Triple-tested recipes

THE DRINKS

Something fruity, something classic and something exotic… whatever you’re thirsty for, these are the colourful, crowd-pleasing pitchers to sip in the sun.

Cherry Burst

If you prefer, replace the vodka with gin in this seasonal summer tipple, or leave out the booze altogether for a virgin version. Hands-on time 15min, plus chilling. Cooking time about 15min. Serves 6

250g fresh cherries, pitted 50g caster sugar Pared zest ½ large orange (use a vegetable peeler) 175ml vodka TO SERVE

Ice cubes

Tonic water, chilled Cherries

3 thin orange slices, halved

In a medium pan, heat the cherries, sugar, orange zest and 50ml water over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves. Turn up the heat to medium and bubble for 10min, until the liquid around the cherries is syrupy. Lift out the orange zest, blend the cherry mixture until smooth, then strain through a fine sieve into a jug. Chill until needed.

2 To serve, stir the vodka into the chilled cherry purée. Fill 6 tall glasses with ice and divide the boozy cherry syrup between the glasses. Top up with tonic and garnish with cherries and orange slices. Serve. PER SERVING 116cals, <1g protein, 0g fat (0g saturates), 12g carbs (12g total sugars), 0g fibre

GET AHEAD Prepare to end of step 1 up to a day ahead. Cover purée and chill. Complete recipe to serve.

Michelada

Think of this as the Bloody Mary’s Mexican cousin: spicy, sour and wonderfully refreshing. Clamato is a particularly flavourful and light tomato juice that mixes well, so is ideal for this cocktail, but you can use another tomato juice if you prefer.

Hands-on time 10min, plus chilling. Serves 8 400ml Clamato or tomato juice 2tbsp hot sauce (or to taste), we used Cholula

2tbsp Worcestershire sauce 4 limes

1tsp mild chilli powder

4 x 330ml bottles Mexican beer, chilled, we used Sol

TO SERVE

Ice cubes

In a large jug, mix the Clamato or tomato juice, hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Add the juice from the limes (reserve a squeezed ½) and chill for 2hr.

To serve, mix the chilli powder with 2tsp fine salt on a small plate. Rub the reserved squeezed lime ½ around the rims of 8 tall glasses, then dip the rims into the chilli-salt to coat. Fill glasses with ice.

Slowly pour the beer into the Clamato/tomato mixture, stirring gently. Divide between the glasses and serve. PER SERVING 61cals, 1g protein, 0g fat (0g saturates), 3g carbs (2g total sugars), <1g fibre GET AHEAD Prepare to end of step 1 up to a day ahead. Cover and chill. To serve, mix Clamato/tomato mixture to re-combine and complete recipe.

White Port and Tonic

Your go-to gin sidekick just got a new best friend. Floral white port pairs perfectly with sharp fizzy tonic. Swap the rosemary for fresh mint, if you like.

400ml white port 800ml tonic water, chilled TO SERVE

Crushed ice 8 rosemary sprigs 8 lemon wedges

1 Gently mix the port and tonic in a large jug. Fill 8 tall glasses with crushed ice and pour in the port mixture. Garnish with rosemary sprigs and lemon wedges. Serve.

PER SERVING 101cals, 0g protein, 0g fat (0g saturates), 11g carbs (11g total sugars), 0g fibre