I have to tell you about this lovely book I recently received entitled Artisan Drinks, delicious alcoholic and soft drinks to make at home, by Lindy Wildsmith. I was really excited to get it. My sister has been making her own gingerbeer and ferments for a while now and I have been keen to try a few of my own.
Artisan Drinks celebrates the pleasures which are to be had from creating your own beverages. I think we have become rather lazy in modern times as ready made drinks are widely available for purchase, but there has been a recent resurgence of people wanting to create their own natural, from scratch artisanal drinks, both acoholic and non-alcoholic. With over 100 recipes for both, acclaimed cook and food writer Lindy Wildsmith takes you from freshly harvested ingredients to the finished product in your glass. A journey which teaches artisanal techniques with a wholesome approach to sourcing natural ingredients for infusing, macerating, pressing, brewing and fermenting your own drinks.
There are a wide variety of chapters containing pretty much anything the home cook would need to know for creating drinks . . . sourcing and seasonality to syrups and cordials, beers and ciders, wines, liqueurs, digestives, punches, party drinks, coctails and mocktails . . . teas, tisanes and spicy brews . . . each chapter beautifully illustrated with gorgeous photos by the photographer Kevin Summers.
The photographs are truly beautiful . . .
with step by step pictorial tutorials . . .
and lovely photos of the finished products . . .
Each chapter contains a multitude of tips and easy to understand instructions to take you every step of the way, including safety tips (important!!). At the back of the book there is a complete Glossary of ingredients and a Directory of sources for everything you might need, including the UK, France, North America, etc. This would be an excellent gift for the keen cook in your life!
It really is a beautiful book and there are a lot of things I want to try in it. I don't drink alcohol or regular teas and coffees, but this book contains lots of recipes which fall within the boundaries of non-alcoholic as well as herbal infusions for hot drinks. I have a few cordials etc. ear marked for the next growing season! It was kind of late in the year for me to do much now.
I could however make some Sparkling Lemonade. We both love lemonade, and this was fabulous.
*Sparkling Lemonade*
Makes 1 liter (15 fluid ounces)Printable Recipe
Simple and natural sparkling citrus drink. Easy to make.
250ml (9 fluid ounces) of cold water150-200g of granulated sugar (2/3 to 3/4 cup)250ml freshly squeezed lemon or other citrus fruit juice (9 fluid ounces)(roughly equal to 6 lemons, 7 limes, 4 oranges or 3 grapefruits)750ml (scant 3 cups) sparkling wateryou will also need:1 (1 litre) bottle washed in hot soapy water
Put the cold water in a medium sized pan with 150g (2/3) of the sugar and bring to the boil. Simmer for 3 minutes. Add the fruit juice and reheat briefly. Taste and if necessary, add the remaining sugar. Pour into a clean measuring jub and leave to cool.
When cold, pour the syrup into a bottle using a funnel. Add the sparkling water. Close the bottle and chill. This lemonade is best made and consumed within 24 to 48 hours. As long as yo uare not going to keep this for more than a day or two it will be fine in glass.
Making & Keeping: Make when citrus fruit is at it's best. Keeps for a few days. Drink before the sparkle subsides.
Artisan Drinks
Delicious alcoholic and soft drinks to make at home
Author: Lindy Wildsmith
Photography: Kevin Summers
Hardback, color photographs, 200 pages
ISBN 978-1-909342-03-3
£25
Published by Jacqui Small LLP
Follow on Twitter @JacquiSmallPub
