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Story originally printed in the La Crosse Tribune or online at www.lacrossetribune.com

Published - Sunday, July 20, 2008

Fruitful ideas for summer drinks

By Sharon Thompson | McClatchy Newspapers

A glass of sweet tea or lemonade reminds us of porches and summer nights.

The best way to get a really good glass of sweet tea or lemonade is to brew tea bags and squeeze lemons. Creative cooks are adding fruit juices to tea and lemonade and mixing some very refreshing beverages to make our hammocks and rockers even more pleasurable.

Lemon-Berry Pitcher Punch

1 quart lemonade

1 cup cran-raspberry juice

1 pint blueberries

1 pint raspberries

1-1/2 cups 7-Up

Combine lemonade, cran-raspberry juice, blueberries and raspberries in a large pitcher, and stir well. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours. Just before serving, add 7-Up.

Makes 8 servings.

From “Sangrias & Pitcher Drinks” by Kim Haasarud

Southern Iced Tea Punch

2 family-size tea bags

1/2 cup granulated sugar

6-ounce can frozen lemonade concentrate

12-ounce can pineapple-orange concentrate

1 lemon or orange, sliced, optional

2 mint sprigs, optional

Bring 8 cups water to boil. Add tea bags; steep for 5 minutes. Remove tea bags, and discard. Stir in sugar until dissolved. Pour the tea into a gallon pitcher. Add the concentrates, stir and chill, as long as 24 hours in advance. Before serving, fill the rest of the pitcher with ice cubes, and add fruit slices and mint sprigs.

Makes 16 servings.

Sweet Tea

3 cups water

2 family-size tea bags

1/2 to 1 cup sugar

7 cups cold water

Bring 3 cups water to a boil in a tea kettle. Place tea bags in a 4-quart measure and pour hot water over tea bags. Cover and steep 10 minutes.

Remove and discard tea bags. Add desired amount of sugar, stirring until dissolved. Pour into a 2-quart pitcher and add cold water to fill. Serve over ice.

To make peach ice tea: Add 1 bottle (33.8-ounces) peach nectar and

1/4 cup lemon juice to 1-1/2 quarts of sweet tea made with 1/2 cup sugar. Stir well. Serve over ice.

To make tea ’n’ lemonade: Stir together 2 quarts of sweet tea made with 1/2 cup sugar and 1 cup thawed lemonade concentrate. Stir well. Serve over ice.

Real Old-Fashioned Lemonade

6 lemons, juiced

1 cup sugar, or to taste

4 cups cold water

1 lemon, cut into cartwheel slices

Ice cubes

In a large pitcher, combine lemon juice and sugar; stir to dissolve the sugar. Add the remaining ingredients, and blend well. Makes 6 servings.

To make pink lemonade: Add a few drops of red food coloring.

Fresh Fruit Lemonade

1 cup sliced ripe strawberries, whole -raspberries or blueberries

1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (6 lemons per 1 cup)

1 cup sugar

4 cups cold water

1 fresh lemon, unpeeled, cut in cartwheel slices

Ice cubes

In blender or food processor, combine berries, lemon juice and sugar; blend until smooth. Pour into large pitcher. Add cold water, lemon cartwheel slices and ice; stir well. Garnish each serving with additional fruit and/or fresh mint leaves, if desired. Makes 6 servings.

From Sunkist

Hibiscus Tea Punch

4 cups boiling water

8 hibiscus tea bags

1½ cups sugar

1 bottle (25.4 ounces) sparkling apple cider, chilled

Lemon wedges

Pour 4 cups boiling water over tea bags. Cover; steep 10 minutes. Discard tea bags. Stir in sugar until dissolved. Chill until ready to serve. Stir in sparkling cider, and serve over ice. Garnish, if desired. Makes about 8 cups.

Source: Coastal Living

Blackberry Ice Tea

3 cups fresh or frozen blackberries, thawed

1-1/4 cups sugar

1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint

Pinch of baking soda

4 cups boiling water

2 family-size tea bags

2-1/2 cups cold water

Fresh blackberries and fresh mint sprigs, for garnish

Combine blackberries and sugar in large container. Crush blackberries with wooden spoon. Add mint and baking soda. Set aside.

Pour 4 cups boiling water over tea bags; cover and let stand 3 minutes. Discard tea bags.

Pour tea over blackberry -mixture; let stand at room temperature 1 hour. Pour tea through a wire-mesh strainer into a large pitcher, discarding solids. Add 2½ cups cold water, stirring until sugar dissolves. Cover and chill until ready to serve. Makes about 7½ cups.

For the garnish, cut desired amount of wooden skewers into 5-inch lengths; then place fresh blackberries on skewers. Add a sprig of mint.

Source: Southern Living

Tropical Lemonade

2 cups fresh-squeezed lemon juice

6 cups water

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon ground ginger

16 1-inch pieces fresh pineapple

Combine fresh-squeezed lemon juice, water, sugar and ginger, and blend well. Chill. Place ice cubes and 4 pineapple pieces in tall glass and add chilled ginger lemonade. Makes 4 servings.

Source: Sunkist