Libations

Sipping in the Summertime

By Dianne Boate and Robert Meyer

On the 4th of July, we were invited for cocktails in Sausalito before the evening of fireworks began. A lovely bottle of chilled champagne was opened, and we sat sipping and enjoying it in anticipation of the evening festivities. A little later, we heard our host rattling around in his kitchen and idly wondered what he was doing. The curiosity factor immediately increased at the sound of clinking ice. We sat still, listening to the conversation, ears attuned to the kitchen. Our host, Joe Diamond, reappeared with pale pink drinks in his hand and a big smile on his face.

We tasted, and exclaimed immediately how delicious the drink was. Since the smoothly blended ingredients did not reveal themselves, we asked. "Oh, it’s my version of the Cosmopolitan," Joe answered. "Please, please, please send the recipe." He did and here it is:

Unexpected Dividends

Cleaning out clutter has its own rewards, but a decision to tackle the food and wine files brought a few miracles right away. The long-lost Iced Lemon Ginger Tea recipe was found! A reminder about Cucumber Water! A very good Margarita recipe!

Nonalcoholic

Let us begin with two delicious refreshments without alcohol. The Iced Lemon Ginger Tea first appeared in Gourmet magazine and was later reprinted by the San Francisco Chronicle where I found it a few years ago.

Peel ginger and cut crosswise into thin slices. Combine the ginger, water, honey, sugar, and zest in a medium saucepan; boil until sugar dissolves. Remove pan from heat and steep tea, covered, for 45 minutes. Uncover and cool completely. Remove ginger and lemon zest with slotted spoon and discard. Pour tea into a pitcher and add lemon juice. Chill tea, covered until cold, up to 2 days. Serve over ice in tall glasses and garnish with lemon slices if desired. Yields about 7 cups.

Notes from Dianne: Sensational taste. I saw Robert slipping some rum into his glass. We all agreed making ice cubes with it was a good idea. One friend said that the recipe contains two things she absolutely doesn’t like and she had at least three helpings!

Notes from Dianne: This is a good water-in-the-glass for a luncheon and a very pleasant all-day drinking water, especially if you are a person who does not enjoy drinking water, and you know you should.

With Alcohol

After producing so-so margaritas, Dianne spotted a "secret" recipe from a famed New Mexico cooking school teacher that was printed in an airline magazine. (You must keep sharp wherever you are!) Her name is Jane Butel. She said the proportion should be 2 parts tequila to 1 part orange liqueur to 1 part lemon or lime juice. Simple: 2 to 1 to 1. Ounces, cups, or bottles, the drink will always taste the same. Why fiddle with recipes that give you nightmares trying to figure out how much 1/4 ounce is in liquid measure?