Cold Drink
Lavender Lemonade
This delightfully tart drink with a hint of gingery spice is one of several nonalcoholic cocktails that mixologist Duggan McDonnell serves to customers at Frisson restaurant, in San Francisco.
Placebo
This sweet-tart liquor-less cocktail is very popular at restaurant Frisson, in San Francisco, which mixologist Duggan McDonnell has helped turn into a drinking destination.
Lemon Verbena Soda
This refreshing, slightly sweet soda is one of several kinds that Erin O'Shea, sommelier at Clio, in Boston, pairs with chef Ken Oringer's exciting food as part of the restaurant's nonalcoholic drink program.
The Left Bank
The wine and OJ supply antioxidants. (Amounts for a pitcher, about 20 drinks for 8 guests, are in parentheses.)
Carrot, Granny Smith, and Ginger Juice
Not all juicers are created equal — the amount of juice extracted varies from brand to brand. The weight ranges for the ingredients below will ensure that you have enough juice.
Sun Tea with Mint
Healthy bonus: Antioxidants from tea, 5 calories per glass
Root Beer Granita Float
A childhood favorite gets fancy: Root beer granita is topped with vanilla ice cream, then drizzled with root beer syrup. Try making this with a microbrew root beer.
Homemade Ginger Beer
Homemade ginger beer is concentrated, dry, and noncarbonated, making it ideal for mixing directly into cocktails.
The ginger beer's appearance will be cloudy; this is natural.
Lemonade... from Scratch
Editor's note: This recipe is from Brini Maxwell's Guide to Gracious Living. For Maxwell's tips on throwing a summer pool party, click here.
This simple, refreshing drink really is easy to make and much better than a mix. By the way, these measurements are approximate. Adjust the recipe to your own taste, whether that's on the sweet or the tart end of the spectrum. You can also perk this up for your drinking friends with a dash of Bacardi Limon.
Ginger Pineapple Sparkling Punch
A splash of vodka or gin transforms this lively punch into a festive cocktail.
Fresh Tomato Juice Cocktail
Try this refreshing drink on a sizzling-hot summer day. Add a splash of aquavit (we like Linie brand), then serve on the rocks with a parsley sprig, and you have a Norwegian Mary. As with any fresh-squeezed juice, this is best served the day it's made.
Vanilla Strawberry Cooler
A vanilla bean is an extravagance that lends a note of sophistication to this drink, but extract is a fine substitute.
Pineapple Orange Batidos
Long before smoothies swept our nation, Puerto Rico and Cuba were whipping up their own fruit shakes, known as batidos.
Plum Limeade
Adding rum or vodka to this plum limeade makes a delicious cocktail. With or without alcohol, the limeade should be served immediately, since it will quickly darken if left standing.
Iced Ginger Tea with Lemon and Cloves
This is a traditional homemade drink that's found all across West Africa. It's sometimes called ginger beer, though it's not alcoholic.