Sensational summer punches

Want a change from Seabreeze and sticky cocktails this summer? Alice King has some delectable recipes to quench your thirst when the heat is on.

Summer garden parties are a good excuse to serve some really tasty, refreshing drinks. Make them up beforehand in a jug - it saves messing about opening bottles and finding the corkscrew, which always gets lost in the garden. Don't worry about exact quantities in the following recipes - it's really down to a matter of personal taste and you can adjust them as you go along.

Sangria
Makes 18 wine glasses

2 x 75cl chilled bottles of an inexpensive Spanish red, or something like Bulgarian Cabernet Sauvignon
1/2 tumbler of brandy or a favourite fruit-based liqueur such as Cointreau (optional)
about 1 bottle soda water or sparkling mineral water, chilled
sliced seasonal fruit, such as apples, pears, oranges, lemons, peaches, strawberries and raspberries
ice cubes

Simply mix together in a large bowl or jug and enjoy!

Pimms
While the most common Pimms around is the gin-based No 1 variety, certain specialist off-licences still stock the vodka-based one (No 6), which is delicious. It has the same label as the gin-based one but the print is in purple rather than in red.

1 part Pimms No 1 or No 6
1 part lemonade or, if you prefer your Pimms less sweet, ginger ale
a dash of any favourite liqueur such as Cointreau, Calvados or an extra slug of spirit such as gin or vodka to give it more kick
slices of fruit such as apples, oranges, and strawberries
a few sticks of cucumber
a sprig of fresh mint or borage flowers

Mix together and serve from a jug or a bowl.

Red Wine Cup
Makes 12 wine glasses

75ml water
2 rounded dsp sugar
2 x 75cl bottles light red wine, such as Beaujolais
1 glass dry vermouth, such as dry white Martini
½ bottle lemonade
thin strips of orange rind

  1. Heat the water, dissolve the sugar in it and leave to cool.
  2. Then simply pour the wine into a bowl or jug, add the syrup, the vermouth and the orange rind, and chill for a few hours. Stir in the lemonade just before serving.

Sinking Sun
This one's easy to make in a beer glass.
Serves 1

1 can chilled cider - dry or sweet depending on your taste
½ tumbler of whisky
strip of lemon peel
crushed ice

Simply mix together and enjoy. But be warned, you might sink before the sun does!

Rosé Cup
Makes 14 wine glasses

2 x 75cl bottles chilled rosé
½ tumbler Southern Comfort
450ml tonic water
1 peeled and segmented mandarin, tangerine or clementine

  1. Mix all the ingredients together and serve.
  2. If you prefer it to be a bit sweeter, either stir in some clear honey, dissolve some sugar in water to make a syrup and add this, or use a tin of mandarins and add the syrup as well.

Champagne Float
This is a very more-ish alcoholic version of that all-time favourite, Ice-cream Soda.
Makes 1 tall glass

1 large scoop vanilla ice-cream
1 tbsp cherry brandy
dash of Cointreau (optional)
1 part Brut fizz, chilled
raspberries, to serve

  1. Put the ice-cream in a tall glass. Add the cherry brandy and Cointreau, if using, and top up with the fizz.
  2. Stir gently to mix, then add the raspberries. Serve with a straw and soda spoon.

Cold Tea Punch
Serves 4-6

a pot of your favourite tea
sugar to taste
juice of 2 lemons
1 cinnamon stick
1 vanilla pod
orange and lemon sliced
a slug of brandy, plus a slug of dark rum, plus a slug of a fruit liqueur such as Grand Marnier (all optional)

  1. Make the tea in a pot or jug and add the sugar so that it dissolves.
  2. Add the lemon juice, cinnamon stick, vanilla pod, sliced orange and lemon, and the alcohol, if using.
  3. Then simply chill or, if you are running out of time, add ice cubes.

Raisin and Ginger Punch
Makes 6 wine glasses

1 tbsp clear honey
50g raisins
juice and rind of 1 lemon or 2 limes
600ml apple juice
600ml ginger ale
1 apple, sliced
1 orange, sliced
ice cubes
sprigs of mint

  1. Mix the honey, raisins, lemon juice and rind together and leave to marinate for at least 2 hours.
  2. Mix the apple juice and ginger ale with the raisin and honey mixture. Add the apple and orange and some ice cubes and serve with sprigs of mint.
  3. If you want to make this alcoholic, add a decent slug of Stones Green Ginger Wine.