Tasting notes

Fruity infusions

‘KEEP HYDRATED’ was a phrase trotted out regularly this summer, and while we all might be getting better at finding alternatives to throwaway plastic bottles as water vessels, sometimes the drink itself can require inspiration, too. Six to eight glasses a day (still recommended by the NHS) of stuff from the tap can be a bit, well, meh. Enter a new book by Georgina Davies that seeks to inject a bit of pizzazz into our 1.2 litres. Infused Waters (Hardie Grant, £12.99) is a compendium of flavour combinations for H2O that could just as easily be served as non-alcoholic options at a party as a pepped-up drink at your desk. Hydration, Davies writes, is good for ‘boosting brain power, preventing headaches and making it easier to think clearly’. Her recipes ramp this up by adding fruits, vegetables and spices, each imparting their own nutritional benefits. Win win.

Some blends are particularly compelling: strawberry and thyme steeped in chilled water is a summer refresher, while grapefruit and raspberry (with some sprigs of coriander) is a readymade punch (albeit without the punch). Others have fragrant appeal: to try Davies’ blackberry and bay, pour cold water over lightly bruised bay leaves and halved berries and chill for a couple of hours. There’s no caster sugar in sight and only the occasional lick of honey. Warm or cold, these tinctures are the healthier, homemade answer to saccharine soft drinks, and make drinking water a pure pleasure.

Davies’ blackberry, orange and ginger infusion