Summer is upon us, New Zealand, and it's time to bask in the warm weather and spend some time with friends and family.
With an abundance of fresh fruit available at our fingertips, us Kiwis are spoilt for tantalising treats on a hot summer's day - and why not put them into a drink.
Here's a selection of cocktail recipes you can create at home using some of Aotearoa's home-grown fruits.
Cherry vodka soda
Ingredients:
- 125ml freshly squeezed lime juice
- 125ml vodka
- 500ml refrigerated soda water
- Crushed ice
- Lime wedges
- Fresh cherries
For the cherry syrup:
- 1 1/2 cups pitted fresh cherries
- 80ml water
- 2 tablespoons sugar
To make the cherry syrup, put the cherries, water, and sugar in a saucepan and heat over medium-low heat for six to eight minutes until the cherries are soft. Place into a blender and mix until the cherries are pureed and everything is combined.
Then in a large jug, combine lime juice, vodka, and the cherry syrup mixture. Stir and place in the fridge for an hour. Just before serving, pour in the cold seltzer water. Pour mixture over crushed ice and garnish with lime wedges, cherries, and fresh mint.
This recipe is enough for four drinks.
Strawberry daiquiri
Ingredients:
- 250ml white rum
- 3 cups strawberries, washed and their stems removed
- 50ml fresh lime juice - can be adjusted to taste
- Two handfuls of ice
- A pinch of salt
- Lime wedges
Cut strawberries into rough quarters and add to a blender with rum, ice, lime juice, and salt. Blend until your desired consistency is reached. If you want it slushier, add more ice. Pour into a glass and garnish with a strawberry and lime wedge.
Feijoa caipiroska
Ingredients:
- 60ml vodka
- Two feijoas
- One lime, cut into six wedges
- One tsp raw sugar
- One sprig of fresh mint to garnish
- Crushed ice
- Salt
Scoop out the inside of two feijoas per drink and whiz in a blender for five seconds. Pour into a glass, add the sugar, squeeze in the lime juice, add the wedges to the drink, then muddle just until the sugar is dissolved. Salt the rim of another short glass and fill it completely with crushed ice and strain your feijoa mix over top. Garnish with mint and extra lime, if desired.
Blueberry mojito
Ingredients:
- Eight blueberries (fresh, or frozen and thawed) and more for serving
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- Fresh mint leaves
- 60ml white rum
- Ice
- Soda water
- Lime wedge
To a cocktail shaker, add the blueberries, lime juice, and eight mint leaves and muddle. Add rum and stir well. Pour into a glass filled with ice leaving a few centimetres of room, then top with soda water. Garnish with blueberries, mint leaves, and a lime wedge.
Enjoy!
