By John Selick
There are few greater joys than a poolside party on a sunny day with a cold drink in hand, the sounds of laughter from children playing, and the aroma emanating from a fired-up grill…
We’re all grill masters; we sport aprons that proudly advertise that declaration. The food is cooked with love, whether we’re preparing something simple like hamburgers and hot dogs or fancier fare like kabobs or grilled salmon. The side dishes get the royal treatment as well, from charred zucchini with fresh herbs to fire-roasted corn.
But what about the beverages? Does the cold drink on your hand have the same artistic flair as the food?
Drink Up, Drink Better
A good cocktail can liven up any summertime party, but if you want to impress everyone at your gathering, try creating a delicious mocktail. It has all the pomp and circumstance of a cocktail but without the alcohol.
Create easy mocktails using lemonade as your base, then add flavors or infused simple syrups to make it interesting. Making a simple syrup is as easy as the name implies; combine equal parts of sugar and water and bring it to a boil. To make things interesting, add fresh ginger, rosemary, vanilla bean or cardamom. Use this syrup to sweeten your lemonade and then garnish it with fresh herbs or fruit. A vanilla bean lemonade garnished with fresh peaches is summer in a glass.
Smoothies are always a hit with both kids and adults. Making them with fresh fruit is a real treat, but using frozen fruit is completely acceptable and just as good. I love to use coconut milk in nearly any kind of fruit smoothie, especially pineapple. If ice cream is added, we’re getting out of the mocktail world and more into the dessert category, but I won’t talk you out of doing it; it’s delicious.
Sparkling water is the hot trend in the beverage world right now. I use sparkling water or club soda to add fizz to my mocktails, especially if I’m making agua fresca, using fresh fruits and sometimes vegetables.
Blend fruit with flavor boosters like fresh herbs in water and strain it over ice. My favorite is honeydew melon with ginger and mint: take one part of honeydew melon, a small piece of fresh ginger, and a few pieces of fresh mint. Add to a blender with three parts water. Blend, strain, pour over ice and top with club soda, if desired. Get creative by substituting the melon with cucumber for a refreshing and hydrating mocktail. Or combine them.
Adding mocktails to your menu not only livens up the occasion but it’s also environmentally friendly because you don’t use individual cans or bottles. If you make agua fresca with sweet, ripe fruits, you’re also eliminating added sugar, which is the healthiest way forward.
Mocktails can be light, refreshing and delicious: perfect for a hot summer day.
