This summer has produced incredible Tahoe weather with extended periods of heat. We haven’t had the thunderstorms that rolled through regularly last July and into the beginning of August the heat seems even more intense.
A few weeks ago, I wrote an article on how the milk shake is the quintessential summer drink. However, it can leave you thirsty. I’ve had a few inquiries about summertime drinks that are great thirst quenchers. Here are my favorites.
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“My favorite summer drinks can be altered easily to satisfy anyone’s cravings.”
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Raspberry Lime Ricky
Back in high school and college, I worked in an ice cream shop. The Raspberry Lime Ricky was my all-time favorite thirst quencher, although raspberry syrup can be hard to find nowadays. The original drink was simple: 2 ounces of raspberry syrup, 2 ounces of simple syrup (half water and half sugar solution), 8 ounces of soda water and a good squeeze of lime.
This summer, I used 6 ounces of black raspberry sparkling ice water, 4 ounces of Fresca and a good squeeze of lime. Play with the ratios a little to suit your particular tastes. I don’t use any sugar additives because the water is sweet enough.
Cream Freeze
The second drink I like is closer to a milk shake, or frappe as they say in New England, but uses sherbet or sorbet instead of ice cream and soda water instead of milk. It was called a Cream Freeze and, technically, we did use a little syrup for flavor and added 1 to 2 ounces of cream to add body.
I keep it simple now. I use 8 ounces of raspberry sherbet and blend it with 6 ounces of Fresca. I stir in another 6 ounces of Fresca after blending to add more of the effervescence. This is enough for two glasses. Sometimes I add an ounce or two of cream, especially if I use sorbet since that contains less dairy than sherbet. I won’t use a lot of cream because the dairy and sugar leave you still thirsty. I find using Fresca instead of soda water adds enough flavor so I don’t need any more sugar or additives.
Watermelon Freeze
The last drink is close to the Cream Freeze. Although I’ve never tried it with any cream, it does make sense to add some for body if you want to. This one is almost a combination of the two previous drinks. I freeze about 4 to 5 cups of watermelon, using the middle section of the melon where the most flavor is and blend it with 4 ounces of Fresca.
Add more Fresca after blending to taste with a little squeeze of lime and it’s ready to go. Of course, you can make this with other melons and fruits, but there is something about watermelon that screams summertime heat relief.
My favorite summer drinks, as you can tell, can be altered easily to satisfy anyone’s cravings.
If you’re having a party, or just had a tough day of work, add a little rum, brandy, vodka or Schnapps to make great adult beverages. At any rate, the next time you’re thirsty, try one of these drinks and enjoy.
Smitty is a personal chef specializing in dinner parties, cooking classes and special events. Trained under Master Chef Anton Flory at Top Notch Resort in Stowe, Vt., Smitty is known for his creative use of fresh ingredients. To read archived copies of Smitty’s column, visit chefsmitty.com or TheTahoeWeekly.com. Contact him at tmmsmitty@gmail.com or (530) 412-3598.
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