Serving refreshing drinks at your party is sometimes as important as what food you give to your guests. You'll want to impress and give them something to remember. And you don't need to just use fruit as a garnish. Let it star in your drinks. Fruit makes a healthy and delicious base ingredient or garnish for an endless variety of different beverages you can serve to your guests.
Here are some ideas for using fresh fruit in drinks:
Fruit smoothies
Few people realize how easy fruit smoothies are to concoct. All you need to do is add in a blender and let the party begin. Try mixing a half cup of milk, a half cup of plain yogurt, one cup of your fruit of choice (blueberries, strawberries, bananas) and one tablespoon of honey. Blend these ingredients together until smooth. Pour into a tall glass and garnish with whatever fruit you used in the drink. This is a refreshing end to a meal or in place of dessert.
Agua Fresca
This light bodied fruit drink is a traditional Mexican beverage that is commonly sold by street vendors and made from whatever fruit happens to be in season. Start by making your agua fresca mix. For this you'll need, four cups of sliced and hulled fresh berries, one cup sugar, and one cup water. Place ingredients in a bowl and lightly mash the berries. Cover bowl with plastic film and place in the refrigerator for four hours. Remove the contents and pour into blender. Mix until smooth. Strain the mixture into another bowl and discard the seeds and pulp. Add another seven cups of water to the mixture. Chill for several hours before serving. Add whole berries as a garnish if you like. Variations - you can try using watermelon, pineapple, kiwi, cantaloupe or just about any other fruit you like.
Sangria
This traditional Spanish beverage certainly takes advantage of fresh fruit to make a delicious, refreshing mixture. There are many varieties of sangria in white or red. However, this recipe really kicks up the fruit to make a yummy drink that might get you in trouble because it's so enjoyable. Take one bottle of a light red table wine (nothing chunky or heavy like a merlot or a cabernet sauvignon) and a crisp white wine (like a pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc). Pour together in a large container. Add one cup of sugar, one cup of freshly squeezed orange juice, one fourth cup of freshly squeeze lemon and lime juices, one fourth cup of Grand Marnier liquor, one sliced fresh orange, one fresh sliced lemon, one fresh sliced lime, and a cup of green seedless grapes. Mix well together and let it sit for 4-5 hours. Serve over ice, spooning the liquid out and adding some of the fruit to each glass.
Watermelon Martini
Serve up a sweet, refreshing, and unique drink to your guests that will have them begging for more. It'll take some time to prep this drink, but it's worth the effort. You'll need one cup of watermelon juice that's acquired by pressing the watermelon through cheesecloth to strain the juice from the fruit. Add the watermelon juice into a shaker with half a cup of your favorite non-flavored vodka (although there is watermelon vodka now available that will work fine), one fourth a cup of simple syrup (sugar and water mixed together), and two tablespoons lime juice. Add ice to the shaker and mix well. Strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with a wedge of fresh watermelon. This is the perfect cocktail for a summer party and sure to be a hit with your guests.
Misha Anatolia writes about party planning for various occasions, including bridal shower food. Be sure to also visit the food section on Misha's site about bridal shower ideas for more recipe ideas for bridal showers and other parties and events.
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