drinks

drinks — 7 Comments
2
Aug 09

Cucumber Lemonade

Lemonade is a summer classic. On a hot day, drinking a glass of cool, refreshing lemonade is like being transported straight to heaven. The best thing about lemonade is that it only needs to meet three criteria to be great. It has to be

  1. tart,
  2. sweet, and
  3. cold.

Beyond this, lemonade is infinitely flexible; it can tolerate any number of additions from fruits to alcohol, it can be frozen, served with ice, or on its own. It can be strong or weak. Perhaps that’s what made lemonade stands such a staple of childhood; it’s easy, fast, cheap, and it always hits the spot.

When I went to Mexico recently, I was served a glass of cucumber lemonade layered with with grenadine on the bottom. It was such a delicious and unexpected treat that when I found myself with extra grenadine on hand, I decided to try it at home. The result: cool, classic lemonade with a bright, refreshing twist.

Recipe after the jump…

drinks — 2 Comments
25
Jul 09

Homemade Grenadine Syrup

Have you ever wondered about that red stuff they used to put in shirley temples when you were a kid? It’s called grenadine, and most of what you can get in a store is basically sugar-water with added red dye. Maybe you think its cherry flavored, or maybe you think its strawberry flavored, or maybe you even just think it’s red flavored.

Well, I can’t speak for the store bought stuff, but true grenadine is actually pomegranate flavored (hence the name: french or spanish speakers may recognize the words grenade or grenada, meaning pomegranate). It’s super easy to make, and the real thing is just a whole different experience than what you’re used to. It’s not quite as in-your-face RED, but its flavor is a bold balance of sour and sweet that can’t be matched by the fake stuff. It keeps forever in the freezer (and stays pourable), and it’s a great thing to have available when you are just looking for something different.

Summer is here, and it’s time to relax and have fun in the sun, so stir it into lemonade to easily get pomegranate lemonade for a little variety, or layer it below cucumber lemonade for a delicious color contrast. Of course there’s also lots of alcholic drinks you can make (tequila sunrise, anyone?) if that’s more your style. Or you can relive your younger years by treating yourself to a shirley temple every once in a while.

Recipe after the jump…