‘Tis the season to be jolly as Christmas approaches. For us in the Southern Hemisphere that also means contending with the summer sun and all the heat that this peak season has to offer. To help cool things down and quench the thirst in style here are four drinks trends plus recipes you can try.
1. The use of florals
This season’s hottest ingredients include floral ingredients like elderflower. Combine elderflower with sparkling tonic water, melon, or peach puree.
Melon Spritz recipe:
- Serves: 1
- Glass: Long glass
- Method: Blend and stir
- Ice: cubed
Ingredients:
- 50 ml melon liqueur bols
- 25 ml elderflower
- 20 ml lime juice
- 125 ml Graham Beck Brut MCC
Directions:
Mix all ingredients, add to a long glass filled with ice and garnish with grated cucumber ribbons and edible flowers.
2. Fancier non-alcoholic drinks
In the past year, we’ve seen a rise in the popularity of non-alcohol beers, wines, gin, and tonics. ‘Think fruity pulps, the addition of creative spice, and festive garnishes,’ recommends Melrick Harrison, head mixologist at Radisson Blu Hotel Waterfront.
Passionflower recipe:
- Serves: 1
- Glass: Something creative and fancy
- Method: Shake and strain it
Ingredients:
- 50 ml canned passionfruit pulp
- 25 ml lime juice
- 75ml orange syrup
- 10ml simple syrup (Half sugar/half water boiled into a syrup)
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- Method:
Mix and shake all ingredients together. Add to a glass with ice. Garnish with slices of orange.
3. Smoothie – shaken or stirred (bowl or drink)
By using chilled ingredients, smoothies make for a great summer option. Add exciting healthy boosters such as flax seeds, protein powders, chia seeds, and hidden vegetables like baby marrow, spinach, or sweet potato to up the nutritional value of your smoothies.
Green pear and almond smoothie recipe:
- Serves: 2
- Glass: Bowl
- Method: Blend and pour
Ingredients:
- 1 pear chopped and peeled
- 100 ml of almond milk
- 10 g of oats
- 1 tsp of vanilla extract
- 5 g of chia seeds
- 3 chopped almonds
- 2 pitted dates
- 1 cup of baby spinach
Method: Blend in a blender and mix. Serve in a bowl and add fruit pieces as a garnish.
4. Savoury drinks
‘For those with less of a sweet tooth, transforming a savoury ingredient into a warm or chilled drink can make for a wonderful summer lunch or dinner option,’ said Andre Hill, Head Chef at Radisson RED Hotel V&A Waterfront.
Pea Cuppa recipe:
- Serves: 4
- Glass: Coffee mug
Method: Simmer and chill
Pickled onions (garnish):
Start off by pickling your onions as this is a time-consuming process. You will need:
- 2 large onions
- Pickling liquid (50g sugar/100g vinegar/180g water/2 pinches salt)
Thinly dice your onions and cover them with your warm pickling liquid. Allow this to sit in the fridge for two hours and then strain.
Pea soup:
- 1 large onion thinly sliced
- 200g coconut oil
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 1kg of frozen peas
- 500g baby spinach
- 1.2L of vegetable stock
- 6 pieces of kombu
Blanche your peas and baby spinach for five minutes before plunging them in a bath of ice water, which retains their colour. Pour your vegetable stock into a pot and bring it to a simmer. Once simmering, remove from the heat, add your kombu and cover it with a lid for 30 minutes to allow the flavours to infuse. Once infused, strain out your kombu. Thinly slice one large onion, add it to a pot with coconut oil and a pinch of salt and allow it to sweat off on medium heat. Pour your kombu-infused vegetable stock and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, add your peas and spinach, remove them from the heat and blend well. Add salt to taste and a quarter tablespoon of vinegar to enhance the flavour (It should not taste acidic at all). Set aside and allow to cool, while you prepare your oat milk foam.
Oat milk foam:
- 500g oat milk
- 1 teaspoon of ginger juice
- 12g soy lecithin
- 2 pinches salt
Warm your oat milk on the stove, add salt and soy lecithin, and blend with a hand blender until foam forms.
Finally, serve up your refreshing and vibrant chilled pea soup in a coffee mug, and top it with your pickled onions and warm oat milk foam.
Pictures: Supplied
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