Summer season feels incomplete without juicy tropical fruits and icy beverages that breathe life into your dehydrated soul. Now, bring the best of the two worlds together with tropical-fruit based beverages. They are perfect for weekend brunches, poolside parties, or even post-work refreshment when you return home after a gruelling day in the heat.
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Upon closer inspection, summer flavours show immense, immaculate versatility, from fruity and tangy to slightly sweet, cooling and zingy. The range includes the sharp freshness of passion fruit, the zesty coolness of lime, the tropical sweetness of pineapple and the rich, succulent notes of mango. Summer flavours have many moods, making them perfect for different taste preferences and seasonal cravings.
HT Lifestyle reached out to culinary experts Arijit Biswas, bar manager at DoubleTree by Hilton Gurugram Baani Square and Sunil Dasila, head chef, at Salt Cafe Delhi NCR, who shared 3 recipes: passion fruit ice tea, pineapple fusion and mango peach margarita.
The curated roundup consists of one ice tea and two summer mocktails. Passion fruit iced tea is the lightest, ideal for those looking for a refreshing drink but nothing too heavy. Pineapple fusion is fizzier and has a savoury pinch. Mango peach margarita has a prominent sweet, fruity taste, with mango bringing in very thick sweetness and peach syrup imparting milder, softer touch.
Here are the recipes:
1. Passion fruit ice tea
Recipe by Arijit Biswas, bar manager at DoubleTree by Hilton Gurugram Baani Square
Ingredients
- 120 ml brewed black tea, chilled
- 30 ml passion fruit puree or passion fruit syrup
- 15 ml fresh lime juice
- 10 ml sugar syrup
- Ice cubes
- Mint leaves for garnish
Method
- Brew black tea and allow it to cool completely.
- In a shaker, combine chilled tea, passion fruit puree, lime juice, and sugar syrup.
- Add ice cubes and shake lightly.
- Pour into a tall glass filled with fresh ice.
- Garnish with mint leaves and serve chilled.
2. Pineapple fusion
Recipe by Sunil Dasila, Head Chef, Salt Cafe Delhi NCR
Ingredients
- Fresh pineapple chunks
- 90 ml pineapple juice
- 10–12 mint leaves
- 15 ml fresh lime juice
- A pinch of black salt
- Sprite to top up
- Ice cubes
Method
- Muddle fresh pineapple chunks and mint leaves in a shaker.
- Add pineapple juice, lime juice, black salt, and ice.
- Shake well until chilled.
- Pour into an ice-filled glass and top up with Sprite.
- Garnish with mint sprigs or a pineapple wedge and serve fresh.
3. Mango peach margarita
Recipe by Sunil Dasila, head chef, Salt Cafe Delhi NCR
Ingredients
- 90 ml mango juice
- 30 ml peach syrup
- 15 ml fresh lime juice
- Pinch of chaat masala
- A pinch of black salt
- Ice cubes
Method
- Add mango juice, peach syrup, lime juice, chaat masala, and black salt into a shaker.
- Fill with ice and shake well until chilled.
- Pour into a salt-rimmed glass filled with ice.
- Garnish with a lime wheel or mango slice and serve chilled.
