Beverages

Lately it has been so hot that all I really feel like doing is drinking an ice cold beverage of some kind. It got me thinking about my trip to Japan and how they would bring you a small pitcher of simple syrup instead of sugar for your ice tea or coffee. It blends in so much easier then sugar. One of the Japanese ladies made me a small pitcher out of pottery so I too could do this when I got back to the US.

Basic Simple Syrup

1 cup sugar
1 cup water
In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and water and bring to a boil. Simmer the mixture over moderate heat until the sugar dissolves.

One of my favorite drinks in the summer is Iced Tea - - and of course I like it sweetened, so Southern Sweet Tea is right up my alley!

Southern Sweet Iced Tea

6 small sized tea bags
1/4 t. baking soda
1 1/2 cups sugar
Bring 3-4 cups of water to a boil. Add a pinch of baking soda to the water and add tea bags. Remove from heat and cover. Allow to sit for at least 12 minutes. Pour into gallon pitcher and add sugar. Then fill with cold water. Refrigerate.
*the soda takes out the bitterness and darkens the tea....this small amount doesn’t change the taste.
Note: When brewing a pitcher of iced tea, place the tea bags inside a large wire whisk and submerge them in the water to steep. The whisk keeps the tea bags weighted down, and makes stirring a snap. Also try placing fruit inside the whisk for added flavor.

I got the following recipe from my brother-in-law. He swears by it!

Phil’s Drink

2 beers
2 cans 7-up
1 (6 oz.) can con. lime aide
1 c. vodka
Combine ingredients and enjoy!

Italian Soda

1/4 c. flavored syrup
12 oz. soda
1/4 c. cream
Mix and pour over ice.
Note: Van’s has a wide variety of flavored syrups in aisle seven!

I know the following is a “hot” drink, but some say if you drink something hot in the summer, it will make you cooler......

Colonial Hot Buttered Rum

2 cup Brown sugar
1/2 cup Butter
1 pinch Salt
3 Sticks cinnamon
6 Whole cloves
1/2 t. Nutmeg
Put brown sugar, butter, salt, cinnamon, whole cloves and nutmeg into crockpot.
2 quarts hot water
Add 2 quarts hot water. Stir well. Cover pot and cook on LOW for 5 hours.
2 cup Rum
Add rum; stir to blend.
Heavy cream - whipped
Nutmeg
Serve from pot in warm mugs with a scoop of whipped cream and a dusting of nutmeg.

Amaretto Slush

1 2 liter bottle 7 up or Sprite
1 - 46 oz. Pineapple juice
1 - 16 oz. Frozen orange juice
1 can water from orange juice can
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 jar chopped cherries
2 cups Amaretto
1 can (little) crushed pineapples
Mix first 4 ingredients together.
Mix sugar and water and cook about 4 minutes until clear.
Add all ingredients together and freeze.
Thaw 1 hour before serving. You can stretch by adding 3/4 slush and 1/4 7-up or champagne.

Here’s another “hot” drink, but you could always serve it chilled!

Chia Latte

1 c. almond milk
1 T. maple syrup
1/8 t. cinnamon
1/8 t. nutmeg
1/8 t. clove
Heat mug filled with water in microwave. Throw out water.
Place almond milk in blender & blend a couple min. to warm.
Add spices, blend.
Serve in heated mug.

Once in a while I serve a special drink at my Bed and Breakfast. If I have a fairly large group I will use this recipe and serve it in wine glasses.

Brunch Punch

1 (46 oz) can pineapple juice - chilled
3 cups orange juice - chilled
2 cups cranberry juice - chilled
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup lime juice
Garnishes: citrus wedges and slices, maraschino cherries
Stir together all ingredients. Serve immediately, or cover and chill 2 to 24 hours. Stir before serving. Garnish, if desired.

Cafe Mocha Latte

1 1/2 c. half and half
2 T. brown sugar
2 c. strongly brewed coffee - or expresso
1/4 c. chocolate syrup
1 t. vanilla extract
1/4 c. whiskey - opt.
Heat half and half in a saucepan over medium-high heat. (Do NOT Boil.) Remove from heat; stir in brown sugar, next 3 ingredients, and, if desired, whiskey. Serve warm or over ice.

Fat Flush Cran-Water

Mix together:
1 ounce 100% pure unsweetened cranberry juice
7 ounces water
To save time during the day, mix a full batch (64 ounces) in the morning — add 1 cup (8 oz) cranberry juice to a half-gallon container and fill the rest with water.
Note from http://www.fatflush.com : Cranberry juice is a natural diuretic and packed with flavonoids, enzymes and organic acids such as malic acid, citric acid, and quinic acid which have an emulsifying effect on stubborn fat deposits in the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system — the body’s “garbage collector” — transports all kinds of waste products not processed by the liver. With the help of the organic acid components, cranberry juice digests stagnated lymphatic wastes. This explains why so many Fat Flushers report that their cellulite disappears! Print this post