Veterans of Austin summers know how to greet the heat: with flavorful, ice-cold drinks, from retro lemonade to innovative margaritas, preferably made in large batches to be served and enjoyed with friends and family.
We found easy-to-make recipes from Austin restaurants and paired them with deliciously designed vessels for a Hill Country-inspired afternoon of thirst-quenching entertaining.
Fresh and colorful
Opal Divine’s Morning Glory
8 mint leaves
1½ oz. simple syrup or 6 white sugar cubes
2 fresh-pressed limes or 4 oz. lime juice
3 oz. Waterloo gin
3 oz. pomegranate juice
Club soda
Fill carafe with ice.
In a pint glass, muddle mint, simple syrup or sugar and lime juice then add gin and pomegranate juice.
Add ice and shake like a rock star. Pour in carafe and top with club soda. Add a lime wheel to garnish on the side of carafe.
Fills 33.6 ounce carafe.
Pinch carafe, $22.95 at Crate & Barrel.
Spain meets the Hill Country
Lavender-infused Sangria
This recipe from Terry Thompson-Anderson’s “The Texas Hill Country” is credited to Travis “Sibby” Barrett at Onion Creek Kitchens.
Lavender syrup
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. of dried culinary lavender buds
In a small saucepan, bring water and sugar to a boil and stir until dissolved. Remove from heat and add lavender buds. Cover and allow to stand for 1 hour. Strain into a glass container, cover and keep refrigerated for up to a few weeks.
Sangria
1 large orange, sliced
1 lime, sliced
1 lemon, sliced
¼ cup good brandy
Lavender syrup, to taste (see above)
1 bottle red wine
1 bottle club soda
In a large glass pitcher, combine the fruit slices. Add the brandy, lavender syrup and wine. Stir to blend well. Refrigerate until well chilled, about 2 hours. When ready to serve, fill wine glasses with ice and fill glasses one-half to two-thirds with the sangria mixture. Top with desired amount of club soda. Take out a few of the fruit slices and add to glasses.
Fills 48-ounce pitcher.
Ona pitcher, $24.95, and stemless wine glasses, $2.95 each, both at Crate & Barrel.
Take the sting out of summer
P. Terry’s Lemonade
1¼ cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice
¾ cup sugar
Water
Combine lemon juice and sugar in a pitcher. Fill with with filtered cold water. Stir, add ice cubes and slices of lemon.
Fills a 32-ounce pitcher.
Beehive 2.4-gallon beverage dispenser from Home Essentials, $26.95 at Walmart.
Southern classic, with a twist
Zhi’s Sparkling Jasmine Iced Tea
4 Tbsp. dry Jasmine Green Zhi Tea
3 cups steaming water
3 cups sparkling water or sparkling wine
Ice
Honey syrup (optional)
Steep the tea in 3 cups of hot water for 3 minutes. Be mindful of water temperature and time as to not oversteep the tea. Pour steeped tea into half-gallon pitcher over ice.
Add sparkling water or wine to the pitcher of tea. Taste. You can sweeten further using a honey syrup if you like. To make a honey syrup, simply melt 2 parts honey to 1 part hot water.
Pour over cups filled with ice and enjoy. Garnish with whole strawberries.
Fills 64-ounce pitcher.
Miguel wine carafe, $21.95, and Miguel wine glasses, $7.95, both at Crate & Barrel.
Life’s a pitcher of cherries
Liberty Tavern’s Bergstrom
10 oz. lime juice
20 oz. Waterloo gin (substitute club soda for nonalcoholic version)
30 Maraschino cherries
5 tsp. simple syrup
Assemble all ingredients in a pitcher and stir. Serve in a glass with ice.
Fills a 32-ounce pitcher.
Iris pitcher, $21, and Iris glass, $8, both at Breed & Co.
A different kind of heat
Tacos & Tequila’s Cucumber Jalapeno Margarita
5-6 cucumbers, sliced
1 jalapeño, sliced
15 oz. Milagro Silver tequila
Ice
10 oz. lime juice
5 oz. water
5 oz. agave nectar
Muddle cucumbers and jalapeño together in a large bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and shake in a shaker in batches or use a blender to mix.
Fills 64-ounce pitcher
Aqua Mojito pitcher, $61, and Cabo margarita glasses, $12.98 each, at Breed & Co.
If you like piña coladas…
Zocalo Cafe’s Horchata Colada
1 bottle Tiki Bay rum wine or brandy to taste
1 can CoCo Lopez, cream of coconut
1 cup pineapple juice
1½ cups Horchata
Mix together and blend with ice for a frozen drink.
Fills 64-ounce pitcher.
Boathouse fish pitcher and glasses, $12.99 for set, and tray, $9.99, at HomeGoods.