Party Drinks

 Sugar Syrup

• 4 cups sugar
• 1 cup water

Combine sugar and water in saucepan.

Stir over low heat until sugar is dissolved.

Simmer until liquid is clear (about 3 minutes).

Cool. Store in a glass jar, refrigerated.

Makes about 3-1/4 cups.

Iced Tea (black tea)

If you  have sugar syrup already made, you can leave out the sugar and stir in sugar syrup to taste in individual glasses.

Serves 4-6

• 12 Orange Pekoe tea bags
• 3L water
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 lemons, cut into 1/8 inch slices

1. Bring 3L water to a gentle boil, then remove from heat.

2. Add tea bags, let steep 5-7 minutes.

3. Remove tea bags and stir in sugar until dissolved.

4. Chill in a pitcher in the fridge.

4. Stir in ice and lemon slices just before serving (lemon rind will make tea bitter if left in)

Fruit Punch

• 1 can pineapple juice
• 1 can grapefruit juice
• 1 can frozen concentrated orange juice
• 4 to 6 cups water
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1 bottle club soda
• 1 to 2 lemons or oranges, sliced
• 1 package frozen strawberries or grapes.

Lemonade #1

Makes 1 quart. For quick lemonade, use instant dissolving sugar and stir directly into cold water, then add lemon juice

• 1/2 to 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 to 4 cups boiling water
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

1. Dissolve sugar in water as per sugar syrup instructions above.
2. Refrigerate, when cool stir in lemon juice.
3. Serve ice cold with crushed ice or ice cubes.

Lemonade #2 or Limeade

Makes 8 cups. Substitute fresh lime juice for lemon juice to make limeade.

• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 1-1/2 cups fresh lemon juice (6-8 large lemons) or lime juice
• 5 cups cold water
• garnish: lemon or lime slices, fresh mint sprigs

1. Stir together sugar and 1/2 cup boiling water until sugar dissolves.
2. Stir in lemon juice.
3. Stir in 5 cups cold water.
4. Garnish if desired.

Birthday Party Lemonade

1. Add a little honey to lemonade made fresh or from frozen concentrate.
2. Just before serving, add a little ginger ale or soda water to make it fizzy.
3. Pour over ice and float a strawberry or maraschino cherry on top.

Lychee Slush

• 1 540 mL can lychees
• ginger ale
• apple juice
• lychee liqueur or plain vodka
• limes
• ice
• raspberries (for garnish)

1. To make six drinks, in a blender puree 1/2 the can of lychees with 2/3 cup syrup from the can.
2. Blend in until smooth: 3/4 cup ginger ale, 1/2 cup apple juice, 2 Tbsp lime juice  and 1/3 cup lychee liqueur OR vodka
3. Add 2 cups ice and crush until slushy.
4. Pour into 6 glasses and garnish with lime wedges and fresh raspberries.

Old Fashioned

• 2 oz bourbon
• 1 tsp apple cider syrup
• 3 dashes angostura bitters
• 1 strip orange peel

Rum Punch

• crushed ice
• 2 cups amber rum
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 2 shots grenadine
• 2 shots cane or maple syrup
• 1 shot orange syrup
• 5 dashes Angostura bitters

Half fill a pitcher with crushed ice, add ingredients, stir.

Pour punch over crushed ice in highball glasses.

Add a stir stick.

Frozen Habitant (Whisky Sour)

• 4 oz Canadian rye whisky
• 2 oz pure  maple syrup
• 2 oz strained fresh lemon juice
• 6 dashes Angostura bitters
• 2 cups ice cubes
• paper straws

1. Stir together: whisky, maple syrup, lemon juice, bitters.
2. Cover and freeze at least 6 hours and up to 2 days. This won't get solid because of the alcohol, but will get very cold.
3. Place 2 lowball glasses in freezer just until chilled.
4. Pour drink  mixture in a blender and add 2 cups ice cubes. Blend until smooth.
5. Divide among chilled glasses and serve with straws.