Cool Down in CLE with These Easy Drink Recipes Straight from the Garden!

Man, it's HOT IN CLEVELAND! And with the steamy temps and pop up thunderstorms, my garden is going--bananas! So here are a few drink recipes I found to use straight from my garden to cool down in CLE! And tomorrow is supposed to top 90 degrees again so...cheers!

Garden Ingredient: Chocolate Mint
Drink: Chocoffee Mint Milkshake

Source: Pinterest via Food Frenzy
flavorsofmumbai.com

Total Time: 2 mins
Serves : 3 tall glasses


Ingredients:

• 500 ml full fat milk Or skimmed milk
• 250 gms dark chocolate chunks
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 2 tbsp instant espresso coffee powder
• 14 to 15 chopped mint leaves
• few ice cubes

Directions:

1. Double boil dark chocolate Or microwave on high power for a minute.
2. Combine melted chocolate, mint leaves, cocoa powder and espresso. Grind them into a processor until they combine well.
3. Now add milk and ice cubes. Grind again until they are evenly incorporated. Check the taste add if sugar required.
4. Serve in tall glasses Or mugs. Garnish with chocolate shavings, mint leaves Or a dollop of icecream.

Garden Ingredient: Lemon Verbena

Drink: Lemon Verbena Lemonade

Source: Pinterest via Amanda Colo
marthastewart.com

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 1/4 cups water
• 1/4 cup lemon verbena leaves
• 5 cups fresh lemon juice, strained (from about 24 lemons)

Directions:

1. Bring sugar and water to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring to dissolve sugar.
2. Remove from heat, and add lemon verbena.
3. Cover, and steep for 15 minutes.
4. Strain through a fine sieve, and let cool completely.
5. Combine lemon juice and lemon verbena syrup in a pitcher.
6. Fill glasses with lemon verbena ice, and divide lemonade among glasses.

Garden Inredient: Lavender

Lavender Cocktail

 

Source: Pinterest via Kate Cooper
reganshealthyrecipes.com

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup hot water
• 1 teaspoon dried lavender blossoms
• 1/4 cup honey
• 6 tablespoons gin 
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Directions:  

1. Mix hot water and dried lavender blossoms in bowl. Let steep 5 minutes.
2. Whisk in 1/4 cup honey.
3. Strain into another bowl.
4. Add 3 tablespoons of the honey syrup, gin, and lemon juice; strain into cocktail shaker with ice.
5. Shake well and strain into 2 chilled Martini glasses.

Garden Ingredients:  Hibiscus + Mint

Hibiscus Mojito

Source: Pinterest via Girl Radish
appetiteforchina.com

Serves 1

Ingredients:

• 15 to 20 mint leaves, plus a nice sprig for garnish
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 ounce fresh lime juice
• 2 ounces light rum
• 4 cups water
• 1 cup loosely packed dried hibiscus flowers
• 1 cup sugar

Directions:

1. Bring the water to boil.
2. Remove from the heat, then steep the hibiscus flowers for 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Add the sugar, stirring until fully melted, and allow the hibiscus flowers to steep for another 5 minutes.
4.  Strain out the flowers and allow hibiscus tea to cool at room temperature.
5. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or until ready to drink.
6. In the bottom of a cocktail shaker, muddle the mint leaves with the sugar and lime juice (the sugar granules help bruise the mint and extract flavor).
7. Add the rum, hibiscus tea, and a few ice cubes, and shake well.
8. Strain into an ice-filled glass.
9. Garnish with a mint sprig and serve.

 Garden Ingredient: Basil

Strawberry Basil Smash

Source: Pinterest via Patricia Hernandez
readymade.com

Ingredients:

• 2 oz SKYY Vodka (you can also use SKYY Infusions Dragonfruit)
• 2 strawberries, hulled
• 2 basil leaves
• 1 oz lemon juice
• 1 oz simple syrup
• Splash of soda water

Directions:

1. In a mixing glass, muddle the strawberries with the basil, lemon juice, and simple syrup.
2. Add the SKYY vodka.
3. Top with crushed ice.
4.  Top with a splash of soda water and stir.
5. Garnish with strawberry.