Food & Grocery: Hot weather calls for a cold drink
Photo by Flickr user soyculto.
Hot enough for you? On days like this, with the heat index hovering north of 100 degrees, and with power still out in many homes, it's important to stay hydrated. You could — and should — drink water, but Ann Arborites have many more options if they're looking to spice things up.
At Jolly Pumpkin Cafe and Brewery, bartenders are serving up a whole lot of basil limeade, both with and without rum, according to restaurant host Kirsten North. Light, crisp beers such as the traditional Bam Biere are also flying out the door at the Pumpkin.
Over at The Arena Sports Bar and Grill, they're selling a whole lot of beer, beer and more beer. Summer beers like Bell's Oberon and Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy are hot sellers for the bar, says Arena owner Mike Flore.
Bar Louie general manager Chris Sorenson tells us that coconut mint lemonade is a big favorite in the heat this week, as are mojitos.
My favorite way to keep cool is cold-brewed coffee or iced tea. If I'm in the mood to splurge, Zingerman's Next Door has a creamy vanilla cold coffee drink — The Dirty Sheed — that I have been known to swoon over.
When I'm mixing up cocktails at home, I'm partial to a refreshing negroni or caipirinha, but when I'm drinking on the town, I'll head straight for the Back Porch Lemonade at Grange Kitchen and Bar every time. The mixture of citrus vodka, lemon juice, ginger syrup, cranberry juice and ginger beer is ridiculously refreshing.
What about you? What are you doing to beat the heat? Share your recipes or cocktail destinations in the comment section below.
AnnArbor.com business reporter Ben Freed contributed to this story.
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