Great summer cocktails need fruity juice, and Don Kavanagh’s found two beauts.
AH, THE longest-awaited long weekend of the year is here and I intend to enjoy it.
Labour Weekend marks the end of the grim slog through winter and — regardless of the weather — makes me think of summer’s long evenings, long lunches and long drinks to slake the sun-spurred thirst.
Obviously, beer is a great way to oil the throat, but I’ve been itching to get the shaker out and start smashing out long, cool drinks for people.
One issue, though, is finding the right ingredients. Spirits are easy enough to come by, but finding decent juices to add flavour can be tricky, as many supermarkets have a narrow brand width, from orange juice to pineapple via grapefruit and apple.
That’s fine, but it’s nice to have variety in your drinks and squeezing your own can be a monumental pain in the backside, especially if you want different flavours.
Now I don’t wish this column to become an advertising feature, but I got hold of some cracking juices this week and thought I’d pass on the good word. They’re called Njoy and include two particularly nice varieties that lend themselves to cocktails: the coconut, pineapple and banana flavour and the lime, apple, lemon and mint.
The coconut juice is ideal for pina coladas, having both pineapple and coconut already mixed and the banana gives it added tropical goodness. Mix 60ml of white rum, 180ml of the coconut juice, ice, shake and serve. It ends up a little lighter without adding fresh cream, but it’s still a lovely summer drink.
The lime variant makes a nice fruity twist on a mojito. Put mint leaves (not too many as there is mint in the juice) and a splash of juice in a tall glass and muddle gently. Half-fill with ice and add 60ml each of white rum and lime juice. Stir well and top with more juice or soda water.
Those two should get you started on the first round of summer drinks. Cheers.
