This holiday season, I am not stressing like previous years to buy triple sec, flavoured liqueurs and flavoured vodkas – things that I don’t use often. I’ve decided to focus more on natural fruit juices and purees that can be made into drinks – alcoholic and non-alcoholic.
The alcoholic conversion is as simple as spiking the drinks with your favourite rum (dark or white) or plain vodka.
Go with the flow and stock up on fruits that are currently in season such as passion fruit, watermelon, soursop, guava, pineapple and golden apple (June plum) among others.
In addition to the fruit purees, make simple syrup – equal volumes of water and sugar brought to a boil for 1 – 2 minutes and then cooled to room temperature.
The fruit purees and syrup can all be made days in advance and refrigerated.
Keep a stock of ripe bananas on hand to thicken drinks, fresh limes or lemons for juicing and fresh-squeezed orange juice to add to your drinks.
To make your drinks look as attractive as they are tasty, serve them in glassware of different shapes, sizes, designs and colour.
I’ve also been playing with flavours and these are among my favourites: ripe golden apple with passion fruit, soursop and guava, mango and guava, banana and ginger.
The good thing about these drinks is that they are all to be made to suit your taste – sweet, tart, fruity, alcoholic or non-alcoholic.
Make it exciting by filling jars with fruit purees/fruit juices and letting your guests come up with their own flavour combos.
