Raspberry Limeade With Lavender And Mint Food

SPARKLING RASPBERRY LIMEADE

Steps:

• Add the sugar, raspberries and 1 cup water to a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Press the berries with the back of a wooden spoon so their juices leach into the mixture. Let sit and steep until cool. Strain, discarding the solids.
• Combine the cooled raspberry syrup, lime juice and club soda in a large pitcher. Pour into tall glasses filled with ice and garnish with the lime slices and a few extra berries.

LIMEADE AND MINT SODA

Steps:

• Combine the sugar with 1 cup water in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Turn off the heat and add the mint leaves. Muddle with a muddler or the back of a spoon. Allow to cool completely, about 20 minutes. Strain and discard the mint leaves.
• Add the lime juice and 4 cups water to a large pitcher. Pour the simple syrup into the limeade. Stir to combine.
• To serve, pour the limeade into glasses filled with ice. Top with some sparkling water. Garnish each with a lime round and mint sprig.

SPARKLING RASPBERRY LIMEADE

Steps:

• Add the sugar, 1 cup water and berries to a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer. Stir until the sugar has dissolved and press against the berries with the back of the wooden spoon so their juices leach into the mixture. Let sit and steep until cool.
• In a large pitcher, combine the cooled raspberry simple syrup, lime juice and club soda. Pour into tall glasses filled with ice and garnish with a slice of lime and a few extra berries for garnish.

MINT LIMEADE

Steps:

• Muddle 2 lime wedges and some mint leaves in each glass and add ice. Mix 2 cups simple syrup, 2 cups water, 1 1/2cups fresh lime juice and 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice in a pitcher; pour into the glasses.
• Simple Syrup: To make 2 cups simple syrup, bring 1 1/2cups each sugar and water to a boil, stirring until dissolved. Let cool.

RASPBERRY MOJITO

Steps:

• Divide the raspberries, lime and sugar between two tall glasses and muddle by gently crushing with a muddler or the end of a bar spoon. The fruits should start to release their juices, which will mix with the sugar.
• Put half the mint leaves in the palm of one of your hands, then clap the other hand on top of the leaves - this bruises them just enough to release their flavour. Drop the bruised mint leaves into one of the glasses, then repeat with the remaining mint, dropping it into the second glass.
• Add a handful of ice to each glass, followed by the rum. Stir, then top up with sparkling water. Stir briefly until just combined, then serve.

RASPBERRY LIMEADE

Steps:

• In a blender or food processor purée 1 cup of the raspberries with 1 cup of the water and force the purée through a fine sieve set over a pitcher, pressing hard on the solids. Add the remaining 1 cup raspberries, the remaining 2 1/2 cups water, the sugar, and the lime juice and stir the mixture until the sugar is dissolved. Divide the limeade among tall glasses filled with ice cubes and garnish each drink with some of the mint sprigs.

LAVENDER LIMEADE

Steps:

• *NOTE: To make your own superfine sugar, place the granulated sugar in a blender and whirl until the grains are very small but not powdery.
• SIMPLE SYRUP: In a 2 quart saucepan, combine 2 cups water, superfine sugar, lavender and lime zest.
• Bring mixture to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring until sugar dissolves.
• Remove pan from heat and let syrup stand for 10 minutes. Strain and discard lavender.
• LIMEADE: In large pitcher, stir together the simple syrup, lime juice and the remaining 4 cups water.
• Serve over ice, with lime slice as a garnish.
• For presentation, float a sprig of lavender on top of each serving.
• Yield is estimated.

RASPBERRY-MINT LIMEADE

Steps:

• Finely chop mint, and rub into sugar OR pulse mint and sugar in food processor. Place mint sugar in 1-quart saucepan with raspberries and 1/4 cup water. Heat over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves, raspberries break down, and mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat, and strain through fine mesh strainer. Set raspberry mint syrup aside to cool.
• In large pitcher, mix raspberry mint syrup, lime juice, 3 cups water and the sparkling water. Serve immediately with lots of ice and a shot of gin, or refrigerate until ready to serve.