Drinks : Juices

Celebrate the bounty of the season with fresh, grill-sweetened peaches and a subtle hint of your favorite brew.


Grilled Peach & Beer Sorbet

1 dozen ripe, grilled peaches
1 tbsp lemon or lime juice
3 tbsp beer
1 cup simple syrup
Pinch of kosher salt


Grilled Peaches:
Halve peaches and remove pits. Spray lightly with cooking spray, and grill face-down over medium gas or charcoal heat until grill marks appear, and fruit is soft. (Note – wood smoke such as mesquite or hickory adds a great touch of flavor.) Remove from grill and cool. Peel skin, and place the fruit in a mixing bowl.


Simple Syrup:
To make simple syrup, stir 2 cups sugar and one cup water in a small saucepan, and bring to a gentle boil. Simmer until the mixture is slightly thickened. Remove from heat, and let it cool. Syrup can be stored in a clean, sealed jar in the refrigerator until it's needed.


Sorbet:
In mixing bowl, combine peaches, lemon or lime juice, beer and salt. With a hand mixer or immersion blender, beat until smooth, and then blend in simple syrup.

Process in ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions, or simply pour into a freezer-safe container and freeze to desired consistency.


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Lemonade 101

As I mentioned in my previous post, seeing as I was spending the day tending a smoker full o' brisket anyhow, it just seemed all resourceful and whatnot to populate the Char-Griller's top rack with various foodstuffs. You know -- For Science. (And possibly also because I was APPALLED at the high cost of the smoked salt I'd just bought for the beer can chicken rub and wondered why the heck I oughtn't just make my own, but mostly, I'd like it known, For Science.)


The cherries took but two hours to absorb the rich, hickory goodness, but I let that foil pan of kosher salt steep for a good six or more. On the hour, I'd re-stoke the heat and heady smoke with a chimney starter full of coals and a generous handful of Corona-soaked chips, shake the pan, and then spend the next 55 minutes resisting the urge to lift the lid to assess progress.


My patience was rewarded last night, when nearly two weeks later my husband sniffed the contents of the salt's mason jar and noted, "That smells like our barbecue weekend." I thought that called for a drink. Thus, I present to you, the Smoky 'Rita.


Smoky 'Rita

Smoked salt
1 oz fresh lime juice
1 1/2 oz fresh grapefruit juice
1 oz triple sec
1/2 oz simple syrup
2 1/2 oz 100% agave tequila (like Jose Cuervo Tradicional or Don Julio Reposado)
1 slice of grilled lime, for garnish


Run a lime peel around the rim of a margarita glass or goblet to dampen it. Roll the dampened edge through smoked salt. Set glass aside.


Fill a shaker with cracked ice, the lime juice, grapefruit juice, triple sec, simple syrup and tequila, and shake until the exterior is frosty. Strain into prepared glass, and float a thin slice of grilled lime on top.


And sure, nothing's to say that you couldn't also serve this on the rocks in a double old fashioned glass, but with ingredients this notable, why run the risk of diluting?


Next up - the refreshing summer drink that tastes like a sandwich in a glass. (We swear it's delicious!)


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Read More About Summer Drinks

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More soon on this weekend's all-day hickory smoking adventure, but first, a little libation.

Hickory Smoked Cherry Limeade

Juice of 2 dozen limes
1 1/2 cups simple syrup (more or less to taste)
2 cups water (more or less to taste)

Stir these together in a large pitcher with 2-3 handfuls of smoked cherries.

Hickory Smoked Cherry & Bourbon Lemonade

2 quarts lemonade (fresh or from concentrate)
1 cup triple sec or orange curacao
2-3 cups bourbon (to taste)
1 cup smoked cherries

Pour over ice. For a lighter drink, top with seltzer.

So how do you happen to come upon smoked cherries? Prolly not in your local 7-11. Seeing as I was spending 8-ish hours smoking brisket, I figured I might as well put the top racks to use. Took a couple of foil baking pans, and laid in a layer of fresh cherries in each. Two hours in the low, steady lump charcoal heat, suffused with the heady smoke of beer-soaked hickory chips left the cherries with unbelievably rich, mellow, sweet-smoked flavor. Seeing our guests repeatedly sidling over to the bowl with the extras, and plucking them from their cocktails to savor on their own makes me think I've stumbled upon something pretty distinctive. I've a notion there will be a goodly bit more experimentation as long as they're in season.

Oh - and I also tossed in a foil pan of kosher salt for about 6 hours. That smoked salt will add some delicious wood-char undertones to my next batch of margaritas. But that's a whooole other post.

Next outing - we smoke the lemons & limes, and potentially a few peaches. Wanna come over?

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Lemonade 101

Special to AOL Food from Kat Kinsman

When I was growing up in the 'burbs, lemonade had just about as much to do with actual lemons as garlic salt does to garlic. Powdered Wylers and frozen concentrate kept me quenched through camp, soccer games and neighborhood pool parties, but once I got a sip of the real stuff, there was just no substitute.

Treat yourself to the true taste of summer.


Tip – To get maximum juice and flavor from lemons, microwave them
on high for 10-15 seconds before squeezing.

Tip – If you don't want to fork out cash for an electric juicer,
use, well, a fork. Roll the lemon against a hard surface for a few
moments before slicing it open. Once it's halved, prick the open
side with the fork tines a few times, and then twist them against
the sides in a circular motion until you've squeezed out every
last drop.

Tip – To make simple syrup, stir 2 cups sugar and one cup water in
a small saucepan, and bring to a gentle boil. Simmer until the
mixture is slightly thickened. Remove from heat, and let it cool.
Syrup can be stored in a clean, sealed jar in the refrigerator
until it's needed.


Basic Lemonade

2 – 2 ½ dozen lemons - freshly squeezed
1 - 2 cups simple syrup
1 - 4 cups cold water (to taste)

Stir the lemon juice and 1 cup each of the water and simple syrup
into a large pitcher. Sample, and continue to stir in additional
water and syrup to taste.

(Note - it might seem like a LOT of lemons for that little water and syrup, but keep in mind that simple syrup is much sweeter than regular sugar, as the heat super-concentrates it, and the recipe is calibrated to allow for ice melting and diluting the drink.)


It's great served plain over ice, but why stop there?

Add-ins

- Mix equal parts lemonade and iced tea for a classic Arnold
Palmer or Half and Half.

- Drop in a cup or two of your favorite summer fruit or herbs, and
use a wooden spoon to muddle them at the bottom of the pitcher for
a cool, infused twist.

- Spike it up with a few shots of your favorite whiskey, vodka, or
tequila.

- Freeze it into ice cubes, so your drinks stay cool and
undiluted.


Old-Fashioned Lemonade
Easy Strawberry Lemonade
Icy Blender Lemonade
Lemonade Cake

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