SUMMER DRINKS.

Waikato Times, Volume 104, Issue 17585, 14 December 1928, Page 5

SUMMER DRINKS.

FOR TENNIS PARTIES. SHERRY AND SHANDY-GAFF. New drinks are good, but old ones are better. Here are some once famous but forgotten drinks to offer your guests at a tennis party—long and cool, tried and tested, yet with just that touch of originality which gives distinction. An excellent imitation of champagne can be made by slicing up a large lemon with one ounce of bruised ginger, one ounce of tartaric acid, and iUb of white sugar. Pour on to the mixture 2§ gallons of boiling water, and let cool till tepid. Then add one gill of yeast and allow to stand in a warm place—preferably in the sun — from 12 to 16 hours. Bottle your drink next, taking care to ram the corks well home, and to wire them down securely. The "champagne" will keep for at least a summer, but should be allowed not less than three days to mature. Ice the bottles before serving, and let an expert uncork and pour them out. A most attractive deep ruby-colour-ed drink —as a famous chef once said, most people cat, and drink with their eyes—can be made from black currants. Crush up one pound of the fruit with the same quantity of white sugar and either the .juice of a lemon or of half a pound of red currants. Arid one gallon of boiling water and allow to cool. When cool, pour into a large glass jug and stand in ice. Just, before serving, but not earlier, drop in a few lumps of ice to give that delicious clinking sound so templing to the oars of the thirsty, a sprig of borage is a good addition to this drink.

"Sherry cobbler" of our grandcrushed ice an hour before the drinks are wanted, and into each pour two wineglassfuls of dry light sherry which has previously been mixed with a tablespoonful of castor sugar and haif a tablespoon of lemon juice. Tt is delicious, and should be drunk through straws. Another summer sherry drink Is made from six tablespoons of the wine to two of brandy and a few shreds of lemon peel. To these add a syrup made from 1 i oz of sugar and 1 oz of water. Next add a bottle of cheap claret, and stand in ice. Just before serving (in glass jugs) add the contents of a siphon of soda water which has also been in ice. Men love shandy-gaff made from 1$ parts of draught ale to one part of ginger beer. Ice, and put a small lump of ire in each long glass.

For another excellent drink make as much China tea as you think necessary—strong, 1* teaspoons to each half-pint of water. After a quarter of an hour pour it off and add one teaspoon of brandy to every half-pint of water and a slice of lemon to every pint. Ice before serving.