Summer Drinks using a French Press

Well it is officially the first week of summer and I don’t know where you lay your hat but here in Calgary, Summer has arrived!! With hot temperatures settling in for a while, staying hydrated is a must. Bring on the cold drinks to help. And I am going to use a common kitchen item to help with that. My daughter recently has become very good at making iced coffee with her french press. And I got to thinking as a non-coffee drinker, can I make other summer drinks using a french press? Well yes, yes you can!!

The French Press

Lets’ talk about the french press. The french press or otherwise called the ‘coffee plunger’ was first made in France – hence the name…The idea behind the design was to produce the best tasting coffee while extracting out the oils and flavonoids from the course ground coffee. And according to my daughter, it does make a great cup of coffee.

Well I do not drink coffee. I know it is shocking that I have made it through life without that ‘kick’ in the morning but I have. So my mind went to other drinks that you can make with the french press.

Cold Steeped Tea

In the summer months, this kitchen item can be a quick way to make some iced tea or as our friends in the US call it – sweet tea.

In the bottom of the press add your favourite loose leaf tea ( I used Earl Grey), a few sprigs of mint and a slice or two of lemon. Add your hot water and steep for 5-8 minutes. Pour into your mug over ice, for some sweetness add some honey. Then top of with the lemon slice for more flavour. (Did I tell you lemon is great for digestion and liver function…) Sorry just had to get that nutrition tip in 🙂

My Favourite Mojito

There isn’t atleast one or 2 summer days where I enjoy a mojito on the patio. And with it being raspberry season, I figured I would try out a raspberry mojito made with the french press. This is an easy one. In the french press add some raspberries, mint leaves and muddle them together. Add to it 2 tbsp of simple syrup, (easy to make at home 1:1 sugar and water and heat until sugar is melted) and your sparkling water or club soda. Press the plunger down and let the flavours infuse. Pour into your glass of ice with rum or no rum, your choice and add a squeeze of lime..Chill on the patio!

White Citrus Sangria

Bring the girls over, its sangria time.!! A crisp citrus sangria will really hit the spot. I found using a larger french press so easy for this one. Did you know that a large french press holds a whole bottle of wine!! It is like it was meant to be!! So, into your french press add 1/2 of a lime, 1/2 of a lemon and 1/2 of an orange – all sliced. Add the wine ( a good Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc works best), 4 tbsps of triple sec and 4 tbsps of simple syrup. Let sit for a few hours to infuse the citrus flavours. Add to your glass some sparkling water and then fill with the sangria. The good thing about this drink is that even if the girls can’t come over you can put it in the fridge to keep cool for the next day or two and the flavours just keep getting better!!

Well who knew that this common kitchen item was so versatile and if you have one in your cupboard, pull it out to enjoy some summer drinks using the french press.

If you are looking for some other great summer beverage ideas, check out these Kombucha favourites:

Easy Refreshing Summer Beverages

Or Maybe a Caesar is more your thing, Well we got that too!!

The Classic Canadian Beverage – the Caesar

Happy Summer. Stay Hydrated and Cool.

Danni

XOXO