Author Topic: Non-Alcoholic Fancy Drinks  (Read 5893 times)

With This Herring

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1207
  • Location: New York STATE, not city
  • TANSTAAFL!
Non-Alcoholic Fancy Drinks
« on: October 19, 2016, 12:17:17 PM »
Kitsune brought up the topic in the Overheard on Facebook thread, and I would certainly like more ideas.  It's nice to have something fancy to drink when half a party is people playing designated driver for the other half.

(Alternative: hot spiced cider on my front deck overlooking the lake and mountains... In that house that, as a millennial, I shouldn't be able to afford because we're all screwed. Mm hmm. I may not like or afford trendy bars, but is is a REALLY good alternative).
It's also a conveniently fancy drink that makes your house smell AMAZING when simmered on the stove, and can be schmancy for non-drinkers (at the moment: I'm pregnant, my SIL is pregnant, my MIL has stomach issues and can't drink, my FIL is doing cancer treatments and can't drink, my mother is newly on medication for rheumatoid arthritis and can't drink because the meds already have a risk of liver failure, and my dad has a Problematic Family History with alcohol and avoids having more than a few sips out of someone's glass). Given that... I'm basically on the lookout for fancy-looking-and-tasting non-alcoholic drinks.
I used to host a salon where I served hot apple cider in the evenings during the winter and iced mint tea in the summer. With that particular crowd, there were a few university students who were still underage, two raging alcoholic, and an old lady with a serious brain injury whose memory problems always ensured she'd forgot she'd already told us why she couldn't drink. It was better to just get creative.

The most recent addition to my creative drink repertoire is a recipe I got from a teammate. Make a cup of lemon tea, and add a hazelnut flavored creamer of some kind. (I like to just use almond milk, it's cheaper.)

I like to get a good chai-spiced tea and steep it on the stove.  I also like to put my (non-hard) cider and mulling spices in a slow cooker and just let it mull for ages, which I'd bet would work for the chai as well.  Then I don't need to watch the stove.

In the summer, iced tea with lemon or other fruit juices added is quite tasty.

nereo

  • Senior Mustachian
  • ********
  • Posts: 17500
  • Location: Just south of Canada
    • Here's how you can support science today:
Re: Non-Alcoholic Fancy Drinks
« Reply #1 on: October 19, 2016, 12:22:06 PM »
Summertime:  Lime Rickeys, sparkling (non-alcoholic) ciders, virgin margaritas, "cider-sangria" (basically replace the white wine with sparkling dry cider or sparkling white grape juice)', milkshakes

Wintertime: hot chocolate, coffee drinks, mulled cider, egg-nog

Metric Mouse

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 5278
  • FU @ 22. F.I.R.E before 23
Re: Non-Alcoholic Fancy Drinks
« Reply #2 on: October 19, 2016, 12:34:17 PM »
Summertime:  Lime Rickeys, sparkling (non-alcoholic) ciders, virgin margaritas, "cider-sangria" (basically replace the white wine with sparkling dry cider or sparkling white grape juice)', milkshakes

Wintertime: hot chocolate, coffee drinks, mulled cider, egg-nog

Tom & Jerrys.... they're almost in season. I'm so fuckin' excited.

Threshkin

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1088
  • Location: Colorado
    • My Journal
Re: Non-Alcoholic Fancy Drinks
« Reply #3 on: October 19, 2016, 12:43:08 PM »
In the winter I like to make Chai Tea.  Here is my recipe:

All quantities approximate depending on mood.
20 - Whole Allspice
35 - Whole Cloves
5 - Sticks Cinnamon
35 - Black Peppercorns
40 - Cardamon Pods (Crushed)
100 - Grams of Fresh Ginger, sliced thin.  (Double if you are feeling sick)

Put everything into a large crock pot, cover with water and simmer on low for 8 hours or so (overnight).  Can also be done on the stove.

In the morning add 10 black tea bags and steep for 15 minutes or so.

Strain into a pitcher.  Cool and store in the refrigerator.

To make the Chai Tea: Mix about 50:50 with milk of your choice.  Add sweetener to taste if desired.  Heat on stove or in microwave.  Enjoy!

Alenzia

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 74
  • Age: 37
  • Location: Colorado
Re: Non-Alcoholic Fancy Drinks
« Reply #4 on: October 19, 2016, 12:50:27 PM »
I'm currently non-drinking and LOVED this recipe:

http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-non-alcoholic-sangria-170254

I'd say the only thing I changed about it was cutting the sugar in half. I also found it was the tastiest after at least 24 hours of sitting in the fridge (with all the fruit in there).

Penny McSave

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 54
Re: Non-Alcoholic Fancy Drinks
« Reply #5 on: October 19, 2016, 01:13:50 PM »
My favorite is a "Nojito". Simple syrup (agave nectar works well too), lime juice, few sprigs of shredded mint, top with fizzy water over crushed ice and YUM! So refreshing,  especially on a hot day. :)

TheGrimSqueaker

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 2606
  • Location: A desert wasteland, where none but the weird survive
Re: Non-Alcoholic Fancy Drinks
« Reply #6 on: October 19, 2016, 02:05:46 PM »
From my "mocktail" collection...

* The "Captain Cook": Club Soda + lime cordial, with a twist of lime
* The "Captain Hook": Same as the Captain Cook, but use ginger ale instead of the club soda for an extra sugar bomb for the kiddos
* The "Roy Rogers": Coke + grenadine
* The "Shirley Temple": Ginger ale + grenadine, with a maraschino cherry
* "Great Canadian": Root beer float with vanilla ice cream and 1 tbsp. maple syrup drizzled onto the ice cream. Also OK with maple walnut or other similar ice cream
* "Tequila Mockingbird": Grenadine, a maraschino cherry, Triple Sec (the alcohol free kind), and orange juice. Looks like a Tequila Sunrise but sweeter; put the ice and the cherry in before adding the OJ
* "Peanut Butter Shake": 2 tbsp. peanut butter in a blender with a scoop of whey protein, ice, and a bit of almond milk. Puree and drink either by itself or in a glass with chocolate syrup swirled inside it

With This Herring

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1207
  • Location: New York STATE, not city
  • TANSTAAFL!
Re: Non-Alcoholic Fancy Drinks
« Reply #7 on: October 19, 2016, 03:30:51 PM »
In the winter I like to make Chai Tea.  Here is my recipe:
*snip*

Ooo, I've been looking for a scratch Chai recipe!  I was just thinking of the little pre-mixed teabags.

Nice ideas, everyone!  I had forgotten about eggnog.

Tom & Jerrys.... they're almost in season. I'm so fuckin' excited.

Hold on, aren't those alcoholic?  Or do you have a nonalcoholic recipe you can share?

Metric Mouse

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 5278
  • FU @ 22. F.I.R.E before 23
Re: Non-Alcoholic Fancy Drinks
« Reply #8 on: October 19, 2016, 04:02:42 PM »
In the winter I like to make Chai Tea.  Here is my recipe:
*snip*

Ooo, I've been looking for a scratch Chai recipe!  I was just thinking of the little pre-mixed teabags.

Nice ideas, everyone!  I had forgotten about eggnog.

Tom & Jerrys.... they're almost in season. I'm so fuckin' excited.

Hold on, aren't those alcoholic?  Or do you have a nonalcoholic recipe you can share?

I just buy the pre-mixed batter from a local place. It's not fermented, so no alcohol. Traditionally brandy is added - tastes almost as good with just hot water. Far superior to egg nog.

I'm a red panda

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 8186
  • Location: United States
Re: Non-Alcoholic Fancy Drinks
« Reply #9 on: October 19, 2016, 04:04:13 PM »
I like pineapple juice with grenadine, or sprite with grenadine.

Or vanilla Italian soda.

okits

  • CMTO 2023 Attendees
  • Senior Mustachian
  • *
  • Posts: 13017
  • Location: Canada
Re: Non-Alcoholic Fancy Drinks
« Reply #10 on: October 19, 2016, 08:37:15 PM »
Cold brew coffee (regular or decaf), possibly with cream or condensed milk.

Brew some really lovely tea, then stick it in the refrigerator for a few hours.

Both of these feel special to me because they require forethought, so the on-the-spot supply is limited (and they're better than a hot drink that has been diluted with a ton of ice).  Also, cream and condensed milk are treats for me, so yum.

shelivesthedream

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 6747
  • Location: London, UK
Re: Non-Alcoholic Fancy Drinks
« Reply #11 on: October 20, 2016, 02:26:39 AM »
Another non-drinker here. I tend to go for fancy cordials - I have made my own in the past but they've always gone off before I could drink them up. But our local supermarket has an OK selection: elderflower, ginger, apple and pear, sometimes rhubarb or blackberry. You can make them up plain or with sparkling or tonic water and serve in a big jug with ice and some mint or lemon slices or whatever goes. I guess you could serve them hot in winter too. Best thing is they're very concentrated so much better value for money than pre-mixed presses or the like!

Anatidae V

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 7626
  • Age: 34
  • Location: Fourecks
  • Nullus Anxietas
Re: Non-Alcoholic Fancy Drinks
« Reply #12 on: October 20, 2016, 04:29:07 AM »
Posting to follow. I just discovered adding juice to soda water today, a nice simple one!

MgoSam

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3684
  • Location: Minnesota
Re: Non-Alcoholic Fancy Drinks
« Reply #13 on: October 20, 2016, 09:00:06 AM »
Great thread! I'm also not drinking right now, I'm drinking more herbal tea. One of my favorites is Evening in Missoula, a blend by a local tea company

https://www.teasource.com/products/evening-in-missoula-herbal-tea?variant=6563686275

I should experiment with my own mixes but I'm fairly lazy.

Bracken_Joy

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 8927
  • Location: Oregon
Re: Non-Alcoholic Fancy Drinks
« Reply #14 on: October 20, 2016, 09:02:40 AM »
Love drinking, but currently not drinking since we're trying to start a family.

One of our favorite quick ones is to add some bitters to sparkling mineral water.

Otherwise, grapefruit juice cut with sparkling mineral water has some nice boozy tones that I enjoy.

With This Herring

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1207
  • Location: New York STATE, not city
  • TANSTAAFL!
Re: Non-Alcoholic Fancy Drinks
« Reply #15 on: October 20, 2016, 09:35:12 AM »
Another non-drinker here. I tend to go for fancy cordials - I have made my own in the past but they've always gone off before I could drink them up. But our local supermarket has an OK selection: elderflower, ginger, apple and pear, sometimes rhubarb or blackberry. You can make them up plain or with sparkling or tonic water and serve in a big jug with ice and some mint or lemon slices or whatever goes. I guess you could serve them hot in winter too. Best thing is they're very concentrated so much better value for money than pre-mixed presses or the like!

In the US, a cordial is a liqueur, haha.  As you are in the UK it is...concentrated fruit juice?  I get tripped up by the shifts between US and UK English.  Would you be able to freeze your homemade cordials to keep them good longer, or would that ruin the flavor?  They sound delicious.

Hotstreak

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 838
Re: Non-Alcoholic Fancy Drinks
« Reply #16 on: October 20, 2016, 11:11:19 AM »
I take 80% soda water, 20% fruit juice, and top with citrus.  My favorite is Cranberry & Soda with Lime, and I also like grapefruit with meyer lemon, or apple with blood orange or a small cut of some sweet orange.

Because soda water makes up a huge part of the drink, it's fairly low calorie and low sugar.

Bracken_Joy

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 8927
  • Location: Oregon
Re: Non-Alcoholic Fancy Drinks
« Reply #17 on: October 20, 2016, 11:12:53 AM »
I take 80% soda water, 20% fruit juice, and top with citrus.  My favorite is Cranberry & Soda with Lime, and I also like grapefruit with meyer lemon, or apple with blood orange or a small cut of some sweet orange.

Because soda water makes up a huge part of the drink, it's fairly low calorie and low sugar.

Do you top with citrus slices, or fresh squeezed juice, or what? The grapefruit and lemon sounds great, as does the blood orange.

shelivesthedream

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 6747
  • Location: London, UK
Re: Non-Alcoholic Fancy Drinks
« Reply #18 on: October 20, 2016, 11:13:32 AM »
Another non-drinker here. I tend to go for fancy cordials - I have made my own in the past but they've always gone off before I could drink them up. But our local supermarket has an OK selection: elderflower, ginger, apple and pear, sometimes rhubarb or blackberry. You can make them up plain or with sparkling or tonic water and serve in a big jug with ice and some mint or lemon slices or whatever goes. I guess you could serve them hot in winter too. Best thing is they're very concentrated so much better value for money than pre-mixed presses or the like!

In the US, a cordial is a liqueur, haha.  As you are in the UK it is...concentrated fruit juice?  I get tripped up by the shifts between US and UK English.  Would you be able to freeze your homemade cordials to keep them good longer, or would that ruin the flavor?  They sound delicious.

Whattt?? You crazy people! Yes, cordial is kind of like posh squash. Like Ribena for grown ups. You basically concentrate fruit juice and sugar and a bit of preservative (like lemon juice or citric acid from the chemist) and then dilute it between 6:1 and 10:1 depending on what you've ended up with.

I did freeze an elderflower cordial once, and it came out of the freezer kind of funny, but I think it had probably turned before it went in. We don't have a garden these days and not much kitchen space so I've not given it much thought, but it's something I ought to restart when we move.

With This Herring

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1207
  • Location: New York STATE, not city
  • TANSTAAFL!
Re: Non-Alcoholic Fancy Drinks
« Reply #19 on: October 20, 2016, 12:38:48 PM »
Another non-drinker here. I tend to go for fancy cordials - I have made my own in the past but they've always gone off before I could drink them up. But our local supermarket has an OK selection: elderflower, ginger, apple and pear, sometimes rhubarb or blackberry. You can make them up plain or with sparkling or tonic water and serve in a big jug with ice and some mint or lemon slices or whatever goes. I guess you could serve them hot in winter too. Best thing is they're very concentrated so much better value for money than pre-mixed presses or the like!

In the US, a cordial is a liqueur, haha.  As you are in the UK it is...concentrated fruit juice?  I get tripped up by the shifts between US and UK English.  Would you be able to freeze your homemade cordials to keep them good longer, or would that ruin the flavor?  They sound delicious.

Whattt?? You crazy people! Yes, cordial is kind of like posh squash. Like Ribena for grown ups. You basically concentrate fruit juice and sugar and a bit of preservative (like lemon juice or citric acid from the chemist) and then dilute it between 6:1 and 10:1 depending on what you've ended up with.

I did freeze an elderflower cordial once, and it came out of the freezer kind of funny, but I think it had probably turned before it went in. We don't have a garden these days and not much kitchen space so I've not given it much thought, but it's something I ought to restart when we move.

Haha, you are killing me!  (But +1 for rhyming!)  The US only uses the term "squash" to refer to gourds, and I had to look up "Ribena."
Another translation for US people:  In the UK, a "chemist" is short for "dispensing chemist," a pharmacist, not someone whose job it is to play with chemicals and try to invent a better plastic or a new artificial flavor.

But thank you for the instructions.  That sounds like it would make for some interesting beverages.


Hotstreak

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 838
Re: Non-Alcoholic Fancy Drinks
« Reply #20 on: October 20, 2016, 01:42:37 PM »
I take 80% soda water, 20% fruit juice, and top with citrus.  My favorite is Cranberry & Soda with Lime, and I also like grapefruit with meyer lemon, or apple with blood orange or a small cut of some sweet orange.

Because soda water makes up a huge part of the drink, it's fairly low calorie and low sugar.

Do you top with citrus slices, or fresh squeezed juice, or what? The grapefruit and lemon sounds great, as does the blood orange.

I usually pour the soda and juice from cans & garnish with fresh sliced fruit.

shelivesthedream

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 6747
  • Location: London, UK
Re: Non-Alcoholic Fancy Drinks
« Reply #21 on: October 20, 2016, 01:51:32 PM »
Another non-drinker here. I tend to go for fancy cordials - I have made my own in the past but they've always gone off before I could drink them up. But our local supermarket has an OK selection: elderflower, ginger, apple and pear, sometimes rhubarb or blackberry. You can make them up plain or with sparkling or tonic water and serve in a big jug with ice and some mint or lemon slices or whatever goes. I guess you could serve them hot in winter too. Best thing is they're very concentrated so much better value for money than pre-mixed presses or the like!

In the US, a cordial is a liqueur, haha.  As you are in the UK it is...concentrated fruit juice?  I get tripped up by the shifts between US and UK English.  Would you be able to freeze your homemade cordials to keep them good longer, or would that ruin the flavor?  They sound delicious.

Whattt?? You crazy people! Yes, cordial is kind of like posh squash. Like Ribena for grown ups. You basically concentrate fruit juice and sugar and a bit of preservative (like lemon juice or citric acid from the chemist) and then dilute it between 6:1 and 10:1 depending on what you've ended up with.

I did freeze an elderflower cordial once, and it came out of the freezer kind of funny, but I think it had probably turned before it went in. We don't have a garden these days and not much kitchen space so I've not given it much thought, but it's something I ought to restart when we move.

Haha, you are killing me!  (But +1 for rhyming!)  The US only uses the term "squash" to refer to gourds, and I had to look up "Ribena."
Another translation for US people:  In the UK, a "chemist" is short for "dispensing chemist," a pharmacist, not someone whose job it is to play with chemicals and try to invent a better plastic or a new artificial flavor.

But thank you for the instructions.  That sounds like it would make for some interesting beverages.

We use "squash" to refer to those pumpkiny-vegetabley things too. And do you honestly not have Ribena over there?? I thought that was a surefire winner! So do you just not have cordial in the US, or do you call it something else?

Bracken_Joy

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 8927
  • Location: Oregon
Re: Non-Alcoholic Fancy Drinks
« Reply #22 on: October 20, 2016, 03:00:42 PM »
Another non-drinker here. I tend to go for fancy cordials - I have made my own in the past but they've always gone off before I could drink them up. But our local supermarket has an OK selection: elderflower, ginger, apple and pear, sometimes rhubarb or blackberry. You can make them up plain or with sparkling or tonic water and serve in a big jug with ice and some mint or lemon slices or whatever goes. I guess you could serve them hot in winter too. Best thing is they're very concentrated so much better value for money than pre-mixed presses or the like!

In the US, a cordial is a liqueur, haha.  As you are in the UK it is...concentrated fruit juice?  I get tripped up by the shifts between US and UK English.  Would you be able to freeze your homemade cordials to keep them good longer, or would that ruin the flavor?  They sound delicious.

Whattt?? You crazy people! Yes, cordial is kind of like posh squash. Like Ribena for grown ups. You basically concentrate fruit juice and sugar and a bit of preservative (like lemon juice or citric acid from the chemist) and then dilute it between 6:1 and 10:1 depending on what you've ended up with.

I did freeze an elderflower cordial once, and it came out of the freezer kind of funny, but I think it had probably turned before it went in. We don't have a garden these days and not much kitchen space so I've not given it much thought, but it's something I ought to restart when we move.

Haha, you are killing me!  (But +1 for rhyming!)  The US only uses the term "squash" to refer to gourds, and I had to look up "Ribena."
Another translation for US people:  In the UK, a "chemist" is short for "dispensing chemist," a pharmacist, not someone whose job it is to play with chemicals and try to invent a better plastic or a new artificial flavor.

But thank you for the instructions.  That sounds like it would make for some interesting beverages.

We use "squash" to refer to those pumpkiny-vegetabley things too. And do you honestly not have Ribena over there?? I thought that was a surefire winner! So do you just not have cordial in the US, or do you call it something else?

Definitely no Ribena over here. I'm pretty sure we just don't have cordial at all? I mean, we have very sugary fruit juice blends, I'm guessing it's something like that. And we have cordial cherries, but those are like... cherries inside goo inside chocolate. It's a candy.

shelivesthedream

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 6747
  • Location: London, UK
Re: Non-Alcoholic Fancy Drinks
« Reply #23 on: October 21, 2016, 02:32:54 AM »
Another non-drinker here. I tend to go for fancy cordials - I have made my own in the past but they've always gone off before I could drink them up. But our local supermarket has an OK selection: elderflower, ginger, apple and pear, sometimes rhubarb or blackberry. You can make them up plain or with sparkling or tonic water and serve in a big jug with ice and some mint or lemon slices or whatever goes. I guess you could serve them hot in winter too. Best thing is they're very concentrated so much better value for money than pre-mixed presses or the like!

In the US, a cordial is a liqueur, haha.  As you are in the UK it is...concentrated fruit juice?  I get tripped up by the shifts between US and UK English.  Would you be able to freeze your homemade cordials to keep them good longer, or would that ruin the flavor?  They sound delicious.

Whattt?? You crazy people! Yes, cordial is kind of like posh squash. Like Ribena for grown ups. You basically concentrate fruit juice and sugar and a bit of preservative (like lemon juice or citric acid from the chemist) and then dilute it between 6:1 and 10:1 depending on what you've ended up with.

I did freeze an elderflower cordial once, and it came out of the freezer kind of funny, but I think it had probably turned before it went in. We don't have a garden these days and not much kitchen space so I've not given it much thought, but it's something I ought to restart when we move.

Haha, you are killing me!  (But +1 for rhyming!)  The US only uses the term "squash" to refer to gourds, and I had to look up "Ribena."
Another translation for US people:  In the UK, a "chemist" is short for "dispensing chemist," a pharmacist, not someone whose job it is to play with chemicals and try to invent a better plastic or a new artificial flavor.

But thank you for the instructions.  That sounds like it would make for some interesting beverages.

We use "squash" to refer to those pumpkiny-vegetabley things too. And do you honestly not have Ribena over there?? I thought that was a surefire winner! So do you just not have cordial in the US, or do you call it something else?

Definitely no Ribena over here. I'm pretty sure we just don't have cordial at all? I mean, we have very sugary fruit juice blends, I'm guessing it's something like that. And we have cordial cherries, but those are like... cherries inside goo inside chocolate. It's a candy.

Here are two typical recipes:

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/jun/01/make-your-own-blackcurrant-cordial

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/sep/12/how-to-make-blackberry-star-anise-cordial-recipe

I'd really recommend making your own if there isn't any equivalent in American shops! It will seem even fancier if it's a "special English recipe". :)

Bracken_Joy

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 8927
  • Location: Oregon
Re: Non-Alcoholic Fancy Drinks
« Reply #24 on: October 21, 2016, 08:50:47 AM »
I'd really recommend making your own if there isn't any equivalent in American shops! It will seem even fancier if it's a "special English recipe". :)

This is 100% true about Americans. And I will likely make some of this "special English cordial" for Christmas time when I have guests =P

Noodle

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1316
Re: Non-Alcoholic Fancy Drinks
« Reply #25 on: October 21, 2016, 11:20:26 AM »
I went through a "fancy beverage" phase this summer. Some of my keeper recipes:

Cucumber lemonade: https://smittenkitchen.com/2014/09/cucumber-lemonade/
Cucumber mint shrub: http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/cucumber_mint_shrub_soda/
Melon agua fresca: https://smittenkitchen.com/2009/08/melon-agua-fresca/
Pineapple Orange Julius: http://www.budgetbytes.com/2016/09/homemade-pineapple-orange-julius/

With This Herring

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1207
  • Location: New York STATE, not city
  • TANSTAAFL!
Re: Non-Alcoholic Fancy Drinks
« Reply #26 on: October 21, 2016, 03:35:47 PM »
Another non-drinker here. I tend to go for fancy cordials - I have made my own in the past but they've always gone off before I could drink them up. But our local supermarket has an OK selection: elderflower, ginger, apple and pear, sometimes rhubarb or blackberry. You can make them up plain or with sparkling or tonic water and serve in a big jug with ice and some mint or lemon slices or whatever goes. I guess you could serve them hot in winter too. Best thing is they're very concentrated so much better value for money than pre-mixed presses or the like!

In the US, a cordial is a liqueur, haha.  As you are in the UK it is...concentrated fruit juice?  I get tripped up by the shifts between US and UK English.  Would you be able to freeze your homemade cordials to keep them good longer, or would that ruin the flavor?  They sound delicious.

Whattt?? You crazy people! Yes, cordial is kind of like posh squash. Like Ribena for grown ups. You basically concentrate fruit juice and sugar and a bit of preservative (like lemon juice or citric acid from the chemist) and then dilute it between 6:1 and 10:1 depending on what you've ended up with.

I did freeze an elderflower cordial once, and it came out of the freezer kind of funny, but I think it had probably turned before it went in. We don't have a garden these days and not much kitchen space so I've not given it much thought, but it's something I ought to restart when we move.

Haha, you are killing me!  (But +1 for rhyming!)  The US only uses the term "squash" to refer to gourds, and I had to look up "Ribena."
Another translation for US people:  In the UK, a "chemist" is short for "dispensing chemist," a pharmacist, not someone whose job it is to play with chemicals and try to invent a better plastic or a new artificial flavor.

But thank you for the instructions.  That sounds like it would make for some interesting beverages.

We use "squash" to refer to those pumpkiny-vegetabley things too. And do you honestly not have Ribena over there?? I thought that was a surefire winner! So do you just not have cordial in the US, or do you call it something else?

Definitely no Ribena over here. I'm pretty sure we just don't have cordial at all? I mean, we have very sugary fruit juice blends, I'm guessing it's something like that. And we have cordial cherries, but those are like... cherries inside goo inside chocolate. It's a candy.

Here are two typical recipes:

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/jun/01/make-your-own-blackcurrant-cordial

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/sep/12/how-to-make-blackberry-star-anise-cordial-recipe

I'd really recommend making your own if there isn't any equivalent in American shops! It will seem even fancier if it's a "special English recipe". :)

So, I don't think I've ever had blackcurrants in my life, but they sound good. :)

Most juices in America are sold at the concentration intended for drinking.  You can purchase frozen orange juice and lemonade concentrate in cardboard cans, but I think those are the only juices sold that way (and you have to make up the entire can at once).  There is a company called Schwann's that delivers primarily frozen, primarily fancier foods that used to sell non-frozen little cardboard cartons (such as for children's milk at school) of juice concentrate in flavors such as apple cherry berry, but I don't think that is one of their products any longer, and it was intended as a beverage for children.  I think the market died down when the press for 100% juice got strong, instead of the 5% or so that such concentrates give.

If we have any equivalent to UK squash, which I doubt, we would just call it juice concentrate.  Here, nonstandard fruit juices (anything but orange, grapefruit, and maybe tomato in Bloody Mary drinks) are really considered a child's drink, unless it is one of those super-fancy onces like Bolthouse Farms juice or Naked juice.  We also would tend to just reconstitute with normal water instead of sparkling/carbonated water.

I could be missing something, though.  The US is a rather large country, and I've only lived in one corner of it.

And I too will have to try those fancy, English drinks. :)

Metric Mouse

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 5278
  • FU @ 22. F.I.R.E before 23
Re: Non-Alcoholic Fancy Drinks
« Reply #27 on: October 21, 2016, 06:23:10 PM »
Nice reference to the Schwann's company. Takes me back to my childhood.

sparkytheop

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 992
Re: Non-Alcoholic Fancy Drinks
« Reply #28 on: October 21, 2016, 08:19:47 PM »
I need to get the recipe from my mom, but I had rhubarb punch for my wedding reception (many years ago, so not sure if she still has it).  There is one on taste of home: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/pink-rhubarb-punch I just don't remember having gelatin, but maybe strawberries.  We made it ourselves and you can store it in the freezer.

Chai blossoms are pretty good too: http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/chai-blossom