Thirst Quenchers

This is the thirsty season. Soft-drink and ice-cold-beer sales reach their peak as the nation swelters toward Labor Day. Everybody has a repertoire of hot-weather drinks; it’s a simple matter of survival.

We have a few suggestions of our own. Iced tea doctored with mint and honey. The ever-popular Spanish Sangria. And Bowle, a less well known but excellent German punch of wine (white wine and sparkling wine) and mixed fruit.

From Mexico and the Caribbean, where people know hot weather, come the Margarita and Planter’s Punch. And for the child who craves ice cream within the adult who wants something with a little kick, the Dreamswizzle (you drink it; you don’t eat it off a stick) and a Grown-Up Banana Split.

SANGRIA

2 oranges, sliced into rounds, then halved

1 lemon, sliced into rounds

2 limes, sliced into rounds

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar

1 1/2 ounces (3 tablespoons) orange curaca~o

1 ounce (2 tablespoons) brandy

8 ounces (1 cup) freshly squeezed orange juice

1 (750-milliliter) bottle red wine, such as Merlot or Zinfandel

Combine orange, lemon and lime slices in large pitcher or bowl. Sprinkle with sugar, curaca~o and brandy. Let sit 30 minutes to macerate. Add orange juice and wine and mix well. Serve well chilled, over ice if desired.

6 to 8 servings. Each of 8 servings:

171 calories; 9 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 0 fat; 25 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram protein; 0.31 gram fiber.

BOWLE

Bowle (pronounced bowl-uh) is similar to Sangria, though it’s made with white wine; the Champagne adds a refreshing fizz. Fruit punches like this are very common at parties throughout Germany. Although we prefer fresh pineapple, canned will do.

1 large peach, halved and thinly sliced

2 cups strawberries, hulled and halved

1 cup pineapple chunks

1/2 cup sugar

1 (750-milliliter) bottle Chardonnay, chilled

1 (750-milliliter) bottle dry Champagne, chilled

Combine peach slices, strawberries and pineapple chunks in large pitcher or ceramic bowl. Sprinkle with sugar. Pour in Chardonnay. Refrigerate at least 45 minutes or up to several hours.

When ready to serve, pour in Champagne and mix well. Serve over ice, making sure to get some fruit in each glass.

10 to 12 servings. Each of 12 servings:

146 calories; 5 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 0 fat; 16 grams carbohydrates; 0 protein; 0.25 gram fiber.

DREAMSWIZZLE

This is an adult variation of a Dreamsicle, the creamy orange and vanilla ice cream combination that has long been an American favorite.

1 pint vanilla ice cream

1 pint orange sherbet

4 ounces (1/2 cup) vodka

1 ounce (2 tablespoons) Grand Marnier

Process vanilla ice cream, orange sherbet, vodka and Grand Marnier in blender until smooth and well blended.

4 to 6 servings. Each of 6 servings:

240 calories; 69 mg sodium; 23 mg cholesterol; 6 grams fat; 33 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams protein; 0 fiber.

HONEY-MINT ICED TEA

In her cookbook “The Nantucket Table” (Chronicle Books, 1998), from which this recipe was taken, Susan Simon tells us that iced tea was introduced at the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair.

6 cups water

4 tea bags, preferably black tea such as Assam or Darjeeling

2 tablespoons honey

Juice of 1 lemon

20 fresh mint sprigs

Ice cubes

Bring water to boil. Place tea bags, honey, lemon juice and mint in heat-proof pitcher. Pour boiling water into pitcher and stir to dissolve honey. Let cool. Serve in tall glasses over ice.

8 servings. Each serving:

24 calories; 0 sodium; 0 cholesterol; 0 fat; 4 grams carbohydrates; 0 protein; 0 fiber.

MARTINIQUE PLANTERS PUNCH

This recipe is from Sheila Lukins’ “All Around the World Cookbook,” (Workman, 1994).

4 ounces (1/2 cup) orange juice

4 ounces (1/2 cup) pineapple juice

2 ounces (1/4 cup) light rum

Dash grenadine

Dash aromatic bitters

Ice cubes

1 ounce (2 tablespoons) dark rum

1 pineapple spear

1 mint sprig

1 maraschino cherry

Combine orange and pineapple juices, light rum, grenadine and bitters. Pour over ice cubes in tall glass. Drizzle dark rum on top. Garnish with pineapple spear, mint and cherry.

1 serving. Each serving:

320 calories; 6 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 0 fat; 31 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram protein; 0.23 gram fiber.

MARGARITAS

Deputy Food Editor-spouse Bill Furlow contributed this recipe, which some Times Test Kitchen tasters dubbed the best they’d ever had.

3 ounces (6 tablespoons) tequila

2 ounces (1/4 cup) triple sec

2 ounces (1/4 cup) freshly squeezed lime juice

Salt, optional

Ice cubes

Combine tequila, triple sec and lime juice in cocktail shaker or jar. Cover and shake to mix well. Dip rim of glasses in salt if desired. Strain margarita into glasses over ice.

2 servings. Each serving:

222 calories; 3 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 0 fat; 19 grams carbohydrates; 0 protein; 0 fiber.

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“Cluny” martini glass from Christophe, Beverly Hills.

Pitcher from “It’s a Bargain” thrift, Orthopedic Hospital, Los Angeles.