Summer in a glass
At this time of year most people I know are slightly deranged thanks to that long list of All The Things That Need To Be Done By Christmas. The fact that summer is so close you can just about taste it is the only thing keeping them going (I’m firmly in this category myself).
In her wonderful book,
Drink, drinks expert and writer Victoria Moore says cocktails that ‘‘taste like being on holiday’’ can help convince us that summer is here at last. So even if your to-do list is endless and the weather is yet to realise what season we’re in, these drinks will put you in the right mood. Bottoms up!
Fill two glasses with ice. Poke the strips of cucumber down the side of the glasses and add the gin. Pour in the soda and stir gently.
Garnish with the borage flowers or mint and serve immediately.
Serves 6 Preparation time: 5 minutes Cooking time: nil
This is an excellent party drink, with the limoncello (an Italian liqueur with an intense lemon scent and flavour) adding a punchy kick to a bottle of fizz. It also makes it rather more potent, so be sure to warn your guests.
90ml limoncello
1 x 750ml bottle sparkling wine, chilled
1 lemon, finely sliced
Put a tablespoon of limoncello into six champagne flutes. Top with the sparkling wine and stir gently.
Garnish each one with a slice of lemon and serve immediately.
Preparation time: 5 minutes Cooking time: nil
I’m not a fan of soft drinks as a rule – I can’t tell you the last time I drank a Coke, and I only drink lemonade in rare circumstances. I’m not big on juices either, so finding non-alcoholic drinks that are slightly more exciting than water can be very challenging.
Here’s a simple one I’ve devised at home that’s not too sweet or tricky to make. Find pomegranate molasses in the ‘‘international’’ section of your supermarket, or hunt it down at an ethnic grocer.
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
1 navel orange
Ice
300ml soda water, chilled
Half-fill two tall glasses with ice. Put a tablespoon of pomegranate molasses in each one. Squeeze the juice from half the orange and divide between the two glasses.
Stir well, then top each one with the soda water. Slice the remaining orange thinly and add to each glass as a garnish. Serve immediately.
More of Lucy’s recipes at thekitchenmaid.com. To see what she’s cooking on a daily basis, find her on Instagram or Facebook.