Why This Recipe Works A chilled pitcher of sweet iced tea is the perfect refreshment to pair with the bold flavors and hot days of summer. Our version of iced tea shirks the traditional idea that this drink has to be prepared hot and then cooled down. We skipped the heat and created a version at room temperature that was still perfectly clear and smooth, without any bitterness. We steeped our tea bags in room-temperature water, leaving them for 45 minutes for a strong-flavored brew without bitter undertones. Without heating the tea, granulated sugar couldn’t properly dissolve, leaving us with an unpleasantly grainy texture. Instead of putting the sugar straight in the tea, we sweetened with a simple syrup that kept our tea both smooth and sweet. This recipe can be easily doubled.
6 black tea bags
33 ounces water, room temperature, divided
2 tablespoons sugar
1 lemon, sliced thin, divided
Ice
1. Tie strings of tea bags together (for easy removal) and place in large bowl along with 32 ounces water; let steep for 45 minutes.
2. Microwave sugar and remaining 1 ounce water in bowl until heated through, about 1 minute. Stir mixture constantly until sugar has dissolved completely. Discard tea bags and pour tea into serving pitcher. Add sugar mixture and half of lemon slices to tea and stir to combine. (Tea can be refrigerated for up to 1 week; lemon flavor will intensify over time.) Serve chilled over ice with remaining lemon slices.
VARIATIONS
Mint Iced Tea
Add ¼ cup fresh mint leaves, bruised with wooden spoon, to bowl along with tea bags and water. Strain before pouring into serving pitcher.
Cranberry-Orange Iced Tea
Substitute 24 ounces cranberry juice for 24 ounces of water in step 1. Substitute ½ orange, halved lengthwise and sliced thin, for lemon.
Pomegranate-Lime Iced Tea
Substitute 8 ounces pomegranate juice for 8 ounces of water in step 1. Substitute lime for lemon.
Why This Recipe Works Nothing quenches thirst better than a tall ice-filled glass of tart-sweet lemonade. For punched up fruity flavor that toned down the sour taste of tart lemons, we muddled the lemon slices with granulated sugar to extract the oils in the peel. Then, we combined the lemons with some water and freshly squeezed lemon juice—no simple syrup needed—and just a bit of whisking dissolved the sugar. Straining the mixture removed the solid bits of lemon for a smooth drink with sweet, lemony flavor. For a simple and fun watermelon lemonade, we just added watermelon in while we muddled the lemon, and for a more sophisticated take on this childhood classic we created a variation with cucumber and mint that’s cool and refreshing. When purchasing lemons, choose large ones that give to gentle pressure; hard lemons have thicker skin and yield less juice. Lemons are commonly waxed to prevent moisture loss, increase shelf life, and protect from bruising during shipping. Scrub them with a vegetable brush under running water to remove wax, or buy organic lemons. Don’t worry about the seeds in the extracted juice; the entire juice mixture is strained at the end of the recipe.
1½ cups sugar
13 lemons (2 sliced thin, seeds and ends discarded, 11 juiced to yield 2 cups)
56 ounces cold water
Using potato masher, mash sugar and half of lemon slices in large bowl until sugar is completely wet, about 1 minute. Add water and lemon juice and whisk until sugar is completely dissolved, about 1 minute. Strain mixture through fine-mesh strainer set over serving pitcher, pressing on solids to extract as much juice as possible; discard solids. Add remaining lemon slices to lemonade and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour. (Lemonade can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.) Stir to recombine before serving chilled over ice.
VARIATIONS
Watermelon Lemonade
Reduce water to 48 ounces. Mash 4 cups coarsely chopped seedless watermelon with lemon slices.
Cucumber-Mint Lemonade
Mash 1 thinly sliced peeled cucumber and 1 cup fresh mint leaves with lemon slices. Add 1 thinly sliced peeled cucumber and ½ cup fresh mint leaves to strained lemonade with remaining lemon slices.
Watermelon-Lime Agua Fresca
Serves 8 to 10FASTNO COOKMAKE AHEAD
Why This Recipe Works Agua fresca means “fresh water” and is the catchall term for a variety of beverages made by combining fruits, grains, seeds, or flowers with sugar and water. To make a version with one of summer’s favorite fruits—watermelon—we whizzed chunks of melon with water in a blender and strained out the pulp before accenting the mixture with lime juice, agave nectar, and a pinch of salt to bring out the sweet and tart flavors. Watermelons vary in sweetness. Adjust the amounts of lime juice and sweetener to your taste.
8 cups 1-inch pieces seedless watermelon
16 ounces water
2 ounces lime juice (2 limes), plus extra for seasoning
2 tablespoons agave nectar or honey, plus extra for seasoning
¼ teaspoon table salt
Fresh mint leaves (optional)
Working in 2 batches, process watermelon and water in blender until smooth, about 30 seconds. Strain mixture through fine-mesh strainer into 2-quart pitcher; discard solids. Stir in lime juice, agave, and salt. Season with extra lime juice and extra agave to taste. Serve chilled over ice, garnished with mint, if using. (Agua fresca can be refrigerated for up to 5 days; stir to recombine before serving.)
Farmers’ Market Find Watermelon
You’re probably used to seeing watermelon at the supermarket, sold in halves, wedges, and precut chunks. In the summer, you’ll see whole melons at supermarkets and farm stands alike. A seeded watermelon is your typical round or oblong pink-and-green melon with black seeds throughout (the seeds you’d spit out as you eat around them). There are several varieties of seedless watermelon, all of which are hybrid breeds. Miniature watermelons are cute and small with a thinner rind. At the summer farmers’ market, you may also see yellow or orange watermelons, which tend to have slightly sweeter flesh than pink melons.
Why This Recipe Works A popular herbal drink, hibiscus tea is an infusion made from the deep magenta–colored calyxes (outer layers) of the roselle flower, a particular species of hibiscus. It has a tart, cranberry-like flavor and is used in many different herbal tea blends as well as on its own. Our goal here was a fruity, refreshing nonalcoholic beverage that would go down easy at an outdoor party on a hot summer day. We started by brewing hibiscus tea using our favorite room-temperature brewing method for iced tea. We then sampled our hibiscus tea mixed with every variety of fruit juice we could imagine and settled on the sweet, mildly tart taste of guava nectar as the winner. To sweeten our juicy tea, we favored mint syrup, which brought an herbal lift to the flavor. A small dose of lemon juice added some citrus acidity to round out the flavors perfectly and make it even more refreshing after a long afternoon in the sun. For the best flavor, look for hibiscus tea that is 100 percent hibiscus. You can find guava nectar in the international aisle of most well-stocked supermarkets; if not, you can substitute pineapple or mango juice.
Agua Fresca
10 hibiscus tea bags
28 ounces water, room temperature
14 ounces guava nectar, chilled
2 ounces lemon juice, plus lemon slices for garnishing
¼ cup fresh mint leaves
Mint Syrup
6 tablespoons sugar
2½ ounces water
¼ cup fresh mint leaves
1. For the agua fresca Tie strings of tea bags together (for easy removal) and place in serving pitcher or large container along with water; let steep for 45 minutes.
2. For the mint syrup Meanwhile, heat sugar and water in small saucepan over medium heat, whisking often, until sugar has dissolved, about 5 minutes; do not boil. Stir in mint and let cool completely, about 30 minutes. Strain syrup through fine-mesh strainer into airtight container; discard solids.
3. Discard tea bags. Stir guava nectar, mint syrup, and lemon juice into tea. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 2 hours or up to 5 days.
4. Stir agua fresca to recombine, then serve chilled in chilled glasses filled with ice, garnishing individual portions with lemon slices and mint leaves.
Switchel
Serves 12MAKE AHEAD
Why This Recipe Works From the 1700s all the way through the 1900s, switchel was traditionally served to farmers working in the fields during haying season. (In fact, another common name for switchel was haymaker’s punch.) Today it is still served in some Amish communities. This drink was all about quenching thirst and fortifying the body for more work. You could consider it the original energy drink or health tonic, since both cider vinegar and maple syrup contain potassium, an electrolyte, and ginger contains curcumin, which is an anti-inflammatory. The added ginger was also a way to quell any stomach issues that might emerge as farmers drank so much water in the fields. The vinegar helped to maintain the balance of acidity already present in the body. But for our purposes, we like this refresher just as well on a lazy, hot summer afternoon. We liked a balance of 6 ounces cider vinegar to 4 ounces pure maple syrup. Two tablespoons of grated fresh ginger gave the spicy warmth we were looking for without overpowering the delicate maple flavor. Last but not least, the oats gave the drink body. Traditionally, when oats were added, they would not be strained out, and farmers would snack on their switchel-soaked oatmeal. The longer you let the switchel chill before straining, the stronger the ginger flavor will be. Do not substitute pancake syrup for the maple syrup. Feel free to adjust the tartness with water to suit your taste.
48 ounces water
6 ounces cider vinegar
4 ounces pure maple syrup
¼ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest, plus lemon slices for garnishing
¼ teaspoon table salt
1. Bring all ingredients to brief simmer in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Let cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. Transfer switchel to bowl, cover, and refrigerate until flavors meld, at least 6 hours or up to 1 day.
2. Strain mixture through fine-mesh strainer set over serving pitcher or large container, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible; discard solids. Serve chilled in chilled glasses filled with ice, garnishing individual portions with lemon slices. (Switchel can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.)
Why This Recipe Works Low in alcohol, and with just the right balance between bitter and sweet, the Aperol spritz is one of Italy’s most popular cocktails for relaxing and cooling off. With its fiery sunset-orange hue, it’s also among the most beautiful. This fizzy cocktail was created in the Veneto region of Italy in the 1950s. Sometimes other mildly bitter liqueurs are used instead of Aperol, and we tested a few: Campari made a bolder, more bitter spritz, and Cynar (an artichoke-based liqueur) made an herbaceous cocktail. But Aperol was our favorite. The secret formula for this liqueur was developed more than 100 years ago; it includes bitter and sweet oranges, herbs, and roots (including rhubarb). The spritz’s popularity explosion has generated countless variations made with various ingredients, but we went back to the source for our Aperol spritz, using the three original components: Aperol, prosecco, and seltzer, gently stirred so as not to lose the fizzy splendor. (Cava or another dry sparkling wine also works well here.) When creating our version, we experimented with different proportions, but tasters agreed that adding 3 parts sparkling wine, along with 2 parts Aperol and 1 part seltzer, achieved the most balanced and complex flavor. Garnishes for the Aperol spritz can be the subject of passionate debate. An orange wedge or peel and green olives are traditional, but these days the olives are often left out, especially outside Italy. In the test kitchen, we appreciated the intriguing salty note a couple of green olives brought to our cocktail, but feel free to omit, if you prefer.
24 ounces dry sparkling wine, such as prosecco or cava, chilled
16 ounces Aperol
8 ounces seltzer, chilled
Brine-cured green olives (optional)
8 strips orange peel
Fill 8 chilled wineglasses halfway with ice. Add 3 ounces wine, 2 ounces Aperol, and 1 ounce seltzer to each glass. Using bar spoon, gently lift mixture from bottom of glasses to top to combine. Top each with additional ice and garnish with olives, if using. Pinch 1 orange peel strip over each drink and rub outer edge of glass with peel, then garnish with orange peel and serve chilled.
Mojitos
Serves 8FASTNO COOKMAKE AHEAD
Why This Recipe Works Origin stories for the mojito range from it being invented during Sir Francis Drake’s attempted plunder of Cuba in 1586 to it being concocted in a Havana bar that Ernest Hemingway frequented in the 1950s. But while the origins of the mojito are unclear, the deliciousness of this king of muddled drinks is not. Fresh and herbaceous from muddled mint, sweet yet tart from fresh lime juice and sugar, and with a kick of white rum and a fizzy splash of seltzer, the mojito is perennially popular and perfectly suited to hot summer nights. Yet there are some versions of a mojito that we’d rather not drink again: those with a crunchy layer of undissolved sugar at the bottom, and those where we have to strain out shreds of muddled mint with our teeth. To solve the first problem, we skipped the muddling altogether and instead processed a generous amount of mint with simple syrup instead of granulated sugar to ensure that the sweetener was fully dissolved in the cocktail. We added the rum, lime juice, and some water to the blender and pulsed the mixture until combined before straining it through a fine-mesh strainer to avoid shreds of herb clogging up our straws or our teeth. We then refrigerated the strained liquid until fully chilled. Topped with chilled seltzer and garnished with a fresh sprig of mint, our drink was both refreshing and easy to drink.
2½ cups fresh mint leaves, plus 8 mint sprigs for garnishing
1. Process mint leaves and simple syrup in blender until coarsely chopped, about 10 seconds. Add rum, lime juice, and water to blender and pulse until combined, about 2 pulses. Strain mixture through fine-mesh strainer set over serving pitcher or large container, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible; discard solids. Cover and refrigerate until mixture is well chilled, at least 2 hours or up to 1 day.
2. Divide mixture into 8 chilled glasses half-filled with ice. Add 4 ounces seltzer to each glass and, using teaspoon, gently lift rum mixture from bottom of glasses to top to combine. Top with additional ice and garnish with mint sprigs. Serve chilled.
Pimm’s Cups
Serves 12FASTNO COOKMAKE AHEAD
Why This Recipe Works No drink is more evocative of English summertime than a Pimm’s cup. In summer, go to any society event or even a regular pub and ask for one and they’ll know exactly what you’re talking about (they’ll probably have premixed pitchers waiting). Fruit cups were a Victorian homemade concoction of fruit, liqueurs, and gin, and James Pimm is largely credited with making premixed fruit cups popular by serving them at his fashionable oyster bar in the City of London in the 1840s. By 1865, his aperitif known as Pimm’s No.1—a gin-based liqueur with sweet fruit and slightly bitter herbal flavors—was sold prebottled, and now “Pimm’s” is synonymous with fruit cups. A Pimm’s cup is made by combining Pimm’s No.1 with English-style lemonade (which is clear and sparkling, with a well-judged sweet-sour balance). It should always be lavishly garnished with fruit. The closest substitute for the lemonade we could find in the United States was lemon-lime soda or ginger ale, but neither passed muster, as both distracted from the spiced, caramelized orange flavor of the Pimm’s. Making our own lemonade from Simple Syrup, fresh lemon juice, and seltzer gave us much better results—clean, balanced, and bright. We infused our Pimm’s mixture in a pitcher with some fresh lemon slices, cucumber, and mint, garnishing each drink with more of the same. In order to keep the drink sparkling, we gently stirred in the seltzer just before serving. The strawberry is a traditional (and properly British) garnish.
5 lemons (1 sliced thin, 4 juiced to yield 6 ounces), plus lemon slices for garnishing
1 English cucumber, sliced thin, divided
½ cup fresh mint leaves, chopped, plus mint sprigs for garnishing
32 ounces plain seltzer, chilled
Strawberries
1. Combine Pimm’s, simple syrup, lemon slices and juice, half of cucumber, and chopped mint in serving pitcher or large container. Cover and refrigerate until flavors meld and mixture is well chilled, at least 2 hours or up to 8 hours.
2. Gently stir seltzer into Pimm’s mixture. Serve chilled in chilled glasses filled with ice, garnishing individual portions with extra lemon slice, remaining cucumber slices, mint sprig, and strawberry.
Why This Recipe Works From its humble—and ancient—roots in Spain, sangria has grown to become a party drink mainstay around the world. Many people think of sangria as a random collection of fruit chunks in overly sweetened wine. To create a robust, winey sangria with pure flavor, we experimented with untold varieties of fruit and eventually concluded that simpler is better. With red wine, we preferred the straightforward tang of citrus in the form of oranges and lemons, discovering that the zest and pith as well as the fruit itself made an important contribution to flavor. Some orange liqueur complemented and deepened the citrus flavor of the fruit. With white wine, we preferred the crisp taste of apples and pears, highlighted with brandy instead of orange liqueur. For another twist uniquely suited for summertime, rosé seemed like a natural pairing with mixed berries; for our liqueur, we wanted something more floral and delicate, and chose elderflower. The longer sangria rests before serving, the smoother and mellower it will taste. Give it an absolute minimum of 2 hours and up to 8 hours, if possible.
2 (750-ml) bottles fruity red wine, such as Merlot
1. Combine all ingredients in serving pitcher or large container. Cover and refrigerate until flavors meld and mixture is well chilled, at least 2 hours or up to 8 hours.
2. Stir sangria to recombine, then serve chilled in chilled wineglasses half-filled with ice, garnishing individual portions with macerated fruit.
VARIATIONS
White Sangria
Substitute fruity white wine, such as Riesling, for red wine, brandy for orange liqueur, 8 ounces apple juice for orange juice, and 2 apples or pears, sliced thin, for orange and lemon slices.
Rosé Sangria
Substitute rosé wine for red wine, elderflower liqueur for orange liqueur, 8 ounces pomegranate juice for orange juice, and 2 cups mixed berries for orange and lemon slices.
Simple Syrup
Makes about 8 ounces
¾ cup sugar
5 ounces warm tap water
Whisk sugar and warm water together in bowl until sugar has dissolved. Let cool completely, about 10 minutes, before transferring to airtight container. (Syrup can be refrigerated for up to 1 month.)
Why This Recipe Works Margaritas are often thought of as the ultimate summer party drink, especially the frozen versions. However, in a traditional margarita the fresh citrus flavors have an even stronger chance to shine, as their brightness is not in danger of being dulled by frozen temperatures. For a superior fresh margarita worthy of being called the best, we sought a balanced blend of fresh citrus flavors and tequila. Mixes and bottled juice had no place in our cocktail. Not only did we insist on freshly squeezed juice, but we also steeped lemon and lime zest in their own juice, along with spirits and simple syrup, for a deep, tangy, refreshing flavor. The longer the zest and juice mixture is allowed to steep, the more developed the citrus flavors will be in the finished margaritas. We found that the key was using the right proportions of alcohol and citrus juice—equal parts tequila, orange liqueur, and juice. Blanco tequila will give the margaritas a stronger, more spirit-forward flavor. Reposado tequila, which is aged about 12 months, will bring a smoother, more mellow flavor. For the orange liqueur, you can use a clear-spirit-based one, such as Cointreau.
16 ounces blanco or reposado tequila
16 ounces orange liqueur
4 teaspoons finely grated lime zest plus 8 ounces juice (8 limes), plus lime wedges for garnishing
4 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest plus 8 ounces juice (6 lemons)
1. Combine tequila, liqueur, lime zest and juice, lemon zest and juice, water, and simple syrup in bowl. Cover and refrigerate until flavors meld and mixture is well chilled, at least 2 hours or up to 1 day.
2. Strain mixture through fine-mesh strainer set over serving pitcher or large container, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible; discard solids. Keep margarita chilled in refrigerator until ready to serve.
3. Spread salt, if using, into even layer in shallow bowl. Moisten about ½ inch of chilled glass or margarita glass rims by running lime wedge around outer edge; dry any excess juice with paper towel. Roll moistened rims in salt to coat. Remove any excess salt that falls into glass. Serve margaritas chilled in prepared glasses filled with ice, garnishing each with lime wedge.
House Punch
Serves 8MAKE AHEAD
Why This Recipe Works This sweet-sour punch is a fresh mixture of fruity summer flavors and our more sophisticated take on the zombie cocktail. One of the original tiki drinks, the zombie was invented in Hollywood in the 1930s. Nowadays this “lethal libation” is firmly part of the classic tiki drink canon and is a mainstay at most modern tiki bars. Traditionally, it’s a potent mix of different rums, citrus and other juices, and sweetener. But like many tiki drinks, the recipe has been interpreted badly over the years and has often ended up being a kitchen-sink amalgamation of whatever the barkeep has on hand. Possibly, this has led to the more imaginative tales about its madness-inducing properties. While we can’t claim ours to be mind-altering, the smooth aged rum, combined with just two juices, nutty orgeat, and warmly spiced syrup, ensures that this drink does go down easy. Freshly grated nutmeg will be the more aromatic and flavorful choice, but preground nutmeg will also work. Fresh pineapple wedges make a nice additional garnish, if you like.
Spiced Syrup
¼ cup sugar
2 ounces water
½ cinnamon stick
3 allspice berries, lightly crushed
2 whole cloves
Punch
16 ounces aged rum
6 ounces pineapple juice
6 ounces lime juice (6 limes)
4 ounces orgeat syrup
1 teaspoon old-fashioned aromatic bitters
Ground nutmeg
1. For spiced syrup Heat sugar, water, cinnamon stick, allspice berries, and cloves in small saucepan over medium heat, whisking often, until sugar has dissolved, about 5 minutes; do not boil. Let cool completely, about 30 minutes. Strain syrup through fine-mesh strainer into airtight container; discard solids.
2. For punch Combine rum, pineapple juice, lime juice, orgeat syrup, spiced syrup, and bitters in serving pitcher or large container. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 2 hours or up to 3 days.
3. Stir punch to recombine. Serve chilled in chilled glasses half-filled with ice or containing 1 large ice cube, sprinkling individual portions with nutmeg.
Why This Recipe Works The Michelada is a spicy cold-beer cocktail meant to be drunk on a blisteringly hot day—or as a hangover cure. Originating in Mexico, the Michelada has lots of variations there, depending on what region you’re in. The drink made it to America (via Texas) only relatively recently, in the 1990s. American versions often have tomato juice, but in Mexico they are just as likely to omit it. One constant is fresh lime. We found that a generous 2 ounces of lime juice added the refreshing tartness we sought. To balance that tartness, we added doses of Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce, finding that a thicker hot sauce contributed a bit of body. To ensure that everything was well blended, we combined the flavorful seasoning ingredients in the glass before pouring in the beer. Use a well-chilled Mexican lager here. Our favorite is Tecate, but Corona Extra or Modelo will also work. Depending on the size of your glass, you may have some beer left over—we’ll let you decide what to do with it. We recommend Cholula and Tapatío hot sauces for their flavor and thicker consistencies. If using a thinner, more vinegary hot sauce such as Tabasco, start with half the amount called for and adjust to your taste after mixing.
½ cup kosher salt
½ teaspoon chili powder
16 ounces lime juice (16 limes), plus lime wedges for garnishing
⅓ cup hot sauce
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
8 (12-ounce) bottles lager, chilled
1. Combine salt and chili powder on small plate and spread into even layer. Moisten about ½ inch of 8 chilled glass rims by running lime wedge around outer edge; dry any excess juice with paper towel. Roll moistened rims in salt to coat. Remove any excess salt that falls into glasses; set aside.
2. Fill prepared glasses halfway with ice. Add 2 ounces lime juice, 1½ teaspoons hot sauce, and ¾ teaspoon Worcestershire to each glass and stir to combine using tea spoon. Add 1 bottle beer to each glass and, using spoon, gently lift lime mixture from bottom of glasses to top to combine. Top with additional ice and garnish with lime wedges. Serve chilled.
Horchata Borracha
Serves 4NO COOKMAKE AHEAD
Why This Recipe Works Every household and restaurant in Mexico boasts its own version of wildly popular horchata, a traditional milky drink made by steeping raw rice, and sometimes various nuts or seeds, in water with warm spices, then blending the mixture to creamy goodness. It’s the perfect complement to spicy Mexican cuisine or fantastic on its own as a refreshing summer indulgence. Our borracha (“drunken”) version started traditionally enough, but we found that adding almonds to the rice base lent more complex flavor and a creamier feel to the beverage. We combined water, almonds, sugar, and rice with vanilla extract and cinnamon. Letting the mixture soak overnight not only softened the nuts and rice (making blending easier) but also deepened the flavor infusion. We then blended the mixture until the rice and almonds broke down. The addition of heavy cream helped make the horchata even creamier. Our spirit of choice for our Horchata Borracha was clear: The lighter body and tropical toasted sugar flavors of white rum were ideal. For a nonalcoholic version of this cocktail, omit the rum and increase the water to 24 ounces.
20 ounces water
5 ounces whole, slivered, or sliced blanched almonds
½ cup sugar
¼ cup long-grain white rice
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus extra for garnishing
¼ teaspoon table salt
6 ounces white rum
4 ounces heavy cream
Lime slices
1. Combine water, almonds, sugar, rice, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt in bowl. Cover and let sit at room temperature for at least 12 hours or up to 24 hours.
2. Set fine-mesh strainer over 8-cup liquid measuring cup and line with triple layer of cheesecloth that overhangs edges. Process almond mixture in blender until smooth, 30 to 60 seconds, scraping down sides of blender jar as needed.
3. Transfer mixture to prepared strainer and let drain until liquid no longer runs freely, about 5 minutes. Pull edges of cheesecloth together to form pouch, then firmly squeeze pouch to extract as much liquid from pulp as possible; discard pulp. You should have 2 cups liquid. Stir in rum and cream, cover, and refrigerate until completely chilled, at least 1 hour or up to 2 days. Stir to recombine, then divide into 4 chilled glasses filled with ice. Garnish with lime slices and cinnamon and serve chilled.
Peach-Strawberry Frosé
Serves 4NO COOKMAKE AHEAD
Why This Recipe Works Frosé, frozen rosé wine blended with other ingredients, is a hip new kid on the summer beverage block, having become popular only in the past couple of years. But oh how popular it is! People can’t seem to get enough of this pretty, pink, fruit-forward wine cocktail, and with good reason. Though you may see it churning away in countertop machines at restaurants, it’s simple to make at home. While some recipes call for pouring wine right from bottle to blender, we discovered that freezing some of the wine first in ice cube trays created the best slushy texture. Many recipes call for strawberries and lemon juice, but we found this to be overwhelming. Instead, combining equal parts strawberries and peaches resulted in a light, fresh fruitiness that enhanced rather than suppressed the flavor of the wine. We used frozen fruit (fruit picked at the peak of ripeness and then frozen); this, along with the wine ice cubes, eliminated the need for adding regular ice cubes (which, in testing, caused the frosé to have an unpleasantly icy consistency). The risk of brain freeze has never been more worth it! Use a fruitier rather than a drier rosé for this cocktail.
1. Measure out and reserve 10 ounces wine. Divide remaining wine between 2 ice cube trays and freeze until firm, about 2 hours. (Frozen wine cubes can be transferred to zipper-lock bag and kept frozen for up to 2 months.)
2. Add reserved wine, simple syrup, strawberries, peaches, and frozen wine cubes to blender (in that order) and process until smooth, about 1 minute, scraping down sides of blender jar as needed. Divide into 4 chilled wineglasses. Garnish with strawberry slices and serve.
VARIATION
Peach Friesling
Substitute sweet (spätlese) Riesling for rosé, omit strawberries, and increase peaches to 2 cups.
Why This Recipe Works Cherry slush from the ice cream truck ranks among the fondest of summertime childhood memories for many. We wanted a thoroughly grown-up version of this icy treat to help recall thoughts of those simpler times. Starting with a full pound of frozen sweet cherries guaranteed strong, delicious cherry flavor while ensuring that this cocktail would be summery but not seasonally dependent. Because the red-fruit flavor of cherries goes so well with the oaky, caramel-vanilla notes of bourbon (think about the old-fashioned or the Manhattan), this whiskey was a clear choice for our adult slush. To add a touch of tartness to balance the rich flavors of the cherries and bourbon, we turned to frozen orange juice concentrate. The OJ boosted that fruity, fun flavor we’ve come to expect from traditional (that is, nonalcoholic) slush. For a more complex flavor profile, we added several drops of old-fashioned aromatic bitters. With every frosty sip, this Bourbon-Cherry Slush conjured up that familiar ice cream truck jingle and reminded us that, even as grown-ups, it’s good to relax and enjoy lazy summers in the present.
8 ounces bourbon
½ cup frozen orange juice concentrate
1 teaspoon old-fashioned aromatic bitters
1 pound (4 cups) frozen sweet cherries
20 ounces (5 cups) ice cubes
Orange wedges
Cocktail cherries
Add bourbon, orange juice concentrate, bitters, cherries, and ice to blender (in that order) and process until smooth, about 1 minute, scraping down sides of blender jar as needed. Divide into 4 chilled glasses. Garnish with orange wedges and cocktail cherries and serve.
Florentine Freeze
Serves 4FASTNO COOK
Why This Recipe Works In any Italian piazza in the predinner hour, at any time of year, you will find friends catching up over aperitivi. Often that early evening drink is a Negroni. But for scorching summer days, we wanted to create a frozen riff on this classic cocktail, which is traditionally equal parts Campari, gin, and sweet vermouth. To lighten up the strong flavors a bit, we opted to use fruit juice in place of the vermouth. We favored orange juice since its sweet flavor tempered both the herbal spiciness of Campari and the botanical notes of the gin. But simply dumping a lot of ice into the blender along with the juice and other ingredients resulted in a soupy, decidedly unslushy concoction. A trick we learned during our testing of frozen drinks was to swap out fresh juice for frozen concentrate. We tried that here, and the orange juice concentrate added its sweet flavor to the Campari and gin while also helping create the proper smoothly icy texture without excess dilution of flavor. Proving that not all frozen drinks need to be sweet-tart, our Florentine Freeze achieved a complex herbal-bittersweet flavor that was molto delizioso.
4 ounces Campari
4 ounces gin
1 (12-ounce) container frozen orange juice concentrate
20 ounces (5 cups) ice cubes
Orange slices
Add Campari, gin, orange juice concentrate, and ice to blender (in that order) and process until smooth, about 1 minute, scraping down sides of blender jar as needed. Divide into 4 chilled glasses. Garnish with orange slices and serve.
Frozen Hurricanes
Serves 4FASTNO COOK
Why This Recipe Works This tropical, brightly hued beverage is a tiki drink beloved for its sweet, fruity flavors and festive vibe. However, the frozen versions you typically find these days are pumped from giant machines, mix-based, garishly red from dye, and laden with artificial ingredients and harsh, cheap booze. For our Frozen Hurricanes, we wanted to bring this drink back to its quality roots. We tried many iterations with various fruit juices and eventually narrowed our version down to three: passion fruit, orange, and lime. To get the frozen consistency just right, ice alone wasn’t enough, so we adjusted our cocktail with frozen passion fruit puree and a freezer staple, orange juice concentrate. This drink typically has a combination of rums, but after testing several mixtures, we discovered that we preferred just one type in our Frozen Hurricanes: aged rum, which provided deep, rich flavor while still allowing the fruit juices to shine. A bit of sweetness from grenadine balanced the sour notes of the passion fruit, keeping this frozen rum punch delightfully balanced.
½ cup frozen passion fruit puree
½ cup frozen orange juice concentrate
8 ounces aged rum
1½ ounces lime juice (2 limes), plus lime wedges for garnishing
1½ ounces grenadine
16 ounces (4 cups) ice cubes
Cocktail cherries
Add passion fruit puree, orange juice concentrate, rum, lime juice, grenadine, and ice to blender (in that order) and process until smooth, about 1 minute, scraping down sides of blender jar as needed. Divide into 4 chilled glasses. Garnish with lime wedges and cocktail cherries and serve.
Why This Recipe Works The piña colada is a magical combination of pineapple, coconut, and rum and can be enjoyed either shaken over ice or frozen. We wanted to create a frozen version bursting with real tropical fruit flavor. With that in mind, we first compared fresh pineapple, frozen pineapple, canned pineapple, and pineapple juice. We found the natural flavor of fresh pineapple more appealing than the processed flavor of canned or juice. Since we were making a frozen drink, frozen pineapple offered the best of both worlds, providing the flavor of fresh while reducing the amount of additional ice needed for texture. Next we experimented with cream of coconut, coconut milk, and coconut cream. Cream of coconut made our drink taste like sunblock and coconut milk was too thin and watery. We chose coconut cream for its mouthfeel and rich coconut flavor. Choosing the rum from the array of colors and grades was no easy task (though it was a fun one). White rum provided the right flavor, holding its own with the pineapple and coconut without overpowering them. For a dramatic presentation that adds complexity, we suggest floating some aged rum on top. Do not substitute cream of coconut for the coconut cream, as the former is heavily sweetened.
Add coconut cream, rum, simple syrup, pineapple, and ice to blender (in that order) and process until smooth, about 1 minute, scraping down sides of blender jar as needed. Divide into 4 chilled glasses. Garnish with pineapple and serve.
Why This Recipe Works For an old-fashioned soda fountain–style milkshake, we moved from the traditional blender to the food processor. The larger bowl of the food processor exposed more of the ice cream mixture to air and to the walls of the workbowl; this resulted in extra air being incorporated into the milkshakes, which made them lighter, frothier, and easier to sip through a straw. The slightly higher heat generated by the food processor’s blade caused more of the ice cream’s crystals to melt slightly, creating a smoother milkshake that remained cold but fluid. To ramp up the vanilla flavor in our milkshake, we added a pinch of salt, which also offset the sweetness. Our simple ingredient list and food processor method made it easy to mix up different flavors. Serving these milkshakes in chilled glasses helps them stay colder longer. This recipe can be easily doubled; simply process the milkshakes in two batches.
4 cups vanilla ice cream
4 ounces milk
Pinch table salt
Let ice cream soften on counter for 15 minutes. Combine all ingredients in food processor and process until smooth, about 1 minute, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Divide between 2 chilled glasses and serve.
VARIATIONS
Coffee Milkshakes
Add 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder to food processor with other ingredients.
Strawberry Milkshakes
Process 1 pound (3½ cups) thawed frozen strawberries in food processor until smooth, about 1 minute, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Reduce ice cream to 2 cups and milk to ¼ cup, and add to processor with pureed strawberries.
Chocolate-Banana Milkshakes
Process 1 ripe banana, peeled and halved crosswise, in food processor until smooth, about 1 minute, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Reduce ice cream to 3 cups and milk to ¼ cup. Add ice cream, milk, ¼ cup malted milk powder, and 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder to food processor with pureed banana.
INGREDIENT SPOTLIGHT
VANILLA ICE CREAM
You think vanilla is plain? Take a good look at the freezer section of your supermarket—the sheer number of vanilla ice cream choices could make your head spin. With nearly 40 brands on the market nationwide and a slew of different styles, who knows which to pick? In our opinion, what matters most boils down to one thing: vanilla taste. Our favorite vanilla ice cream, Turkey Hill Original Vanilla Premium Ice Cream, is silky and full of rich vanilla flavor. It is spoonable and airy but still velvety.
