Whiskey Sour

2 oz whiskey
1 oz fresh lemon juice, strained
1 1/2 oz Simple Syrup

Serve in a tumbler over plenty of ice. Makes one drink.

Mulled Wine

Mulled Wine is a great hot beverage to pull out for a party or a family holiday gathering. I make this in the crock pot and let it sit on low. It doesn’t take too long for the ingredients to come together and become drinkable, and then it stays hot for the rest of the party. During the fall and winter, when people are always fighting cold and flu viruses, or just getting over them, a hot drink at the beginning of a party always goes over well. This version is on the sweet side, but I like it that way.

Simple Syrup

Simple Syrup is, forgive me, extremely simple to make. Somewhere along the way, I got the impression that it was something complicated, a mysterious wonder created by perfect ratios and the perfect temperature. However, I couldn’t have been more wrong. In fact, you don’t even have to cook it. If you have an hour or two at home, you can just let it sit there and dissolve at room temperature while you do other things. We use our Simple Syrup the most often in drinks, so we make it double-strength so that it doesn’t water down the drink too much. This recipe will make the right amount to nearly fill an empty 750 ml bottle. My favorite bottles to re-use for this kind of purpose are empty, clean Vodka 360 bottles.

Ingredients

4 C granulated sugar
2 C cold water

Directions

In a bowl, stir together the water and the sugar. Leave on the counter at room temperature. Stir periodically, every 20 minutes or so, for two hours, or until the sugar is completely dissolved. Store in the refrigerator in a glass container.

Berry Banana Smoothie

Berry Banana Smoothie, according to my notes, is adapted from a Cooking Light recipe. For the life of me, I can’t figure out which recipe it was originally. Given that, I will simply give you my recipe and be done with it. My apologies to Cooking Light. For an icy treat, use frozen berries and frozen banana. The milk can be whatever you like to drink. I have used everything from almond milk and rice milk, to goat’s milk. If your blender is challenged, like my old one used to be, start with the wet ingredients and add the frozen fruit gradually.

Ingredients

1 C berries
1/2 C milk
1 banana
2 tsp honey
2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

Blend all ingredients until smooth.

Makes 2 roughly 1 cup servings.

Lemonade

Lemonade is one of those things that people used to know how to do off the top of their head, but that kind of food knowledge is becoming more and more rare all the time. Somewhere along the line, I got the impression that you need piles of lemons to make lemonade. Since I live in the Northwest, where lemons can easily run $1 each, I have always dismissed the idea of homemade lemonade as something that was out of reach for me. However, I learned more recently that you only need piles of lemons to make an entire pitcher of lemonade. One good-sized lemon will make enough lemonade for my family of four. Sometimes my husband and I will add vodka as well. I’ve looked around on-line, and every recipe I found for lemonade was for a big pitcher. Our own recipe makes a single tall glass, perfect for that summer night when you just want one glass to go with dinner. Anymore, I buy my lemons by the bag at our local big-box store, especially in the summertime when citrus drinks taste so refreshing. It is my dream to have a lemon tree in my backyard, but alas, they simply don’t grow here.

Ingredients

2 Tbs fresh lemon juice
2 Tbs simple syrup
Plain seltzer water

Directions

Mix the lemon juice and the simple syrup in a tall glass. Fill with ice. Pour plain seltzer water over the top and stir. Enjoy!

Japanese Slipper

A Japanese Slipper is a slightly tart, slightly sweet cocktail that makes a fantastic summertime after-dinner drink. This particular recipe calls for brand-name high-end liqueurs, but this cocktail is great even made with cheaper alcohols. Midori is the brand name for a melon liqueur. You can also use the less expensive, Dekuyper’s melon liqueur. Cointreau is the brand name for an orange liqueur. You can also use less expensive triple-sec, which comes in a variety of brands and prices. Lastly, you will need fresh lemon juice. If you juice fresh lemons, limes and oranges with any regularity, I highly recommend the Cilio Commercial Grade Citrus Press. It comes with a hefty price tag and takes a bit of counter space, but we have enjoyed ours immensely.

Drinking Vinegar

Drinking Vinegar, if you aren’t familiar with the term, is a fruit-infused vinegar-based drink that is sweetened and topped off with plain seltzer. You have to start it a week before you want to drink it, and what you don’t use right away must be refrigerated, but once it’s a part of your routine you just might find that you always have a batch or two around. For the sweetener, we use about 1/2 cup of granulated sugar per every 2 cups of fruit/vinegar mixture. You can use less than that if you don’t have a real sweet tooth, or if you plan to mix it with soda that is already sweet. Right now in my refrigerator I have pineapple and apple, and I have a new batch of cherry started on the kitchen counter. We have also tried strawberry, blackberry and raspberry. The strangest experiment we tried was Thai basil, and it has become one of my favorites; it goes great with Thai curry. You can drink it as a refreshing, slightly healthier alternative to soda pop, or you can add rum, tequila or vodka for an easy cocktail.