'MAKE YOUR OWN DRINKS'

Suzy Atkins new book 'How to Make your own Drinks' is a bit of fun. Perfect for these long bank holiday weekends, it's filled to the brim with exciting ideas that'll stop us buying ready made lemonade etc etc. Some of the recipes are online so you needn't necessarily buy the book but if you love these I'd get it... 

CHERRYADE - So much more delicious than anything from a shop...

INGREDIENTS: 
225g (8oz) fresh, ripe cherries
600ml (1 pint) boiling water
1 lime
50g (1¾oz) caster sugar
Sparkling water, to dilute

RECIPE:
Wash the cherries carefully and remove all stalks. Chop each one in half and remove the stones. 
Put the fruit in a big bowl and bruise it slightly with the back of a metal spoon to get the juices flowing. Pour the hot water over the cherries and stir. 
Using a potato peeler remove a couple of chunky strips of peel from the lime and add it to the cherries, along with the juice of one quarter of the lime. 
Add the sugar and stir until it is dissolved. 
Cover and leave for two hours. Strain. Add cold sparkling water to dilute to your own taste.
If you're heading away from home for a picnic, pack the cherry base and the cold sparkling water separately and make up the drink when you're settled down. 
Best enjoyed as soon as it is made.


LAVENDER LEMONADE - A Deliciously refreshing recipe for home-made lemonade infused with Lavender

INGREDIENTS:

15g (½oz) lavender heads
500ml (18fl oz) boiling water
150g (5½oz) sugar
1.2 litres (2 pints) cold water
5 ripe lemons

RECIPE:

Shake the lavender gently to remove any insects. 

Put the flower heads into a saucepan and pour over the boiling water. 

Bring to the boil again and simmer for a minute or two. Turn off the heat and leave for 10 minutes to steep. Strain. 

Add the sugar and stir to dissolve. Add the cold water. 

Squeeze the lemons directly into the pan – watch it turn pink! – then strain again if you want rid of any pips and pith. 

Taste to see how concentrated the flavour is, and when serving add more water to dilute to taste. Serve in a glass jug to make the most of the pretty colour.

Add plenty of ice and stir with thick dried lavender stalks.

'How to Make your Own Drinks' - Susy Atkins 

£16.99 from Telegraph Books