Sip into summertime with these refreshing drinks

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.