When the temperature rise, it’s time to make these drinks to keep cool.
Summer is characterized by long days and short nights, days spent watching the waves crash on the shore and evenings spent watching sunsets on roofs. That’s all fine and romantic sounding until you remember that those days of full sun often come hand-in-hand with high temps and winds that only exasperate the heat rather than offer any sort of comfort. It’s already halfway through July but the high temperatures don’t seem like they’re going to drop anytime soon.
So enters a workable compromise to make the sunny season more tolerable, spending the summer cooling off with a nice cold drink in hand and an AC system that works. However, we can only offer one of those things, and it certainly isn’t the AC system.
Below is a small collection of tried and true drink recipes to keep cool as the thermometer is rising to brow raising heights. The mojito and julep can be made non-achoholic or into a mocktail style by simply substituting the portion of alcohol with club soda or a combination of club soda and simple syrup if you’ve got a bit of a sweet tooth.
Mint is a key ingredient in two of the recipes and while normally, it isn’t a big issue as to which kind to use, variety will change the flavor a bit. Most grocery stores really offer one or two varieties—if you’re lucky, peppermint and spearmint. Peppermint has a stronger menthol-y taste and perfect for baked goods because it really shines through the other flavors. On the other hand, spearmint is balanced with it’s sweetness and menthol, and is the preferred for the drinks below. And if you’re a gourmet, there’s also pineapple mint and chocolate mint; these special varieties aren’t as easily found but are well worth the try. Each variety will offer something different and if you have the chance, experiment to make the recipe your own.
Brazilian Lemonade
Sweet, tangy, refreshing. What more could you want?
Ingredients: A lime, 1 ½ cups of water, ¼ cup of sugar, 1 ½ tablespoons sweetened condensed milk, ice
Method: Wash limes. Cut off the ends and slice into ¼ wedges for easier blending. Combine all the ingredients. Pulse blend for 5 seconds until smooth. Strain and serve over ice.
Note: Do not over blend or else your drink will end up bitter! If you’re worried about over blending, have a taste after every pulse.
Guava Mojito
A sweet fruity version of the classic mojito.
Ingredients: ½ cup of white rum, ¼ cup of lime juice, ½ cup guava juice, 2 tablespoons of simple syrup, a handful of fresh mint, ice, ¼ cup of club soda.
Method: Combine the rum, lime, guava juice, and syrup. Gently muddle the mint before adding them with the mixture; it should still have some shape and not be paste. Gently stir the mixture, not too harshly or else it’ll make the drink bitter. Split the drink into two glasses and add the ice in equal measure. Add the club soda at the end.
For a non-alcoholic version, skip the gin and double up the quantity of club soda and simple syrup.
Note: Fresh mint is essential for this.
Hibiscus Julep
A pink tart twist to the classic mint julep, the star of this drink is the hibiscus flower.
Ingredients: A handful of fresh mint leaves, ¼ cup of bourbon, ¼ cup of hibiscus syrup, ice
Method: First make a hibiscus syrup—if you haven’t already, below is a simple recipe. Combine half of the mint and the rest of the ingredients. Make sure it’s well blended before serving, adding the rest of the mint as garnish.
Hibiscus Syrup: In a pot, mix equal parts water and sugar with 2 tablespoons of loose hibiscus petals. Boil. The longer it’s steeped, the more tart the syrup will be. Strain, cool, and use.
We’re hoping that you stay cool these coming weeks with the help of the drinks above. If should be noted that the recipes above are for double servings, perfect for sharing—A moi and toi. And on that note, drink responsibly.
