Beat the Heat! 25% Off All Cold Drink Items

It's 106 in Portland today, and since it's way too hot to go outside I've been toiling away in the kitchen perfecting my favorite cold beverage recipes. This is what I've been drinking nonstop this week!

Seriously Refreshing Lemonade

Combine 2 cups of sugar and 2 1/2 cups of sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved, then let simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool about 20 minutes. In the mean time, head outside and pick about 3/4 cup of loosely packed fresh mint leaves, and a 1/4 cup of basil (or pick those up at the market before hand if you're not blessed with a green thumb). Rinse and either chop or tear those leaves up and put in a large non-reactive bowl. Once the sugar syrup has cooled, add 1 cup of fresh lemon juice (about 6-8 lemons), and 1/3 cup of fresh lime juice (about 3-4 limes) to the syrup. Now pour the lemon-lime mixture over the mint-basil leaves and give it a stir. Let the mixture stand for one hour (if you can wait that long!), then strain it into a jar and keep covered in the fridge for up to a week. To serve, mix up a batch using a 1/3 base to 2/3 water combination if one of our Beehouse Iced Tea Pitchers, Glass Water Bottles or Botanical Glasses. Serve over ice with a slice of lemon and a sprig of mint for maximum presentation points!







Derby Iced Tea

Using a vegetable peeler, remove the rinds of 2 lemons, being sure to just get the rind, not the pith beneath. Cut those into thin strips and set aside. Then juice enough lemons to get 2/3 cup of juice and set aside. In a large heat-proof glass bowl tear up 2 cups of loosely packed mint leaves. Add the lemon rind strips, and six English Breakfast tea bags to the bowl and cover with 4 cups of boiling water. Steep for 10-15 minutes, then remove bags. Mix in 1 cup of sugar and the lemon juice and let stand for 10 minutes. Strain the mixture in a non reactive pitcher (like our Beehouse Iced Tea Pot), and add 4 cups of cold water. Refrigerate until chilled and serve with a slice of lemon and a spring of mint. Ahh... I feel cooler already!


Sound like too much work?... Then crack open a cold beer with a hand-screened bottle opener from FluffyCo, San Francisco. Available in five designs.