One bright afternoon we used up the last of some fresh strawberries by whirring them up in the blender with homemade lemon-limeade. Sipping it in our screen tent under the trees brought back memories of other refreshing summer drinks.
Black cows (root beer with a scoop of vanilla ice cream), green rivers (bright green lime soda made in Chicago), firecrackers (a grown up, slushy juice drink with a bit of “juice”), and the best sipper of all – rosemary watermelon lemonade (you’ll find the recipe for that here and in Last Wool and Testament, book one in my Haunted Yarn Shop Mysteries).
What are your sips of choice and where do you take them
to relax?
LESLIE KARST: You're definitely speaking my language now, with refreshing summer drinks! And since Valerie Corbin, the protagonist of my Orchid Isle Mysteries, is a bartender, I've got a lot up my sleeve. For summer time, I love a drink with fresh fruit juice, and since we have a lot of citrus in our yard here in Santa Cruz (Valencia orange, blood orange, grapefruit, lemon, and lime!), it's easy for me to simply juice some of that fruit and mix it with some kind of liquor (my go-to is gin), then add a splash of soda water and you're ready to go!
Here's the Hilo Sunset, a riff on the Tequila Sunrise, which I came up with as a drink special for Valerie at the Speckled Gecko where she works.
Cin cin!
LESLIE BUDEWITZ: Fun topic, Molly -- and it anticipates a pair of my upcoming posts, for drinks, both virgin and spiked, made with lavender!
Looks like most of the drink recipes I've shared here from my books are hot drinks for cold days, but I do love this "Life's-Too-Short-For-Rehearsals" champagne cocktail that Adam's buddy Tanner, entrepreneur by day and bartender by night, created for Adam and Erin's wedding rehearsal dinner in As the Christmas Cookie Crumbles, the 5th Food Lovers' Village Mystery. Perfect whenever you need to celebrate, no matter what the time of year!
And this Tequila-Thyme Lemonade from Killing Thyme, the 3d Spice Shop Mystery, can be made with or without the tequila -- and with or without the Lemon Thyme Shortbread I paired it with!
My new favorite nonalcoholic sip came from Cleo Coyle (yep, I try my fellow mystery lovers recipes). She described it as air conditioning in a glass. Simply Limeade and Ginger ale. Delicious!
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PEG COCHRAN/MARGARET LOUDON: We are still waiting for consistently warm weather here in Michigan! But when summer arrives, it's time to break out the Aperol for an Aperol Spritz! We first discovered the drink on vacation in Italy. It was very hot in Rome so between sightseeing, we'd seek shelter under an umbrella in a cafe and enjoy a spritz. They are easy to make and pretty to look at. We love to whip some up and take them out on our deck and watch the sky turn pink and purple as the sun sets.
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I can't say I love iced tea of the usual variety. It's just something I tend to order in a restaurant because I very rarely drink soda and restaurant water can be icky. But these fancy new iced teas that are hitting the market are right up my alley. I also have a Lime Bramble herbal iced tea from Smith Teamakers, and my favorite summer sip, Harney and Son's Blueberry Green iced tea. All very refreshing with no sugar or caffeine.
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GIVEAWAY!
To be entered in this week's drawing
for these terrific mysteries below,
join us in the comments.
What are your summer sips of choice and where do you take them to relax?
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so we can contact the winner!
COME SHELL OR HIGH WATER by Molly MacRae
BULLETPROF BARISTA by Cleo Coyle
ASSAULT & PEPPER by Leslie Budewitz
MURDER AT THE RUSTY ANCHOR by Maddie Day
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