It is finally summer!!!  I have been bemoaning the chilly +15′C that was our summer up until a week ago.  With the Calgary Stampede in town its time for the temperature to soar.

So on those hot summer afternoons when the world is perfect and we are lounging on our decks in the sun what would top it all off better than some cool refreshments made just for the adults – and all gluten free.

Cucumber cooler

In a highball glass mash together:

1 oz Sake (rice wine)

1oz Vodka (this can be grain, but if you buy the good russian kind it is almost always potato alcohol)

1/4 chopped cucumber (weird, I know, but it is really good!)

3 lime wedges

3 lemon wedges

2 tbsp sugar.

Add crushed ice and top with club soda.   This drink is fantastically good with spicy Chinese or Thai dishes.

One of my favorites is the classic Bellini.  I’m talking about the classic drink here, and not the boozy Slurpee (mostly because I don’t have a Slurpee machine at home ~boy if I did though!….)  This drink originated in Italy around the 1930′s and although the purists will call for only white flesh peaches, any ripe type of peach will do.

Puree the flesh of 1 white peach, add to the bottom of a fluted glass, pour over with Prosecco or any other sparkling white wine.

Ta dah!  Seriously, that is all there is to it.

For those who like to have everything on hand for when the mood strikes I recommend buying a load of peaches when they come into season (like right now) and spend a little time right now pureeing them and freezing the mash in an ice cube tray.  When its frozen seal the cubes in a zip-lock freezer bag.  Now you are ready to enjoy this fantastic drink all year long.  Just pop a peach cube in a flute and pour over with some bubbly.  As an added bonus the cube cools your drink too.  Win win!