Thirst-quenching fun
By Mermaid Debbie
Hot fun in the summer sun is even more fun with a refreshing drink in your hand. Whether you are serving a large crowd or a small gathering, we have a thirst-quencher for you!
Non-alcohol beverages – tame the sizzle!
Meyer lemon-rosemary spritzers 
Makes 6
4 cups water
½ cup sugar
6 Meyer lemons, thinly sliced
2 rosemary sprigs
4 ½ cups sparkling water, chilled
Bring water and sugar to a boil in a large saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add lemons and rosemary. Reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Let stand for 20 minutes. Strain. Return to pan and boil until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Let cool completely. Fill each of 6 glasses with ¾ cup sparkling water. Stir ¼ cup syrup into each.
Recipe from Martha Stewart Living Magazine www.marthastewart.com/recipe-finder
Lavender spritzers
Makes 6
4 cups water
1/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons dried lavender blossoms
4 ½ cups sparkling water, chilled
Bring water and sugar to a boil in a large saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add lavender; remove from heat. Let stand for 30 minutes. Strain. Return to pan, and boil until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Let cool completely. Fill each of 6 glasses with ¾ cup sparkling water. Stir ¼ cup syrup into each.
Recipe from Martha Stewart Living Magazine www.marthastewart.com/recipe-finder
Lady lavender's mocktail
Ice
3 ounces fresh grapefruit juice
3/4 ounce Lavender Syrup (see below)
1/4 ounce grenadine
2 ounces chilled club soda
1 basil sprig
1 lavender sprig
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the grapefruit juice, lavender syrup, and grenadine. Shake well and strain into an ice-filled collins glass. Stir in the club soda and garnish with basil and lavender sprig.
Recipe by Gregory Best
Lavender syrup
6 ounces hot Simple Syrup
1/2 teaspoon dried lavender buds
In a heat-proof bowl combine the Simple Syrup and lavender buds. Let stand for 25 minutes, then strain into an airtight container and let cool completely. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.
Sun tea
Place 6 bags of your favorite tea into a gallon jar. Place in the sun for 4-6 hours. Refrigerate and serve over ice. Serve as is or stir in your favorite sweetener.
Sassy water
Prevention Magazine website - Flat belly diet
This refreshing water is a delicious way to stay hydrated and so good for you too. Make a pitcher full and sip on it all day long! It is especially wonderful for relieving water retention and helping to maintain a flat belly. It was named after Prevention's nutrition director, Cynthia Sass. 
8 1/2 cups water
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1 medium English Cucumber or 1 medium cucumber (pealed)
1 medium lemon, thinly sliced
12 peppermint leaves
Mix together in a large pitcher and let set in refrigerator overnight.
Photo from eHow.com
Cocktails anyone? - sizzling fun!
Mermaid shell dropper
Really? Beer with Vodka and lemonade? Oh, yes! Beer adds a surprisingly delicious and refreshing twist to this pretty Vodka cocktail.
- 2 24 ounce cans of pink lemonade concentrate
- 3 cans of water
- 2 cans of Vodka
- 2 Beers
Mix all of the ingredients in a big pitcher, stir in some ice and serve in pretty cocktail glasses. Garnish with a lime wedge, and add a sugar rim if you like.
Be careful, Mermaids aren't pretty swimming on their lips!
Skinny mojito
1½ ounces rum (light, dark or coconut)
1 ½ ounces freshly squeezed lime juice
1 packet stevia
4 ounces club soda
Lime wedge for garnish
Fresh mint leaves
In the bottom of a cocktail shaker tear up a small bunch of fresh mint leaves (3 or 4). Add rum, lime juice and stevia. Muddle the mint into the liquid (stir and bruise the leaves). Add ice 3 or 4 ice cubes and shake vigorously. Poor into a highball glass and top with club soda and a lime wedge.
Cuban mojito
from Havanah, Cuba
This is the orginal Mojito recipe that Hemingway loved.
1 teaspoon powdered sugar
Juice from 1 lime (2 ounces)
4 mint leaves
1 sprig of mint
2 ounces white rum
2 ounces club soda
Place the mint leaves in a Collins glass. Squeeze the juice from a cut lime over it. Add powdered sugar and gently smash the mint into the lime juice and sugar with a muddler. (or use the back of a spoon) Add crushed ice, rum and stir. Top off with club soda. Garnish with mint sprig.
Recipe from Taste of Cuba
Gin and tonic
4 cubes ice
2 ounces gin
4 ounces tonic water (diet tonic can also be used)
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 lime wedge
Place ice cubes in a cocktail glass. Poor gin, tonic water, and lime juice over ice. Stir and garnish with lime wedge.
Photo from allrecipes.com
Leslie's sangria punch 
2 bottles of a white zinfandel wine (add the wine last)
1 cup tequila
½ cup triple sec
2 cups orange juice
½ cup sugar
1 cup Roses lime juice
Sliced oranges, limes and lemons
*In a large pitcher or punch bowl add tequila, triple sec, orange juice, sugar, lime juice, wine, and fruit slices.
Keeping it classic... Dry martini
"Why don't you slip out of those wet clothes and into a dry martini?" - Robert Benchley
2 1/2 oz gin or vodka
1/2 oz dry vermouth
A green olive or lemon twist for garnish
Shaken or stirred? That is the question!
Shaken: Pour ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with 5 or 6 ice cubes. Shake for 30 seconds. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with an olive or lemon twist.
Stirred: Pour the ingredients into a mixing glass filled with ice cubes. Stir for 30 seconds. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with the olive or lemon twist.
.jpg)
For more beverage recipes...
The Mermaids ask that you drink alcohol responsibly. Always designate a non-drinking driver.
|
