Tag: simple syrup

Daiquiri

Posted on June 20, 2019 by - Beverages, Cocktails, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Vegan

Daquiri with lime peel

Summer is the season for delicious, refreshing rum cocktails that evoke days by the poolside soaking up the sun, reading a good book, or schmoozing with friends. The Daquiri is a simple mixed drink, yet over the years it has taken on many forms, particularly a frozen, slush-like cocktail, made from a variety of fruits or packaged blends.

Daquiri ingredients

I remember my parents and some or our neighbors would have a frozen daquiri on a hot summer evening. My mom would get out the blender, toss in some ice, a can of frozen limeade, and rum and they sipped the drinks on the front stoop or while they played croquet in the yard.

The original Daquiri, however, is fresh and sweet-tart, made only with rum, fresh lime juice and simple syrup. The drink is shaken and served neat in a glass with a twist of lime peel. That peel is optional, and I personally don’t think the drink needs it.

Daquiri cutting a lime peel

Try the original version for a less sweet, refreshing summer cocktail!

Make up a batch of daiquiris and serve with our Curried Devil Eggs!

Interesting Rum Facts

Rum is distilled from a fermented sugar cane product such as molasses.

Rum is aged, usually one or two years, in old bourbon oak barrels; any longer and the clean taste is altered.

Light rum is filtered through coal to remove any color from the barrels.

Rums are often blended, mixing various years or adding light, medium, and/or dark rums for complex flavors and colors.

Rum is used in cooking, such as rum balls, rum cake, and is great to use to macerate fruit. Let’s not forget Bananas Foster or rum raisin ice cream. Also try a little rum in your rice pudding!

Daquiri double

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Daiquiri

Daquiri in a glass

A classic daiquiri is made of rum, freshly squeezed lime juice and simple syrup. It’s a refreshing, sweet-tart drink.

  • Author: Trish Lobenfeld
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 10 minutes
  • Yield: 1 three-ounce cocktail 1x
  • Category: Cocktail

Ingredients

Scale

1 ½ ounces rum
¾ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
¼ ounce simple syrup

Garnish (optional)
twist of lime peel*

Instructions

Pour the rum, lime juice, and simple syrup in a shaker filled with 4 or five ice cubes.

Shake, strain into a martini glass.

Add a twist of lime peel, if desired.

Notes

*It’s easier to peel the lime before juicing. Only take the very thin outer peel and not the pith.

Keywords: cocktail, mixed drink, rum cocktail

Old-Fashioned Homemade Lemonade

Posted on August 23, 2018 by - Beverages, Videos

lemonde

We’ve had some hot, sweltering days this summer – high temps accompanied with high humidity. A tall, ice-cold glass of Old-Fashioned Homemade Lemonade is always a welcome treat, especially on days like these.

This recipe is based on my memory of how Mom made lemonade when I was a kid. I remember her using both freshly-squeezed lemon and orange juice. While I like my lemonade tart with just a hint of sweetness, the small addition of orange juice calms the absolute tartness of the lemons just enough to make this summer refresher delicious and thirst quenching.

lemonde

Use simple syrup to make the lemonade – no worries about sugar residue on the bottom of the glass. Make up batches and keep in the refrigerator to have on hand to sweeten all your summer drinks – iced tea, iced coffee, and lemonade.

Watch the video here.

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Old-Fashioned Homemade Lemonade

Quick and easy to make, old-fashioned homemade lemonade is a refreshing pick-me-up on those tropical summer days.

  • Author: Trish Lobenfeld
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 1/2 gallon 1x
  • Category: Beverages

Ingredients

Scale

2 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice
¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
¾ cup simple syrup
Cold water and ice

Garnish

Lemon and/or orange slices, seeded

Instructions

Combine the juices and simple syrup.

Add ice and cold water, stir to blend.

Serve over ice in a tall glass.

Keywords: iced beverage, lemonade, iced drinks

Iced Tea Concentrate

Posted on May 30, 2018 by - Beverages, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Vegan, Videos

Iced Tea Concentrate

This Iced Tea Concentrate whips up a 1/2 gallon of iced tea in minutes. Make a few batches and refrigerate the concentrate in a Mason jar or other lidded container and use by the cupful to make a ½ gallon batch at a time.

This method is great for unexpected company or large parties. The iced tea concentrate doesn’t take much room in the refrigerator and making additional pitchers takes seconds.

How to Make the Concentrate

Place 1/4 cup loose tea or 4 tea bags in a one-cup measuring jar and pour boiling water to cover. Steep for 4 minutes. Fill a pitcher 1/3 full of ice, pour the tea concentrate over the ice, and fill with cold water. Optional garnish: lemon slices.

Iced Tea Concentrate

There are so many teas to choose from, you’ll never run out of different flavors to experiment with. Also, you can use decaffeinated regular and herbal tea varieties.

Serve simple syrup on the side to allow guests to sweeten, or not, to their taste. Lemon slices or muddled mint can be added for additional flavor.

Iced Tea Concentrate

Be sure to check our our informative tea tasting blogs – green tea and black tea.

Watch the Iced Tea Concentrate video here.

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Iced Tea Concentrate

Iced tea concentrate

Whip up iced tea concentrate in minutes, and make in batches for quick refills. Serve lemon slices and simple syrup on the side.

  • Author: Trish Lobenfeld
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 1/2 gallon 1x
  • Category: Beverages

Ingredients

Scale

¼ cup loose tea
1 cup boiling water

Garnish

Lemon slices, seeded
Muddled mint leaves

Instructions

Place the tea or tea bags in a 2-cup liquid measuring cup. Pour 1 cup boiling water over and let steep 4 minutes.

Strain in a ½ gallon pitcher filled with ice. Press down with the back of a tablespoon to extract all the tea.

Add cold water to fill.

Notes

Serve with simple syrup on the side to allow each guest sweeten to their taste.

simple syrup: place a cup or two of sugar in a small sauce with 1/2 cup cold water. Bring to a boil and cook until the sugar is completely dissolved. Cool and store in a covered container in the refrigerator. Lasts several weeks.

Keywords: iced tea, cold drinks, summer drinks, simple syrup, summer coolers