Try these summer sips to stay cool

Published 12:31 pm Friday, June 19, 2015

Picnicking on the tasting room deck at Harris Bridge Vineyard a few weeks ago, with golden shafts of light filtering through the oaks, and a refreshing Timber Royale tantalizing my palate, the world seemed about as right as it could be. My winter-dulled psyche had leapt over spring and launched full-force into summer.

That’s exactly what a summer sipper is supposed to do. Land your work-a-day soul smack-dab in the middle of a sunnier, less-complicated world.

Take the Timber Royale; the winery’s twist on a Kir Royale. Instead of Creme de Cassis, it comes with a splash of a Harris Bridge sweet vermouth in a slender flute filled to the brim with sparkling wine.

On its own, Timber, their Pinot Noir based vermouth, is a complex layering of rich oak aroma and luscious cherry and fennel flavors. But as owners/wine makers Amanda Sever and Nathan Warren so wisely know, this time of year, folks dropping by their tasting room just might want to start things off with a refreshing whistle-wetter.

That’s the premise behind even the most basic of wine coolers. As simple as glugging a bit of sparkling water and semi-sweet wine over a glass of ice. Add some local berries for flavor and drama.

Then there’s my house sangria. My aunt Nida’s Sangria, actually. It’s the wonderful wine cooler that she used to serve at their summer house in the Sonoma Valley on balmy summer evenings, based on local wines with the addition of citrus, orange liqueur, and a bit more. One sip transports me to those proverbial good ol’ days. I make it in relatively large quantities through the summer months and store it in the fridge for last-minute drop-ins.

When a little extra effort can be considered, you might opt for a more exotic approach. One of my favorites is the Caipirinha. It’s smooth flavor belies its potency, for this seductive sipper is made with Cachaca, Brazil’s sugarcane firewater. But like so many summer sippers, such a fiery base, when united with freshly-squeezed limes, superfine sugar, and lots of ice, it’s transformed into the most amazing refresher. The drink of goddesses on Brazilian beaches. So before the season gets away from us, I decided to arm you with some of my favorite fruity concoctions that hit the spot in summer’s sultry weather. And don’t miss out on the last recipe, which isn’t even alcoholic. It’s the popular lavendar lemonade from Janet and Rolfe Hagen’s wonderful little corner of the world, Thyme Garden, near the sleepy little town of Alsea, Oregon.

Of course, as if on cue, a friend posted her own concoction on Facebook recently, and she gave she permission to share. So without further ado, here’s Trish Weber’s newly minted summer sipper:

“Take 3 parts vanilla rooibos sun tea, 1 part Kahlua, a dash of cream, ice, and blend. Top the glass with a bit of fizzy water. I call it a Lite Russian.”

Thanks Trish.

Harris Bridge Timber Royale

1 ounce Harris Bridge Timber sweet vermouth

Sparkling wine (preferably a brut or dry style)

Pour the Timber into a Champagne flute. Fill with the sparkling wine and serve.

Serves 1.

For more information about Harris Bridge Vineyard and tasting room, including directions that will take you to this wonderful, picnic-friendly, and all-around welcoming spot in the Willamette Valley, go to www.harrisbridgevineyard.com

Nida’s Simple Sangria

1 12-ounce can frozen pink lemonade concentrate

6 cups dry red wine (such as Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, or Syrah)

11/2 cups good quality orange-flavored liqueur (I use Harlequin, which has a very rich flavor, like Grand Marnier, but at a much lower price point)

1 lime (juice)

Fresh slices of lemons and limes for garnish

6 cups club soda

ice cubes

This is the wonderful wine cooler that my Aunt Nida used to serve at their summer house in the Sonoma Valley on balmy summer evenings.

Combine the lemonade concentrate, red wine, orange-flavored liqueur, lime juice and lemon and lime slices in a beautiful glass pitcher. Chill for at least 2 hours or overnight. When ready to serve, pour in the club soda. Serve over ice.

Note: The recipe can be increased or decreased as desired by keeping the ingredients in correct proportion. Keeps for weeks in the refrigerator (without the club soda).

Sparkling Wine option: Substitute a dry (Brut) sparkling wine for the red wine.

Yields 33/4 quarts of sangria.

White wine sangria

1 750-milliliter bottle Pinot Gris (or other dry white wine)

1 15-ounce can unsweetened pineapple chunks in juice

1 6-ounce can frozen lemonade concentrate

½ cup light rum

½ cup orange-flavored liqueur (I use Harlequin, which has a very rich flavor, like Grand Marnier, but at a much lower price point)

1 orange, sliced

1 or 2 limes, sliced

1 lemon, sliced

2 cups well-chilled lime flavored sparkling water

1 cup seasonal berries

ice cubes

Combine the Pinot Gris, pineapple chunks and juice, lemonade concentrate, rum, and orange-flavored liqueur. Add orange slices, lime slices, and lemon slices and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. When ready to serve, add the lime flavored sparkling water. Add a few of the berries and some ice to each glass before pouring in the sangria.

Caipirinha

10 medium to large limes, washed and quartered

21/2 cups Cachaca (Brazilian rum)

1 cup pure cane syrup

1/3 cup water

On a sweltering day, the limey sweet-tart taste of Brazil’s national drink (pronounced kuy-per-reen-yuh) is downright addictive. The Caipirinha’s smooth flavor belies its potency, for this seductive sipper is made with Cachaca, Brazil’s sugarcane firewater. One last thing: Don’t forget to encourage your guests to suck on the lime wedges floating in their glasses. After all, they’ve soaked for hours in the cachaca mixture, so they’re fully loaded and incredibly refreshing.

Squeeze the juice from the lime quarters into a pitcher that holds at least 50 ounces; drop the squeezed fruit into the pitcher as well. Don’t knock yourself out to extract all of the lime juice — a brief squeeze will do. Add cachaca, cane syrup, and water; stir briskly. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours. Fill 12-ounce double old-fashioned glasses almost full with crushed ice. Add 3 to 4 of the squeezed lime quarters to each glass; top with drink mixture. Serve with straws if desired.

Makes 10 4-ounce servings.

Recipe from “The Ultimate Guide To Pitcher Drinks,” by Sharon Tyler Herbst.

Smooth Operator

4 cups pineapple juice

21/2 cups dark rum

1 cup fresh lime juice

2/3 cup Licor 43

2/3 cup grenadine syrup

1/2 cup water

3 tablespoons (11/2 ounces) thawed frozen orange juice concentrate

Garnish

10 pineapple wedges

10 orange slices

A kick-back-and-relax summer refresher that’s equally wonderful when limeade is substituted for the pineapple juice. For an even more tropical flavor, use spiced rum for half the dark rum and creme de banana for the Licor 43.

Combine all ingredients except garnish in a pitcher that holds at least 85 ounces; stir well. Can be served immediately or covered and refrigerated unti ready to serve. Fill 12-ounce tall glasses two-thirds full with ice cubes. Add drink mixture; garnish each serving with a pineapple wedge and orange slice skewered on a cocktail pick.

Makes 10 7.5 ounce servings.

Recipe from “The Ultimate Guide To Pitcher Drinks,” by Sharon Tyler Herbst.

Sparkling sangria

3/4 cup good quality orange-flavored liqueur (I use Harlequin, which has a very rich flavor, like Grand Marnier, but at a much lower price point)

3/4 cup fresh orange juice

1/2 cup brandy

1/3 cup fresh lime juice

1/2 cup (approximately) superfine sugar

2 750-milliliter bottles (50.8 ounces) sparkling wine or Champagne (Brut or extra-dry), thoroughly chilled

2 cups orange-flavored sparkling water, thoroughly chilled

Garnishes

1 orange, sliced

1 lemon, sliced

2 limes, sliced

In a pitcher that holds at least 96 ounces (12 cups), combine the orange-flavored liqueur, with the orange juice, brandy, lime juice, and superfine sugar, stirring to dissolve. Cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled (at least 4 hours or overnight). When ready to serve, slowly pour in the sparkling wine (or champagne) and the sparkling water, tilting the pitcher and pouring onto the pitcher’s side to retain as much effervescence as possible. Stir gently to combine. Add fruit slices. Fill 12-ounce wine glasses two-thirds full with ice cubes; add sangria and a slice or two of fruit.

Makes about 10 8-ounce servings

Recipe adapted from “Pitcher Drinks,” by Sharon Tyler Herbst.

Thyme Garden’s Famous Lavender Lemonade

2 1/2 cups water

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup fresh lavender blooms (or 1 heaping tablespoon of dried)

Homemade or canned lemonade

Thyme Garden owners Janet and Rolfe Hagen serve this at every event. It’s refreshing and delicious. For more information about the Hagen family’s amazing herb gardens, including their hours of operation, special events, and their popular cookbook, “Many More Good Times In The Kitchen,” go to www.thymegarden.com.

Prepare a lavender syrup by combining the water and sugar in a medium-size pot. Bring slowly to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the lavender blooms and remove from heat; cover and let steep for at least 20 minutes. Strain the mixture.

To prepare the lemonade, add ice to a clear glass pitcher, then add lemonade, leaving at least 1 inch headspace. At the table, just before pouring the lemonade, add about 1-inch of the lavender syrup — the color will change before everyone’s eyes, so get ready for the compliments. Garnish individual glasses with a lavender stem.

Jan Roberts-Dominguez is a Corvallis food writer, artist, and author of “Oregon Hazelnut Country, the Food, the Drink, the Spirit,” and four other cookbooks. Readers can contact her by email at janrd@proaxis.com, or obtain additional recipes and food tips on her blog at www.janrd.com.