SPICED SUMMER COOLERS

- METHOD -

*Fruit Juice Sparklers

Fill glasses with ice, a generous splash of spiced syrup and about half fruit juice. Then top it up with soda water. Pop in a herb sprig like rosemary or mint. Think litchi juice with the cardamom-lime syrup; orange or apricot juice with the cinnamon-orange syrup. As in food, balance is important when it comes to drinks, so give your fruit juice sparklers extra zing with a squeeze of fresh lime or lemon. A few drops of ginger juice (simply grate it and squeeze) or a some ginger slices to take it to the next level.

*Fruit Snow

Liquidise soft fruit along with some spiced syrup and a generous squeeze of lemon juice. Taste to see if it needs extra sweetness or extra acid. Pour it into a ziplock bag and lay it flat in your freezer. Once frozen, remove and use a rolling pin to bash the block of ice into smaller shards. Pop it into your food processor or liquidizer to turn it into fruit ‘snow’. Any fruit with a high water content works well. Fruit in the melon family like watermelon or honeydew works particularly well. You could even add a touch of their neutral veggie cousin in the form of cucumber for an extra refreshing touch.

*Muddled Fruit Fizz

Place soft and very juicy fruits like raspberries, watermelon or pomegranate pips in the bottom of a glass. Use the back of a wooden spoon or pestle to bash the fruit up (also kown as muddling). Add spiced sugar syrup, loads of ice, and top it with either just soda water or a mix of soda water and lemonade depending on how sweet you prefer it. A slice of lime or lemon and a sprig of mint or rosemary and you’re done.

Any of these coolers can be made into a more adult version by adding a tot or two of a neutral white spirit like vodka.

Cheers!

Recipe concept & photography by Lizet Hartley.

Lizet Hartley is a freelance stills and reel food stylist, food photographer and recipe developer. In her spare time she – rather predictably – cooks. Get more of her recipes on her blog at http://www.melkkos-merlot.co.za