5 Fantastic Summer Drinks

It's a lovely, sunny summer's day here in Konstanz and - perhaps more importantly - it's Friday! This post is for everybody who's had a tough week and just wants to kick back, relax, enjoy the weather and have a lovely, cool drink (with a bit of a kick, naturally).

1) Spiked Lemonade

Homemade is always a firm favourite: it's delicious, incredibly easy to make and such a creature comfort.


Recipe:

5 lemons
1 lime
1/2 cup honey
fizzy water
ice

1) dissolve honey in a cup of warm water
2) squeeze your citrus fruit and add them to the honey-water mix
3) add a generous glug of your favourite alcohol - ones that work well are citrus-flavoured vodkas or rum
4) top up with club soda and ice and garnish with a sprig of mint for a fizzy, tangy summer treat

2) Traditional daiquiri

The daiquiri is always a firm favourite. While the flavoured kinds are all kinds of lovely, sometimes it's nice to just go with the traditional version (which is also a lot easier to make, I must say)

2oz light rum
3/4 oz lime juice
1tsp sugar
lime slices

1) This is easy: combine all your ingredients in a shaker with ice and mix well! Pour into a cocktail glass and garnish with lime slices

3) Zubrowka cocktail

This is another ridiculously simple one. Zubrowka is traditional Polish vodka flavoured with bison grass, which mixed wonderfully with chilled apple juice. So try this:

2oz Zubrowka vodka
2oz chilled apple juice
apple slices
ginger essence
cinnamon stick

1) combine apple juice with just one or two drops of ginger essence to taste
2) add vodka
3) pour mixture into chilled glass over ice
4) garnish with apply slices and a cinnamon stick

4) Cuban Mojito

If a mojito doesn't scream summer to you, I don't know what planet you're on! These are absolutely delicious enjoyed on a hot summer day, a cool evening...just about any time, in fact. Even if you drink them in the rain, it still feels summery. Luckily, they're also pretty easy to make.

1tsp powdered sugar
1-2 limes, chopped
handful fresh mint leaves
2oz white rum
2 oz club soda

1) tip the chopped limes, mint leaves and powdered sugar into a glass and pound them with any suitable kitchen implement until the limes are properly juiced and the mint leaves have been well crushed.
2) add white rum, mix slightly
3) top up with club soda, as desired (some people just prefer the mint, lime juice, sugar and rum)
4) garnish with a sprig of mint and enjoy!


5) Pimms

Come on, I am English...! But if you haven't tried Pimms yet, please do. It's fantastic, fruity but not overpowering and very unusual.

5 cl Pimms
lemonade, 7up, soda water - whichever you prefer
cucumber chunks or slices
orange and lemon slices
chopped strawberries
mint leaves

1) pour your Pimms and lemonade/desired mixed into a glass filled with ice and stir
2) add a great big mixture of cucumber, lemon, orange and stawberries and mix again
3) add a few mint leaves and garnish with a sprig of mint
4) enjoy!

Not summery enough? Well, maybe only a holiday will do! Read our hotel reviews, look at holiday pictures and participate in the forum at www.holidaycheck.co.uk