Calling the Shots!

It's not difficult to understand why Spring is our favourite season: nature wakes up, temperatures warm up, daylight stretches up and, wahey, Summer's the next best thing around! So what better way to celebrate such an upbeat time of year than with our selection of colourful aromatic drinks and appetisers that make up a wonderful excuse for impromptu alfresco entertaining!

Sources: Forget those savoury herby appetisers, and pop garden herbs in your drinks instead! Wow your friends and get the party started! (1) The 'Blackberry Sage Cooler' from Scaling Back Blog is cool, refreshing, alcohol-free and child-friendly although you could always add a splosh of sloe gin within reason to make it an adult's drink, should the occasion lend itself to it. (2) You've heard of (and maybe even sampled) the standard Mojito: fresh mint added to Cuban rhum, cane sugar, lime juice and soda. Now how about the 'Basil Raspberry Mojito' from A Spicy Perspective? This is a case, ladies, of bringing sexy back to your glasses with the perfect colour combination of passionate pinks and deep greens, tchin tchin! (3) Meanwhile thyme kicks off a winner in this 'Iced Tea with Plums and Thyme' by Real Simple. Peaches are not in season right now but when they are, remember us! (4) Meanwhile anything more refreshing than this 'Lemon Verbena and Orange Blossom Fizz' by The Kitchn will be hard to come by! (5) If you are fortunate enough to live in Mediterranean climates, elderflowers are now right for the picking! 'Elderflower Cordial' is with Pimm's Cocktails what British Summers are meant to taste like: sweet, light and floral, almost like orange blossoms. The cordial is so easy to make, there is no need to bother with the shop-bought varieties. Just follow the foolproof recipe from Delicooks, surprise your friends in the process and get ready for the encores! (6) If the herbs in your drink are not enough, munch your way through a plate of those appetising Swiss Chard Tarlets with Aniseed ('Tartelettes de Blettes à l'Anis, en Croûte de Millet') from (French) Marie Claire.