It's that time of year when our thoughts turn to the outdoors. From an al fresco drink after work to a full-blown garden party, drinks taste better when sipped in the sun. While we're rather partial to an ice cold cocktail here at Muddled HQ, we're also rather keen on punches, summer cups and other seasonal delights.
We've gathered some of our favourite recipes for you to try at home.
Margarita Spritz
All the zing and zest of a margarita but made longer and even more refreshing with the addition cranberry juice juice and soda water.
To make 1 litre:
180ml Tequila
90ml Triple Sec
60ml freshly squeezed lime juice
500ml Cranberry juice
Soda water
Shake the first three ingredients with plenty of ice. Transfer into a large jug adding ice and citrus wheels. Top with Cranberry juice, stir and finish with soda water. Serve tall with extra ice.
Caribbean Rum Punch
A few days before your gathering, make a large single ice cube in a tupperware box to place in your punchbowl, this rum punch is most delicious when icy cold.
1 litre cold black tea
200ml lime juice
750ml dark rum (not spiced) *we always use Mounts Bay Distillery Rum Dhu Aged Gold
500 ml pineapple juice
Brew your tea of choice as strong as you like it and cool throughly.
Put your fabulous ice cube in the punchbowl, pour over all the ingredients and swirl to mix. Garnish with lime wheels and serve in punch cups
Strawberry Liqueur
We're keen on fruity liqueur here at Muddled HQ. We usually make them with autumn fruits but this delicious vodka-based liqueur is incredibly simple to make and tastes like summer in a glass.
600g strawberries, washed and hulled
3tbsps caster sugar
1 litre vodka
Cut the strawberries into small pieces and place into a large bottle or jar. Add the sugar and vodka before sealing.
Shake the bottle to combine the ingredients and leave in a cool, dark place for at least week to infuse, the longer the better. Gently shake the bottle on a daily basis to agitate the strawberries so they impart the full depth of their flavour to the vodka.
When you're ready to use the liqueur, strain the liquid into a sterilised bottle. Serve over ice with sparkling water or lemonade and garnish with a sprig of mint or basil. It can also bring a summer twist to a classic cocktail. Who fancies a strawberry martini?
And finally, one of our favourites, The Muddled Summer Cup. This is a great altenative to Pimm's and the recipe can be tweaked to suit your individual tastes.
Muddled Summer Cup Recipe
First, make the sugar syrup:
100g sugar
100ml water
1/4 chopped cucumber
1 generous sprig of lemon verbena
2 generous sprigs of mint
Half an orange cut into pieces
Dissolve the sugar into the water over gentle heat. Add all other ingredients and simmer for 10 minutes. Allow to cool and infuse for as long as possible (preferably overnight). Strain.
50ml Gin
50ml Cointreau or Triple Sec
25ml Sweet Vermouth
2 tsp infused sugar syrup
2 generous dashes of orange bitters
Tonic water, lemonade, ginger ale or soda water (as preferred) to taste.Â
This last addition is a great way to adjust the sweetness to suit your palate - we usually plump for tonic as it gives a sharper finish.
Mix all the ingredients in a jug along with strawberries, orange slices, cucumber and bruised mint leaves.
Build individually over ice, topping the mix with fruit and something fizzy as suggested above, or scale up the recipe to make a large jug with plenty of ice for bigger gatherings.
You can keep your infused sugar syrup in the fridge for up to 4 weeks.
Related Posts
Homemade Fruit Liqueurs https://www.muddledvintage.co.uk/post/homemade-fruit-liqueurs
Cool Cocktails for Hot Days https://www.muddledvintage.co.uk/post/cool-cocktails-for-hot-days
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