Johannesburg - Cool down with stylish alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks from Angela Day.
On the menu:
Peach beer cooler
Mint green iced tea
Earl Grey and berry spritzer
Berry mocktail
Cucumber melon sangria
PEACH BEER COOLER
Serves 6
750ml chilled peach juice
4 peaches, pitted and cut in thin wedges
2 x 440ml beer
GINGER SYRUP
125ml sugar
125ml water
4cm piece of ginger, sliced
Combine the peach juice, sliced peaches, beer and ginger syrup in a large pitcher.
Stir to blend and serve immediately.
SYRUP: Place the sugar, water and ginger in a small saucepan.
Bring the syrup to the boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes.
Cool syrup completely, for about 20 minutes, and strain before using.
MINT GREEN ICED TEA
Serves 8
875ml water
250ml sugar
4 green tea bags
4 sprigs fresh mint
250ml orange juice
125ml lemon juice
2 lemons, sliced
1 litre of lemonade
ice, for serving
extra fresh mint leaves, for serving
In a saucepan, combine the water and sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar has completely dissolved. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
Remove from the heat and add the teabags and mint. Allow to stand for 5â??minutes.
Strain into a large pitcher and discard the teabags and mint.
Add the orange juice, lemon juice and sliced lemons.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Before serving, pour in the lemonade, fill with ice and add fresh mint leaves.
EARL GREY AND BERRY SPRITZER
Serves 6
500ml water
5 Earl Grey teabags
250ml ice cubes
MINT SYRUP
125ml sugar
125ml water
1 large bunch of mint, washed and roughly chopped
125ml blueberries
125ml sliced strawberries
ice, to serve
750ml bottle of sparkling wine, chilled
Bring the water to the boil in a small saucepan. Turn off the heat and add the tea bags. Allow to steep for 5 minutes.
Discard the tea bags and stir in the ice cubes until completely melted. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the mint syrup.
Place the sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has completely dissolved, about 5 minutes.
Turn off the heat, add the mint and stir until it has wilted.
Allow to cool at room temperature for 30 minutes. Strain the cooled mint syrup into a large pitcher.
Discard the mint.
Add the chilled tea, blueberries and strawberries.
To serve, fill glasses with ice, divide the tea between them and add enough sparkling wine to fill each glass.
Serve immediately.
BERRY MOCKTAIL
Serves 6
1 litre of cranberry juice, chilled
250ml orange juice
125ml lemon juice
250ml frozen berries
1 litre sparkling ginger ale, chilled
ice, for serving
Combine the cranberry juice, orange juice and lemon juice. Stir to combine.
Then stir in the frozen berries. Slowly pour in the sparkling ginger ale.
Mix together and pour into tall glasses with ice.
Serve immediately.
CUCUMBER MELON SANGRIA
Serves 6-8
half a small green melon, peeled and cubed
half sweet melon or spanspek, peeled and cubed
1 small cucumber, halved, deseeded and sliced
1 kiwi, peeled, halved and sliced
2 limes, thinly sliced
1 bunch mint leaves
80ml fresh lime juice
80ml honey
750ml dry white wine, chilled
1 litre soda water
In a large pitcher, combine the melons, cucumber, kiwi, lime slices and mint leaves.
In a small bowl, stir together the lime juice and honey. Pour over the melon mixture.
Add the wine, stirring gently. Cover and chill for at least2 hours.
When ready to serve, pour in the soda water.
Note: Add more honey if you like it sweeter.
* The Angela Day cookery column is published in The Star, the Cape Argus, the Daily News and the Pretoria News.