This week's article is in honour of the American 4th of July holiday coming up. If you are feeling patriotic, then serve up these red, white and blue drinks this year. These particular recipes are designed to serve a crowd. Great for your long weekend BBQ parties. Three punch bowls lined up will make a lovely "flag" of colour in your backyard.
Cranberry Punch (Red)
Red drinks aren't hard to come by, especially with all the summer berries in the markets right now. A tart and sparkling punch is my red selection. You'll be making this from scratch, so start it well before your party is due to start.
- 4 1/2 lbs whole cranberries
- 2 cups water
- 1 quart club soda
- 1/2 tbs whole cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick (2-inch)
- 3 cups sugar
- 1 1/2 cups orange juice
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
In a large pot, mix water, cranberries, cloves and cinnamon together and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat down to a simmer. Let simmer for about 20 minutes. Strain out the berry pulp and stir in sugar. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Take pot from heat. Pour in orange juice and lemon juice. Chill mixture in the fridge. Add club soda right before serving.
White Grape Juice Punch (White)
White is a bit more complicated to make into a beverage, but I would think that any clear drinks would fit the bill. Here is another carbonated punch, for white. It's simple and quick.
- 2 quarts white grape juice
- 1 quart ginger ale
Right before serving, pour together both ingredients (already chilled). Because this punch is colourless and a bit dull to look at, it's often served with fruit frozen into ice cubes.
Blue Hawaiian Punch (Blue)
With no real blue juices out there to work with (even blueberry juice is mostly purple), this is as close as I could get for my blue selection. Besides, Kool-Aid is great in the summer.
- 2 pkgs Berry Blue Kool-Aid drink mix powder
- 1 quart club soda
- 2 cans frozen Pina Colada drink mixer
- 2 cups sugar
Mix Kool-Aid powder and sugar (according to the directions), and add frozen Pina Colada mixer. Stir until blended and then pour in club soda right before serving.
If you want something more basic for your 4th of July party, you could always just serve iced tea or lemonade for your guests to enjoy as they lounge in the shade. Iced coffee is another stylish choice for a summer drink.
Terri Paajanen - Terri Paajanen is a published author and freelance writer. She has been writing on a wide-range of topics for years, including spending ...
