Bring the beach to your backyard this summer! These ice-cold infusions are made with canned ingredients, so you can conveniently create refreshing beverages for all of your summer soirees.
Several of these recipes offer suggestions for swapping out the alcoholic ingredient to make non-alcoholic, vitamin-C rich drinks that kids can also enjoy. Mealtime.org's sensational concoctions combine a variety of flavors to suit everyone’s tastes, including:
Be a Bartender at Home
Seven Secrets to Successful Mixology
1. For Blissful Blending … When making drinks in a blender, always add liquids first, then purées, followed by fruits and solids including ice. To decide how much ice, first fill the serving glass with ice , then pour one glass of ice for each drink into the blender. Do not attempt to make more than two drinks at a time in the blender.
2. Non-alcoholic Substitute … Try substituting white cranberry juice in place of vodka or rum for a non-alcoholic drink refresher for all ages to enjoy.
3. Shaken, Not Stirred … When it comes to some martinis and other shaken or strained cocktails, the ideal method is to build the drink in a 16-ounce (pint) glass. You’ll need a mixing tin and strainer, too. A pint glass full of ice will generally hold 9-1/2 ounces of liquid, which is perfect for drinks like the Cosmopolitan. If mixing in a cocktail shaker, follow the recipe carefully because shakers are generally larger than 16-ounce glasses. Example: if making a Bloody Mary, fill service glass with ice, add salt and pepper, then Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce and vodka. Finally, fill with tomato juice and then transfer to the shaker.
4. Muddle to Impress … “Muddling” means to mash or crush ingredients with a spoon or muddler (a rod with a flattened end). This technique is usually associated with the preparation of mixed drinks, such as when mint leaves and sugar are muddled together for a mint julep. If a drink calls for ingredients to be muddled, muddle the solid ingredients before adding syrups, liquids or ice.
5. Ratios Are the Key … Never make a single drink with more than 2 ounces of distilled spirits (liquor). For one two-liquor drink, a 1-1/4 ounces to 3/4 ounce, or 1-1/2 ounces to 1/2 ounce ratio is easy to measure. For a three-liquor drink, a 1 ounce to 1/2 ounce to ½ ounce ratio is ideal. And for a four-liquor drink, use 1/2 ounce of each liquor.
6. Canned Purée Goes a Long Way … If you don’t use all the canned fruit purée when making drink recipes from Mealtime.org, store the unused purée in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days.
7. Keep it Chilled … Keep your martini glasses in the freezer, so you’re always ready to serve up a cool cocktail for your friends.
