Cantaloupe-Lime Smoothie

1 lime

2 cup(s) diced cantaloupe

1/3 cup(s) diced peach

1 tablespoon(s) honey

3 ice cubes

From lime, grate 1/2 teaspoon peel and squeeze 2 tablespoons juice. In blender, combine lime peel, lime juice, cantaloupe, peach, honey, and ice and blend until mixture is smooth and frothy.

Pour into 1 tall glass.

Recipe from Memoirs from my Kitchen

Banana Slush Punch

4 ripe bananas
2 cups white sugar
3 cups water
1 (46 fluid ounce) can pineapple juice
2 (12 fluid ounce) cans frozen orange juice concentrate
1 (12 fluid ounce) can frozen lemonade concentrate
3 cups water
3 liters ginger ale

In a blender, combine bananas, sugar and 3 cups water. Blend until smooth. Pour into a large bowl and stir in pineapple juice. Blend in orange juice concentrate, lemonade concentrate and 3 cups water. Divide into 3 plastic containers and freeze until solid.
Remove from freezer 3 to 4 hours before serving. Using one portion at a time, place slush in a punch bowl and pour in 1 liter of ginger ale for each.

Mojito!

• 1/2 ounce lime juice
• 1 teaspoon superfine sugar
• 3 leaves mint
• 2 ounces white rum
• club soda

old-fashioned glass

In a smallish Collins glass, muddle lime juice with 1/2 to 1 teaspoon superfine sugar. Add the few mint leaves, mushing them against the side of the glass. Fill glass 2/3 with cracked ice and pour in the rum. Pitch in the squeezed-out lime shell and top off with club soda or seltzer. Serve with a stirring rod.

This one responds well to playing around, as long as you keep it within limits. There are some who like to replace the sugar with 2 teaspoons cane syrup; it's hard to find here, but you can make a pretty good substitute by bringing a cup of Demerara sugar ("Sugar in the Raw" works) to a gentle boil with 1/2 cup water; keep refrigerated. In either case, it adds a nice mellowness to the thing.

photo and recipe from esquire.com

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Pineapple Grapefruit Sparkler

Pour equal parts pineapple juice and chilled Hansen’s Sparkling Cranberry Grapefruit in a wine glass. Garnish with a pineapple wedge, and done!

This concept works well with “Mimosa Mocktails," too. Simply top the O.J. with Sparkling Valencia Orange instead of champagne and serve in champagne flutes garnished with a slice of orange.

Pineapple Iced Tea

3 cans (12 ounces each) unsweetened pineapple juice concentrate, thawed

1 1/2 cups lemon juice

1 cup sugar

12 cups iced tea

1.Mix juice concentrate, lemon juice and sugar in large pitcher until sugar is dissolved.

2.Stir in tea.

Store covered in refrigerator.

Watermelon Basil Margaritas

7 1/2 pounds seedless watermelon, rind removed, fruit cut into 1-inch cubes
4 teaspoons superfine sugar
6 ounces (3/4 cup) silver tequila
24 basil leaves, plus sprigs for garnish
3 ounces (1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons) triple sec
6 cups small ice cubes

Place 24 watermelon cubes on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Cover, and freeze at least 1 hour (up to 2 days).
Puree remaining watermelon and the sugar in a blender until smooth. Pass through a sieve lined with cheesecloth into a bowl. (You should have 3 cups.)
Place tequila and basil in a glass pitcher, and crush with a wooden spoon. Stir in watermelon juice and triple sec.

photo and recipe from Martha Stewart