May 6 is National Beverage Day! Celebrate by kicking back in the lounge chair or hammock with a glass of your favorite drink, alcoholic or not! Beverage is so broad and generic you really could celebrate it just about any way you want. Caffeinated or not, hot or cold, iced or frozen, sweet or sour, cocktail or mocktail, smooth or dry, creamy or blended - so many choices!

While we have options these days, it wasn’t always so. In the beginning milk and water were the only real options and water was not clean enough from most sources. The Chinese discovered tea early in their civilization. Drinking chocolate was from Central America around 1200 BC. Once farming began, other drinks were created and it seems beer and ale were the drinks of choice. Cider was created and mead. By 4000 BC, wine had been invented, but was only for the wealthy and affluent. Vodka came about sometime after but no one is really sure when. Lemonade was created in 1299. The 16th century brought sherry and Scottish whiskey and in the 17th century perry (an alcoholic beverage made from fermented pears) was extremely popular in England. The 17th century brought a lot of change to the beverage industry. Holland created gin, England created champagne and cocoa, Ethiopia discovered coffee, Mexico created tequila and Florida gave us orange juice. The 18th century brought porter (a dark bitter beer) from London and Guinness from Dublin, Italy gave us Vermouth, bourbon came about and carbon dioxide began to give us fizzy drinks courtesy of Joseph Priestly. Water became much safer in the 19th century with the creation of water treatment and delivery through the town system. The 19th century also brought us Pale Ale from India, golden lager from Czech Republic, tonic water, Grand Marnier and Pimms (a fruit based gin). It also brought us Horaltine (a malted milk drink), Coca-Cola (which originally included alcohol!), Pepsi and Dr. Pepper. Iced tea was invented in the USA at the end of the 19th century. The 20th century brought us Ovaltine, Fanta (because Germany Coca-Cola employees couldn’t get Coke ingredients!), Vimto (the first soft drink in the UK), Tizer (a citrus flavored soda), Ribena (a blackcurrant flavored drink from UK), and Lucozade (UK’s version of a sports energy drink). I know, they have some weird names, huh?

While we are speaking of beverages, let’s talk just a moment of some important milestones in drink related things. In 1637, a Jewish immigrant opened the first coffee house in England. The 19th and 20th centuries brought us mass produced drinks due to the industrial age. The first soda fountain was patented in 1819. In 1822, a Frenchman developed a prototype of the first espresso machine. Marvin Stone invented paper drinking straws in 1888 and the screw bottle top was patented in 1889. Advertising began in the early 1900’s and really caused soft drinks to become popular. The modern coffee percolator was invented in 1889 by Hanson Goodrich. Instant coffee was invented in 1901 and the coffee filter was invented in 1908. Soda bottle vending machines were created in the 1920s. Canned beer was first sold in the USA in 1935. Aluminum cans were introduced in 1965 and the pull ring tab in 1962. Plastic bottles came about in 1970. 1972 brought us the first automatic drip coffee machine.

These drinks are so easy and so quick to make. They are also refreshing and relaxing. Make a glass or make a pitcher to share! This weekend, enjoy the outdoors and pick something homemade to drink. Make your list and meet me in the kitchen to try these super easy drinks!

Italian Sunset

2oz amaretto

3oz freshly squeezed orange juice

3oz club soda

Dash grenadine

Cherry for garnish

Fill a highball glass with crushed ice. Add amaretto. Carefully pour orange juice, and then club soda in glass in layers. Finish with a dash of grenadine. Do not stir. Garnish with a cherry.

Recipe from lovetoknow.com

Blackberry Mocktail

8 blackberries

1 Tbsp. lime juice

2 tsp. honey

1 cup club soda

Muddle blueberries, lime and honey in a glass until juice is released from the blackberries. To muddle, lightly smash in a twisting motion. Top with club soda. Garnish with lime wheel and serve.

Recipe adapted from mindfulmocktail.com

Mermaid Refresher

½ cup club soda

¾ cup blue punch, such as Hawaiian

Punch

⅓ cup pineapple juice

2 Tbsps. lemonade

1 tsp. honey

1 maraschino cherry, for garnish

1 lemon slice, for garnish

Add the club soda, blue punch, pineapple juice and lemonade to a cup and stir. Skewer cherry on toothpick and place lemon slice on edge of glass.

Recipe adapted from foodnetwork.com

Strawberry Limeade Slush

2 cups ice

16 strawberries

½ cup frozen concentrated limeade

½ cup water

½ cup sugar, more or less to taste Place ice in blender and pulse until

Place ice in blender and pulse until crushed. Add strawberries, limeade, sugar and water. Puree until thick and smooth. Taste and adjust flavors, if desired. Pour into glasses serve with straw, if desired.

White Russian

2oz vodka

1oz coffee liqueur

1oz heavy cream

Ice, for serving

Add vodka and coffee liqueur to low ball glass. Fill glass with ice. Top with cream. Stir just a bit to get the swirl effect.