Pbenjay's Blog

It’s Friday, it’s summer and we’re supposed to be enjoying leisurely days sunning ourselves by the pool and sipping cooling summer cocktails and refreshing drinks! I must have read that somewhere in a novel or in ’50’s magazine growing up.  NOT happening!  So okay sunning yourself is limited to the weekends and if you live in NYC, who has a pool?  REGARDLESS-we should try to keep up the traditions and along the way, enjoy ourselves and these delectable drinks.

1. ICED MINT AND CITRUS TEA

1 large bunch mint (I prefer spearmint to peppermint)
1/3 cup mild honey (plus more to taste)
1/3 cup maple syrup (plus more to taste)
1 large lemon
1 large lime
Fill your kettle with water and bring it to a boil. Pull the mint leaves from their stems and roughly tear them into a large pot. Pour 10 cups of boiling water over the mint, cover the pot and let the mixture steep until the water is just slightly warm. Strain the tea into a large bowl, and while the tea is still warm stir in the honey and maple syrup until it has fully dissolved. Taste and add more honey and/or maple syrup if you’d like, keeping in mind you’ll be adding a strong hit of acid shortly. When the tea is cool, juice the lemon and lime, straining the juice of all fibers and pips. Stir the juice into the tea until everything is well mixed. Taste and add more lemon or lime juice — or maple syrup — if you like. Cover and refrigerate the tea until it is very cold. Give it a good stir and serve it in pretty glasses over plenty of ice.

2. PINA COLADA

3 oz light rum
4 cups ice
2/3 cup fresh pineapple chunks
3 ounces cream of coconut
2 ounces coconut milk
4 ounces pineapple juice
Juice of 1/2 large lime
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg, plus more for garnish
Combine all the ingredients in a blender (use a good, strong one that can crush ice) and blend until smooth. Add more ice or liquid to taste. Serve in a pretty glass with a shower of grated nutmeg, a lime wedge and maybe even a cocktail umbrella.

SPARKLING RHUBARB LEMONADE

3. SPARKLING RHUBARB LEMONADE

3 1/2 cups water
5 cups chopped rhubarb, fresh or frozen (20 ounces)
3/4 cups sugar
2 -3 – inch strips lemon zest
3 sprigs fresh mint
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 cups lemon-lime soda or sparkling water
In a saucepan, stir together the water, the rhubarb pieces, the sugar, the lemon zest and the mint. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Let the rhubarb mixture cool, the strain it through a wire-mesh strainer set over a large pitcher. Press on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the solids Stir in the lemon juice and soda. Serve over ice, garnished with a sprig of mint.

4. MANGO LASSIE

1 Ripe Mango
3/4 cups Cold Milk
3 tablespoons Cold Plain Yogurt
3 tablespoons Honey
1 pinch Salt
1 handful Crushed Ice
1 sprig Fresh Mint
Pick a ripe mango, the redder the skin, the better, and peel the skin. Cut the mango into thick chunks – there’s no need for precision here, it’s all getting blended. That’s the best part! In the blender, combine the pieces of mango, milk, yogurt, honey, salt and crushed ice. Blend the mixture (or pulse, your choice), for 20-30 seconds. Try the lassi with a spoon and add honey, milk or yogurt if need be (trust your taste buds). If it’s still too thick, add more milk and continue to blend until it reaches the consistency you are looking for. Pour the lassi into a tall glass and top it with the sprig of mint. Voila! Drink to your heart’s desire.

5. BLACKBERRY CAIPIRINHA

8 plump blackberries
1 teaspoon white sugar
1/2 lime, cut into 3 wedges
2 ounces cachaça (or substitute white rum)
3/4 cups ice cubes

In a shaker or pint glass, muddle/mash up the blackberries and the sugar with two of the lime wedges. Add the cachaça or rum and the ice. Cover well and shake vigorously. Remove and discard the crushed lime wedges. Pour the mixture into a rocks glass and use the remaining wedge of lime as a garnish.

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