One cool drink, one warm drink. Guzzle!
Classic Lemonade
It’s about as nonlocal as you can get (not a lot of lemons grow in Colorado), but there’s just something about freshly made lemonade in summertime. Makes about 4 servings.
Ingredients
2 cups fresh lemon juice (from about 10 lemons), strained
6 cups water
3/4 cup sugar, or more to taste.
Ice
Directions
Stir together lemon juice, water and sugar until sugar dissolves. Taste and adjust sweetness. (Note: The recipe as written will produce a tart lemonade, but it’s always better to start with less sweetener and add more if you need it. Add as much sugar as you like to get the flavor you want. Honey or agave syrup can also be used.) Serve over ice.
Ginger Tea
Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote about a version of this spicy thirst-quenching drink in her “Little House” books, and it’s still terrific. Fans of ginger beer, the robust cousin of ginger ale, will embrace this excellent alternative to commercial soft drinks. Recipe by Claire Martin. About 4 servings.
Ingredients
Fresh ginger root (a sturdy root, at least 2 inches long)
Water
Lemon slices for garnish
Directions
Peel ginger root. Using a coarse grater, shred enough ginger to fill 1/3 to 1/2 cup. (This will look like a lot of ginger. Don’t worry.) Place in saucepan.
Add 4 to 6 cups of water (less water makes a stronger tea), rinsing the last bits of ginger from the grater.
Bring to a boil for 10 minutes. Cover, turn off heat and allow the tea to steep for 1 hour or more.
Using a strainer or sieve, drain the cooled tea from pot into pitchers. The ginger tea will be slightly cloudy; if you prefer a clear tea, line the strainer with cheesecloth.
Serve with lemon slices for a refreshingly astrigent drink, or add sweetener to taste. Serve warm, or chill and serve over ice.
