beverage

How To Make a Fruit Shrub Syrup

fruit, cleaned, peeled, seeded, and chopped (if necessary)

vinegar

sugar

Sterilize the container: Wash the canning jar in hot, soapy water and rinse thoroughly. Submerge in a pot of warm water to cover by 1 to 2 inches, bring to a boil, and boil for 10 minutes. For the lid or cap, wash it in hot, soapy water; rinse well; and scald in boiling water.

Add the fruit: Carefully remove the jar from the water using canning jar lifters or tongs and place on the counter. Transfer the prepared fruit in the container.

Add the vinegar: Place the vinegar in a saucepan and heat to just below the boiling point, or at least 190°F. Pour the vinegar over the fruit, leaving at least 1/4-inch headspace in the jar. Wipe the rim with a clean, damp cloth, and cap tightly.

Let it stand: Let the vinegar cool completely and then store the jar in a cool, dark place, such as a cupboard or the refrigerator. Let it stand at least 24 hours and up to 4 weeks until the desired flavor is reached.

Strain it: Strain the fruit from the vinegar through a damp cheesecloth or coffee filter. Do this at least once, or repeat as desired until the vinegar shows no cloudiness. Discard the fruit or save it for another purpose (it&#x27;s often delicious for use in chutneys).

Add the sugar: Place the fruit-infused vinegar and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat and let cool. Pour into a clean, sterilized container (use the original mason jar or other bottles; see step 1 for sterilization procedure) and cap tightly.

Store: Store the shrub syrup in the refrigerator. Tightly sealed, it can last for up to 6 months. Taste before using to make sure the flavor is still good. Discard immediately if it has mold or any signs of fermentation, such as bubbling, cloudiness, or sliminess.

Serve: To serve, mix 1 tablespoon shrub syrup into a glass of still or sparkling water. Taste and add more syrup, if desired. Shrub syrups may also be used as cocktail mixers, in salad dressings, and more.

Rob Roy Cocktail

blended Scotch whiskey

sweet vermouth

Angostura bitters

lemon peel,

In a shaker filled with ice, add the Scotch whiskey, the sweet vermouth and the bitters. Stir to chill. Strain into a martini glass (or an equally alluring vessel) and top with a lemon peel.

Heat water in a large saucepan until it boils. Remove from heat and add your green tea bag. Cover the pan and allow tea to steep for 1 hour.

Arizona Green Tea with Ginseng and Honey

water

Lipton Green Tea Bag

Sugar

tbsp honey

lemon juice

0.25 tsp Ginseng Extract

Pour the sugar and honey into a 2 quart pitcher then add tea. Stir until honey and sugar are dissolved

Add lemon juice and ginseng extract and stir. Let chill for about an hour or until desired temperature then enjoy!

How To Brew Green Tea

green tea

Heat the water: Place the water in a tea kettle and heat it to 160°F to 180°F. Alternatively, bring the water to a boil and then let it rest until it cools to the correct temperature. If you do not have a thermometer to measure the specific temperature, heat the water to just short of boiling. Traditionally Japanese green teas and spring teas are brewed at lower temperatures (160°F to 170°F) and standard Chinese green teas at higher temperatures (170°F to 180°F).

Pre-warm the teapot or cup (optional): Pour a small amount of boiling water into the pot or cup. When the pot or cup is warm, pour out the water.

Measure the tea leaves: Using a scale, measure 2 grams of tea leaves. Alternatively, measure 1 teaspoon of tea leaves.

Place the leaves in the teapot or cup: Place the tea leaves in the pot or cup, either directly or in an infuser.

Pour the water: Pour the water over the tea leaves.

Cover the teapot or cup: Place the lid on the teapot, or if using a cup, cover it with a lid or a small saucer.

Steep the tea: Depending on the particular variety, the tea should steep for 1 to 3 minutes. Small leaves generally infuse more quickly than large leaves. Set a timer for 1 minute. Taste the tea at 1 minute and then every 30 seconds until it is to your liking.

Stop the infusion: As soon as the tea is ready, remove the leaves by lifting out the infuser or pouring the tea through a strainer.

How To Make Limoncello

lemons,

vodka (100-proof preferred, or 80-proof)

Peel the lemons: Use a vegetable peeler to remove the peels from all the lemons. Try to remove only the outer yellow skin and as little of the pith as possible. Trim away any large pieces of pith with a paring knife, but don&#x27;t worry about trimming every last scrap.

Cover the peels with vodka: Transfer the lemon peels to a 1-quart jar and cover with vodka. Screw on the lid.

Infuse the vodka: Let the vodka and lemon peels infuse somewhere out of the way and out of direct sunlight for at least 4 days or as long as a month. The longer you let the vodka infuse, the more lemony your limoncello.

Strain the vodka: Line a strainer with a large coffee filter and set it over a 4-cup measuring cup. Strain the infused vodka through the filter. You may need to stir the vodka in the strainer if the flow stops.

Prepare sugar syrup: Prepare a sugar syrup of at least 1 cup of water and 1 cup of sugar — bring the water to a simmer and stir in the sugar to dissolve; allow to cool.→ You can play with the ratios of water to sugar. Start with 1 cup of water and 1 cup of sugar, taste the limoncello, and add additional sugar syrup gradually until you reach a flavor you like — up to 4 cups of water with 4 cups of sugar. More water will dilute the alcohol base, making a less alcoholic, milder, and smoother-sipping liqueur. More sugar will make a sweeter limoncello.

Mix the sugar syrup with the infused vodka: Pour the sugar syrup into the infused vodka. Stir gently to mix. Taste and add additional sugar syrup if desired (see above).

Bottle the limoncello: Insert the funnel in the neck of one of the bottles and fill with limoncello. Repeat with remaining bottles.

Chill and store: Chill the limoncello in the fridge or freezer for at least 4 hours before drinking. Limoncello can be kept in the fridge for up to a month or the freezer for up to a year (and often much longer!).

How To Make Your Own Kombucha Scoby

white granulated sugar (see Recipe Notes)

bags black tea,

unflavored, unpasteurized store-bought kombucha

Make the sweet tea. Bring the water to a boil. Remove the pan from heat and stir in the sugar until it is completely dissolved. Add the tea and allow to steep until the tea cools to room temperature. Remove and discard the tea. (Alternatively, boil half the amount of water, dissolve the sugar and steep the tea, then add the remaining water to cool the tea more rapidly.)

Combine the sweet tea and kombucha in a jar. Pour the sweet tea into the jar. Pour the kombucha on top — if you see a blobby &quot;baby scoby&quot; in the bottom of your jar of commercial kombucha, make sure this gets transferred. (But if you don&#x27;t see one, don&#x27;t worry! Your scoby will still form.) Stir to combine.

Cover and store for 1 to 4 weeks. Cover the mouth of the jar with a few layers of tightly-woven cloth, coffee filters, or paper towels secured with a rubber band. (If you develop problems with gnats or fruit flies, use a tightly woven cloth or paper towels, which will do a better job keeping the insects out of your brew.) Place the jar somewhere at average room temperature (70°F), out of direct sunlight, and where it won&#x27;t get jostled. Sunlight can prevent the kombucha from fermenting and the scoby from forming, so wrap the jar in a cloth if you can&#x27;t keep it away from sunlight.

First, bubbles will gather on the surface. For the first few days, nothing will happen. Then you&#x27;ll start to see groups of tiny bubbles starting to collect on the surface.

Then, the bubbles will collect into a film. After a few more days, the groups of bubbles will start to connect and form a thin, transparent, jelly-like film across the surface of the tea. You&#x27;ll also see bubbles forming around the edges of the film. This is carbon-dioxide from the fermenting tea and a sign that everything is healthy and happy!

The film will thicken into a solid, opaque layer. Over the next few days, the layer will continue to thicken and gradually become opaque. When the scoby is about 1/4-inch thick, it&#x27;s ready to be used to make kombucha tea — depending on the temperature and conditions in your kitchen, this might take anywhere from 1 to 4 weeks.

The finished scoby: Your finished scoby might look a little nubbly, rough, patchy, or otherwise &quot;not quite like a grown-up scoby.&quot; It&#x27;s ok! Your scoby will start to smooth out and take on a uniform color over the course of a few batches of kombucha — take a look a the before and after pictures of a baby and grown-up scoby in the gallery above.

Using the liquid used to grow the scoby: The liquid used to grow the scoby will likely be too strong and vinegary to drink (and if you&#x27;re not used to drinking kombucha or very vinegary beverages, it can give you a stomach ache). You can use it to start your first batch of kombucha, or you can use it as a cleaning solution on your counters.

Bone broth is made by simmering beef bones with vegetables until you end up with a rich, nutritious, deeply savory broth. It's a perfect base for soups.

How To Make Bone Broth on the Stove or in the Slow Cooker 

beef

filtered water,

apple cider vinegar

carrot

onion

Preheat the oven to 400°F and rinse the bones. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 400°F. Place the bones in a colander, rinse under cool water, and pat dry with paper towels. 

Roast the bones for 30 minutes. Arrange the bones in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast until golden-brown, about 30 minutes. 

Cover the bones with water and the vinegar and rest for 30 minutes. Transfer the hot bones to a large stockpot. Add the water and vinegar and stir to combine. Cover and let sit for 30 minutes. 

Bring the pot to a simmer over high heat. Bring the water to a rapid simmer over high heat. 

Skim the broth for the first hour. Immediately turn the heat down to the lowest setting possible. Check the pot occasionally, skimming off any foam that collects on the surface and adding additional water as needed to keep the ingredients covered. Cover and keep the broth at a low simmer for 24 hours. 

Add the onions and carrots and cook for another 12 to 24 hours. Add the carrots and onions and continue to simmer for 12 to 24 hours more, adding more filtered water as needed to keep the bones covered. The broth is done when it is a rich golden-brown and the bones are falling apart at the joints.  

Strain the bone broth. When the broth is finished, strain and cool the bone broth as quickly as possible. Set a strainer over a large pot or even a stand mixer bowl and line it with cheesecloth if desired. Carefully strain the bone broth into it. Discard the spent bits of bone and vegetables. 

Cool the bone broth and store. Prepare an ice bath by either filling a sink or basin with cold water and ice and set the pot of broth inside the ice bath. Stir regularly until the broth is cooled to about 50°F, about 15 minutes. Transfer the broth to airtight containers or jars. Refrigerate or freeze. 

Stovetop Instructions

Cover the bones with 3 quarts cool water and the vinegar and rest for 30 minutes. Transfer the bones to a 6-quart or larger slow cooker. Add the water and vinegar and stir to combine. Cover and let sit for 30 minutes.  

Bring to a simmer on the HIGH setting. Turn the slow cooker to the HIGH setting high and bring the broth mixture to a simmer.

Skim the broth for the first hour. Check the slow cooker occasionally, skimming off any foam that collects on the surface the first hour and adding additional water as needed to keep the ingredients covered. Keep the broth at a low simmer on HIGH for 24 hours. 

Add the onions and carrots and cook for another 12 to 24 hours. Add the carrots and onions and continue to simmer on the HIGH setting for 12 to 24 hours more, adding more filtered water as needed to keep the bones covered. The broth is done when it is a rich golden-brown and the bones are falling apart at the joints.  

Slow Cooker Instructions

Kombucha can be made at home with just a handful of ingredients. In this tutorial, we'll show you exactly what to do in detailed step-by-step instructions.

How To Make Kombucha Tea at Home

sugar (regular granulated sugar works best)

bags black tea, green tea,

starter tea

scoby per fermentation jar,

fruit

fruit juice

flavored tea (like hibiscus or Earl Grey)

honey

herbs

Note: Avoid prolonged contact between the kombucha and metal both during and after brewing. This can affect the flavor of your kombucha and weaken the scoby over time.Make the tea base: Bring the water to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in the sugar to dissolve. Drop in the tea and allow it to steep until the water has cooled. Depending on the size of your pot, this will take a few hours. You can speed up the cooling process by placing the pot in an ice bath.

Add the starter tea: Once the tea is cool, remove the tea bags or strain out the loose tea. Stir in the starter tea. (The starter tea makes the liquid acidic, which prevents unfriendly bacteria from taking up residence in the first few days of fermentation.)

Transfer to jars and add the scoby: Pour the mixture into a 1-gallon glass jar (or divide between two 2-quart jars, in which case you&#x27;ll need 2 scobys) and gently slide the scoby into the jar with clean hands. Cover the mouth of the jar with a few layers tightly-woven cloth, coffee filters, or paper towels secured with a rubber band. (If you develop problems with gnats or fruit flies, use a tightly woven cloth or paper towels, which will do a better job keeping the insects out of your brew.)

Ferment for 7 to 10 days: Keep the jar at room temperature, out of direct sunlight, and where it won&#x27;t get jostled. Ferment for 7 to 10 days, checking the kombucha and the scoby periodically.

It&#x27;s not unusual for the scoby to float at the top, bottom, or even sideways during fermentation. A new cream-colored layer of scoby should start forming on the surface of the kombucha within a few days. It usually attaches to the old scoby, but it&#x27;s ok if they separate. You may also see brown stringy bits floating beneath the scoby, sediment collecting at the bottom, and bubbles collecting around the scoby. This is all normal and signs of healthy fermentation.

After 7 days, begin tasting the kombucha daily by pouring a little out of the jar and into a cup. When it reaches a balance of sweetness and tartness that is pleasant to you, the kombucha is ready to bottle.

Remove the scoby: Before proceeding, prepare and cool another pot of strong tea for your next batch of kombucha, as outlined above. With clean hands, gently lift the scoby out of the kombucha and set it on a clean plate. As you do, check it over and remove the bottom layer if the scoby is getting very thick.

Bottle the finished kombucha: Measure out your starter tea from this batch of kombucha and set it aside for the next batch. Pour the fermented kombucha (straining, if desired) into bottles using the small funnel, along with any juice, herbs, or fruit you may want to use as flavoring. Leave about a half inch of head room in each bottle. (Alternatively, infuse the kombucha with flavorings for a day or two in another covered jar, strain, and then bottle. This makes a cleaner kombucha without &quot;stuff&quot; in it.)

Carbonate and refrigerate the finished kombucha: Store the bottled kombucha at room temperature out of direct sunlight and allow 1 to 3 days for the kombucha to carbonate. Until you get a feel for how quickly your kombucha carbonates, it&#x27;s helpful to keep it in plastic bottles; the kombucha is carbonated when the bottles feel rock solid. Refrigerate to stop fermentation and carbonation, and then consume your kombucha within a month.

Make a fresh batch of kombucha: Clean the jar being used for kombucha fermentation. Combine the starter tea from your last batch of kombucha with the fresh batch of sugary tea, and pour it into the fermentation jar. Slide the scoby on top, cover, and ferment for 7 to 10 days.

This twist on a classic Old-Fashioned swaps the simple syrup out for sorghum syrup, which lends depth and richness.

Sorghum Old-Fashioned

sorghum syrup

spirit of choice,

Orange slice,

Place 1/4 ounce sorghum syrup and 4 to 5 dashes Angostura bitters in an old-fashioned glass and stir until the bitters have folded well into the sorghum. Add 2 1/2 ounces spirit of choice. Fill the glass with ice and stir until well chilled. Garnish with the orange slice. 

As long as you have eggs, sugar, milk, and cream in your fridge, you can have eggnog anytime the craving hits.

How To Make Homemade Eggnog

eggs

milk

heavy cream

nutmeg,

Separate the eggs. Separate the eggs, placing the yolks in a medium bowl and the whites in a large bowl (I recommend the 3-Bowl Method for this step). Cover the whites and refrigerate until needed, or freeze if aging the eggnog for longer than a day.

Whisk the yolks with the sugar. Add the sugar to the yolks and whisk by hand or with a mixer until the mixture is smooth, creamy, and lightened to a lemon-yellow color.

Whisk in the milk, cream, and liquor (if using). Add the milk, cream, and liquor and whisk until combined.

Cover and refrigerate. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. The more liquor you add, the longer it will keep — non-alcoholic eggnog should be consumed within 1 day; eggnog with 1/2 to 1 cup of liquor will keep for several days; and eggnog with 1 1/2 cups of liquor will keep for several weeks and continue aging and thickening quite nicely. (If aging for longer than a few days, transfer the eggnog to a sealed glass container or a mason jar.)

Whisk the egg whites. Just before serving, whisk the reserved egg whites in a stand mixer or with a hand mixer at high speed until the whites form stiff peaks.

Fold the egg whites into the eggnog. Transfer the beaten egg whites to the bowl with the eggnog and gently fold or stir the whites into the base — this gives the eggnog a frothy, extra-creamy texture. Some of the egg whites will also float to the top, like cappuccino foam.

Serve the eggnog. Transfer the eggnog to a pitcher or punch bowl. Serve in individual glasses with a grating of nutmeg over top.

Rye and Ginger Hot Toddy

rye whiskey

Lemon wedge

In a teapot with one cup of water add the ginger.

Heat until the teapot whistles. If using a saucepot to heat your water add the ginger and strain when pouring into your whiskey and honey mixture.

In a mug add the whiskey, honey, and juice of the lemon wedge. Strain the ginger infused hot water into the mug.

It's not summer until there's a pitcher of sweet tea in the fridge. Here's how to make a batch everyone will enjoy.

How To Make Sweet Tea

family-sized black tea bags (or 12 individual tea bags),

mint leaves

Boil the water. Bring 4 cups of the water to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Remove from heat.

Steep the tea for 5 minutes. Dunk the tea bags a few times in the water to fully hydrate, then leave submerged with the strings hanging over the side of the pot. After 5 minutes, remove the bags and discard.

Add the sugar to the tea. Add the sugar and stir until completely dissolved.

Pour the tea base into the pitcher. If using multiple pitchers, divide the tea evenly between them.

Top off the pitchers with water. Add 3 more quarts of water to the tea base to make a gallon of sweet tea and stir to combine.

Refrigerate until very cold. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or, ideally, overnight.

Serve over ice. Pour the sweet tea into ice-filled glasses. Add a sprig of mint or a slice of lemon to each, if desired!

A fluffy, sweet, boozy hot milk punch to warm your winter toes.

Tom & Jerry

aged rum

cinnamon

allspice

cloves

cream of tartar

(10 ounces) Cognac

(10 ounces) aged rum

(20 ounces) hot whole milk

Make the batter: Place the sugar, egg yolks, rum, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves in a large bowl and whisk until the sugar is mostly dissolved; set aside. Place the egg whites and cream of tartar in a medium bowl and whisk or beat with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Add the beaten egg whites to the bowl of egg yolks and gently fold until combined.

For a single serving: Place 1/2 cup of the batter in a heated mug. Add 1 ounce of Cognac or brandy and 1 ounce of rum and stir gently to just combine but not deflate the batter. Add 2 ounces of hot milk, stir gently to combine, and garnish with grated nutmeg.

For punch: Place all the batter in a 3-quart punch or serving bowl. Slowly pour in the Cognac and rum and stir gently to combine, being careful not to deflate the batter. Slowly pour in the milk and stir gently to combine. Garnish with grated nutmeg and serve immediately.

The Melon Ball

Midori

vodka

Fresh-squeezed orange juice,

Fresh scooped melon balls, for garnish, optional

In a glass filled with ice, add the Midori and vodka.

German Glühwein

orange

star anise

dry red wine

Using a vegetable peeler, remove the zest from the orange in wide strips, taking care to avoid the white pith; set aside. Juice the orange and set the juice aside.

Combine the water and sugar in a large, nonreactive saucepan and boil until the sugar has completely dissolved. Reduce the heat and add the cloves, cinnamon, star anise, orange zest, and orange juice. Simmer until a fragrant syrup forms, about 1 minute.

Reduce the heat further and add the wine. Let it barely simmer for at least 20 minutes but up to a few hours. Keep an eye out so that it doesn&#x27;t reach a full simmer.

Strain and serve in small mugs, adding a shot of rum or amaretto and garnishing with the orange peel and star anise if desired.

Red Wine Hot Chocolate

dark chocolate, finely chopped

cocoa powder

brown sugar

(4 cups) whole milk

salt

red wine,

Cinnamon sticks and additional cocoa powder,

Whisk the chocolate, cocoa powder, sugar, and cinnamon together in a large saucepan. Add the milk and bring to a simmer over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until hot and smooth, about 5 minutes. Stir in the salt.

Remove from the heat and add the wine. Divide among 8 small glasses or mugs, garnish with a cinnamon stick and a dusting of cocoa powder, if desired, and serve.

How To Make Beet Kvass

beets (approximately)

Optional flavorings: ginger, lemon, orange, spices

How to Make Beet Kvass

Clean and trim the beets: Scrub the beets. Trim the tops and tails, but leave the skins on.

Dice the beets: Cut the beets into 1/2-inch cubes. It is not necessary to cut precise shapes and sizes; you just want to give the beets enough surface area to ferment. However, avoid finely chopping or grating the beets, which can lead to very rapid fermentation and alcohol production.

Place the beets in the jar: Place the beets in a very clean jar. 

Add salt: Add salt to the jar. If you wish, you can also add flavorings like ginger, lemon, orange, or spices. 

Add water: Cover the beets with water, leaving at least 1-inch of headspace at the top of the jar.

Let it ferment: Let the jar stand at room temperature. You may see bubbles inside the jar and brine may seep out of the lid; place a bowl or plate under the jar to help catch any overflow.

Check it daily: Open the jar once a day to taste the liquid and release gases produced during fermentation. If any mold or scum has formed on the top, simply skim it off. 

Strain and refrigerate: When it tastes strong enough for your liking, strain out the beets and transfer the kvass to the refrigerator. You may drink it right away, but it&#x27;s often best after a few days. As a fermented beverage, this kvass will last for quite some time, at least a month or longer.

Cucumber-Rosemary Gin And Tonic

cucumber

lime

rosemary

Hendrick's Gin

tonic water (preferably Q or Fever-Tree)

Cucumber-Rosemary Gin and Tonic

Peel one half of a cucumber, and slice a lime into eight wedges. In a highball glass, add three slices of peeled cucumber, 1 sprig rosemary, juice from a lime wedge and 1 ounce gin. Muddle with the back of a spoon.

Strain through a mesh strainer into a second highball glass. Add several cubes of ice, and three slices of unpeeled cucumber. Top with remaining gin and tonic, and serve garnished with rosemary sprigs.

Be a whizz with fizz and create this refreshing soda that will have your tastebuds bubbling!

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