Aguas Frescas

This and other similar fruit drinks, which translate literally as "fresh water," are served all over Mexico and they're a cinch to make at home. The key is to strain the pulpy fruit to make a clearer liquid. You can use strawberries, pineapple, or mango -- any fruit that is soft enough to puree. Basically its lemonade but made with other fruits. Simple & refreshing!

Aguas Frescas
3 cups of Fruit Puree or Juice
1 1/2 cups water
2 to 4 tablespoons sugar
2 to 3 limes, juiced

Puree fruit and pour through a fine sieve to eliminate pulp. In a pitcher, mix strained fruit puree with water and season with sugar and lime juice. All ingredients can be adjusted to taste. Serve in a Jara or large punch bowl with slices of fruit.

Strawberry Lemonade

Cool off with my refreshing strawberry lemonade. Yummy!

INGREDIENTS:
2 cps water
1 cp sugar
1 tbls grated lemon peel
1 cp fresh lemon juice
1 pt fresh strawberries, hulled and halved
2 cps cold sparkling water or club soda
Ice
Mint sprigs, garnish
Whole strawberries, garnish

DIRECTIONS:
In a medium saucepan, bring the water and sugar to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves. Add the lemon peel and lemon juice, stir, and remove from the heat. Let cool completely, then strain into a clean pitcher.

In a blender, puree the pint of strawberries and add to the pitcher with the lemon juice. Stir well to combine and refrigerate until well chilled.

Add the sparkling water and stir well. Pour over glasses filled with ice and serve, garnished with mint and strawberries.

Mango Sangria

As the days warm up Sangria is always a crowd pleaser for every get together. Try this mango version for a new twist.

Ingredients:
• 1/4 cp Honey OR 1/2 cp Brown Sugar
• 1 cp Mango Juice
• 1 cp Orange Juice
• 1 Bottle Savignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio or white wine
• 2 cps Seasonal Fruit cubed or sliced (such as Mango, Peaches, Melons, Strawberries)
• Ice
• Mint for Garnish

Mix all ingredients in a large pitcher and chill. Add fruit shortly before serving. To serve, place some ice in a large wine glass or tumbler, pour in Sangria and some of the pieces of fruit. Garnish with mint.

Planter's Punch

There are numerous recipes for this drink dating back to the early part pf the nineteenth century. The common ingredients found in all variations are rum, sugar, and lemon or lime juice. Traditionally you should use three different variations of Rum - light to dark. I like this recipe just the way it is but if you want to scale it down just mix the rum, pineapple, orange and lime juices in a collins glass and add a cherry.

Planter's Punch Recipe:
1 1/2 cup dark rum
1 1/2 cup orange juice
1 1/2 cup pineapple juice
1 1/2 cup guava nectar
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 teaspoon Angostura bitters
6 fresh pineapple rings
6 orange slices
6 cinnamon sticks
6 Maraschino cherries

In a one gallon pitcher, mix together rum, fruit juices, brown sugar and bitters. Pour into 6 tall glasses filled with ice. Garnish each drink with pineapple ring, orange slice, cinnamon stick and cherry.

Ice Mexican Coffee

 

Truthfully, I am not a big fan of coffee (unless of course it has Kahlua or chocolate in it) so I absolutely love this Iced Mexican Coffee.

3/4 cup Coffee Beans, ground
2 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
6 cup Water
1 cup Milk
1/3 cup Chocolate Syrup
2 tbls. light Brown Sugar
1 tsp. pure Vanilla Extract
Garnish: Whipped Cream and Ground Cinnamon

Place coffee and cinnamon in filter basket of coffee maker. Add water to coffee maker and brew as directed. In a saucepan, blend milk, chocolate syrup and sugar. Stir over low heat until sugar dissolves. Combine milk mixture and brewed coffee. Stir in vanilla. Garnish with whipped cream and cinnamon. May be served hot or cold. For iced coffee pour mixture over glass filled with ice. Makes 6 cups.

Sangria de Naranja

Sangria is a red or white wine punch originating from Spain. There are many different versions but this is my absolute favorite! As with every recipe feel free to switch out juices or liquors to suit your taste but, watch out for this easy to drink recipe it'll sneak up on you!

 

Sangria Recipe:
1 medium size Orange
1/2 cup Sugar
2 cups Orange Juice
1 bottle Red Wine
1/2 cup Cointreau or Triple Sec
Ice

Mix all ingredients into a large pitcher and chill. Slice oranges and place in pitcher and/or use as garnish on glasses. Makes 6 cups.

Piña Colada

The Piña Colada is known as the Official Beverage of Puerto Rico. If you refrain from adding the rum it results in a Virgin Piña Colada, but what's the point in that? Yo, ho, ho and a bottle of Rum...

1½ oz Light Rum
2 oz Coconut Cream
2 oz Pineapple Juice
2 cups of crushed ice


Put all ingredients into an electric blender with 2 cups of crushed ice. Blend at a high speed for a short length of time. Strain into a collins glass, top with whipped cream and a maraschino cherry or umbrella and serve with a straw.

The Perfect Margarita (for a crowd)

In this margarita, the better the tequila, the better the drink. Try Herradura, El Tesoro, El Viejito, Patron, or any of the 100% agave tequilas that are available in the market.

1 750ml bottle Silver Tequila
1 to 2 cups Triple Sec or Cointreau
1 cup freshly squeezed Lime Juice, plus several tablespoons extra for rimming the glasses
Coarse (kosher-type) Salt, for rimming the glasses
About a gallon of Ice Cubes

Just before serving, in a half-gallon pitcher combine the tequila, the minimum amount of triple sec or Cointreau, and the lime juice. Taste and add more of the orange liqueur if you think your margaritas need more sweet oranginess to balance the other flavors. Remember, you're tasting it warm and undiluted: when chilled and diluted, the flavors will be mellower and the lime's tartness will be more compelling (tangy, warm champagne is not nearly as inviting as ice-cold).

I personally don't like salt on my margarita but if you must...Pour several tablespoons of lime juice onto one small plate, several tablespoons coarse salt onto another. Have margarita glasses at hand (for an extra special touch, you can chill them). As you serve your guests, invert a glass into the plate with the lime juice to moisten the rim, then lightly dip into the plate with the salt.

For each drink measure 2 ounces (4 tablespoons) of the margarita mixture into a cocktail shaker I can do 3 drinks at a time comfortably in mine. If you have a 2-ounce ladle that you can Add ice cubes (I put in 5 cubes for 1, 8 for 2, and 10 for 3). Secure the lid and top and shake vigorously for 10 to 15 seconds. Strain into the salt-crusted glasses and hand off to the lucky recipients.