summer cocktails Archives | peanut butteredpeanut buttered

disclaimer: there are no jellybeans in this cocktail recipe. i just adore that line in grease, and find it hard to say ‘peach’ without adding ‘-y keen jelly bean’ at the end. i’m sure you understand. having said that, i’ve now got the idea of a jelly bean cocktail in my head, and i feel this thought must be revisited soon. hmmm.

back on track, and here is a delightful cocktail i’ve been favouring recently. i’m a lover of refreshing, fruity, yet not overpoweringly sweet drinks (one of my favourites is the strawberry slushie summer cocktail we brought you a few months ago). this peach concoction falls nicely within my requirements.

you will need:

4 peaches

2 tbsp white sugar

1/4 cup of water

3 limes

soda water

vodka

mint and an extra lime wedge or slice to garnish

first, make your puree. wash your peaches, remove the pit and dice them up, leaving the skin on. in a pot on the stove top, combine the peaches, the juice of two limes, water and sugar and simmer for about 15-20 mins, stirring occasionally, until the fruit has gone all soft and the liquid syrupy. the peaches will still be somewhat formed but will give way if you press them with your wooden spoon.

pour the mixture into a blender and blend until smooth. i loosen the little pour hole thing on the lid of the blender to allow for steam from the still-warm mixture. once the puree is smooth, put in the fridge to cool completely.

to make your cocktail, add three tbsp of the puree with a shot of vodka in a glass and stir to combine, add a squeeze of lime juice and top up with soda water. garnish with a slice of lime and some mint. cheers!

p.s… my recipe makes far more puree than what is required for a couple of cocktails. i do this on purpose. you can freeze the puree, but i usually leave it in the fridge, and use the gorgeous amber nectar to drizzle over yoghurt, vanilla ice cream, or simply steal spoonfuls as a sweet treat throughout the day as you go about your business. nom nom nom.

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we’ve been out soaking up every last second of the sunshine this past weekend in london. the denim cut-offs, bikini tops and sunnies have been out, the bbq fired up and the portable speakers in heavy use in the park.

there is only so much cider, beer and rosé you can drink, and when the temperature really hit the high on friday sarah and i decided we needed to up the ante. after a little experimenting (tough job, and we’re happy to do it) we perfected a glorious, refreshing summer cocktail.

sweet, ice-cold and simply delicious, this is to become our summer staple at bbq’s, parties, pre-festival drinks and sunday sessions. they taste amazing and look so pretty, they will impress the socks off your guests.

we adapted these cocktails from this recipe.

you will need:

2 cups strawberries

4 cups ice (approx)

2 cups white wine

2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice

3 tbsp sugar

throw the ice in a food processor and pulse until it gets to just thicker than a slushie consistency. wash and hull the strawberries and blend with the wine (we used riesling), lime juice and sugar. pour the strawberry mix into the ice and stir until just combined.

too easy!

if you want to make ahead, make up the strawberry mixture and freeze in an ice cube tray. pulse however many cubes you need with a little extra wine when you need them, no need to crush ice.