Boozy (or not) Cherry Fizz

I love Summer! I dread the gloomy Winter months of endless grey skies and rain.  Having said that, the great British Summer can be a real mixed bag weather wise and you can bet that it will either be a scorcher or a washout - there never seems to be an in between.

When Waitrose asked me to develop a Summer recipe as part of their Taste of Summer Campaign, I immediately thought of a thirst quenching drink with the fruity flavours of the season that can be either a mocktail or cocktail for casual picnics or special summer gatherings.

Boozy (or not) Cherry Fizz

250g frozen or fresh pitted cherries

handful of fresh mint leaves

4 Tblsp/60ml lime juice (I used 3 limes)

zest from one lime

3 handfuls of ice, if using fresh cherries

500ml sparkling water/soda water or lemonade

sugar to taste, I used 2 Tblsp

150ml - 250ml rum or vodka (optional)

I used my Froothie power blender to make this drink.  If you're using a normal blender, just be sure to break the ice up a bit before adding it to the blender and add it gradually.  Blenders can be damaged by trying to blend too much ice at once.  

Put the cherries, mint leaves, lime juice and zest and half of the ice along with the sparkling water/soda water.  Blend well until completely combined.  Add rum/vodka if using, the rest of the ice and the sugar if needed.  Blend until mixed, then serve.

Throughout the summer months, Waitrose are asking people to share their favourite summer flavours on social media.  Whether it’s an ice cream at the seaside, burgers on the BBQ or a cold crisp glass of wine, they're are going to be celebrating the nation’s diversity of tastes this summer and providing inspiration all summer long.

Waitrose will be rewarding lucky members of their community for sharing their favourite tastes with a number of exclusive food experiences – including an invite to a barbecue event with Heston Blumenthal at one of his pubs in Bray, a cocktail and canapés course at the Waitrose Cookery School in London and a complete summer party menu catered for by the Waitrose Entertaining team.

All you have to do is tell Waitrose about your favourite #TasteOfSummer on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for the chance to win one of their exciting summer food experiences.  Happy sharing, and enjoy the summer!

* I was compensated for my time, expertise and ingredients used when creating this recipe *