Caribbean Drinks News Letter
Sun, 13 Jun 2004, at 9:44 p.m.

This news letter is from an AOL food chat and is printed here at Recipes From Friends with permission of host Judee..

These are the recipes in our Caribbean Cuisine Chats. There are some mighty good non-alcoholic and some very potent drinks in this collection. We hope you have enjoyed the recipes.

Judee and Dianne

**This is a permanent mailing list. If you want your name removed just e-mail me.

Welcome back to the Cooking Around the World Chat. This is the final in our series of Caribbean Cuisine. What better way to end (or begin) a Caribbean dinner but to serve some wonderful island drinks.

We will start with the non-alcoholic drinks and end with some very adult drinks. Most of the ingredients for these drinks should available in most supermarkets and liqueur stores.

SPARKLING MANGO LIMEADE
Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional unattended time.

3 ripe mangoes (about 2 1/2 pounds total)
1 1/2 cups fresh lime juice
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup superfine sugar plus additional to taste
seltzer water or club soda
Garnish: lime wedges

Peel mangoes and cut flesh from pits. In a blender purée mango flesh with lime juice, water, and 1 cup sugar until smooth. Force purée through a sieve into a pitcher or bowl, pressing on any solids. Chill purée, covered, until cold and then stir in additional sugar. (Purée will be slightly thick. Limeade purée keeps, covered and chilled, 2 days.)

Fill tall glasses with ice and add enough limeade purée to fill each glass by three quarters. Top off drinks with seltzer water or club soda, stirring well, and garnish with lime wedges. Makes about 5 1/2 cups limeade purée.
***End of Recipe***

Caribbean Fruit Shake

"This delicious drink is great for kids who are lactose intolerant because it tastes very creamy but does not contain milk. Although optional, grenadine syrup (available in the soft drink section of supermarkets) turns the shake a wonderful pink.

1 Banana; ripe
1/2 c Pineapple juice
1/2 c Orange juice
1 tb Grenadine syrup; optional
1 cup Ice cubes

Peel banana and break into pieces. Place in blender or food processor. Pour in pineapple juice, orange juice and grenadine syrup (if using); blend until smooth, about 30 seconds. Add ice cubes; blend for 1 minutes or until creamy and frothy. Yield 2 servings
***End of Recipe***

Caribbean Dream

3/4-cup vanilla ice cream or low-fat ice milk
3/4-cup pineapple sherbet
3/4-cup tropical fruit salad, drained (Dole or DelMonte both carry this in canned fruit)
1/4-cup frozen banana-orange juice concentrate
1/8 to1/4-teaspoon rum-flavored extract

Place ice cream, sherbet, fruit salad, concentrate and extract in blender. Blend on medium speed 1-2 min. until smooth and well-blended. Pour into two serving glasses and serve immediately. Variations: A tablespoon of rum instead of extract can be used for a more mature flavoring. Also - to "lighten up" the recipe, the vanilla ice cream may also be substituted with frozen yogurt
***End of Recipe***

Caribbean Milk Cooler

2 cups fat free skim or 1% lowfat milk
2 cups unsweetened pineapple juice
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon coconut extract
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Ice cubes
Mint sprigs, optional

In a blender container, combine all ingredients except ice cubes and mint and blend on high speed until frothy. Pour into four tall glasses filled with ice cubes. Garnish with mint sprigs, if desired. Variation: For a thicker drink, freeze pineapple juice in an ice cube tray. Blend these pineapple cubes with all other ingredients except mint. Omit regular ice cubes. Serve in a chilled glass.
***End of Recipe***

Batida de lechoza(Papaya milkshake) - Domincan

Batida de Lechoza will make an incredibly delicious snack both for kids and grown ups.

2 cups of papaya cut in cubes
1 cup of sugar
1 tablespoon of vanilla
4 cups of evaporated
1/2 cup of ice cubes

Put all the ingredients in the blender and keep on at high speed until the ice is blended. Serve immediately Yields 4 servings.
***End of Recipe***

Peanut Punch

This recipe is very easy. The only hard part is getting the ingredients.

1/2 cup peanut butter
2 cups coconut milk
honey Procedure:
Blend all items. Serve cold.
***End of Recipe***

Just in case there is a cool evening you might want to serve this:

Drinking Chocolate - Grenada

2 oz Heavy cream
6-8 oz Milk
1 stick Cinnamon
1 Vanilla bean, split in half length wise
2 oz finely chopped dark Chocolate
Fresh Whipped cream

Mixing instructions:
Heat the cream and milk with the cinnamon and vanilla bean very slowly for 15-20 minutes. (If you don't have any beans add 1-2 tsp of vanilla after heating). Remove the bean and cinnamon. Add the chocolate. Mix until fully melted. Serve topped with some very dense fresh whipped cream. Serves 1-2 depending upon how much of a glutton you are. For a richer chocolate, use 4 oz of milk, 4 oz of cream, 4 oz of chocolate. Serve in coffee mug.
***End of Recipe***

And now for the adult beverages!!!

Festive Limbo Party Punch

Here is a rarity, a Caribbean punch that doesn't have rum in it. But you won't miss it because of all the other alcohol. This is an extremely strong punch. Take care.

2 cups fresh lemon juice
2 cups passion fruit juice
2 cups fresh orange juice
1 cup white Curaçao
3 cups sugar
1 8-ounce jar maraschino cherries, drained
1 750 ml. bottle brandy
2 750-ml. bottles Champagne, chilled
Pineapple slices for garnish

In a large bowl, combine the juices, Curaçao, sugar, and cherries. Stir well, cover, and allow to stand overnight in the refrigerator. On party day, stir in the brandy and Champagne, stir well, garnish with the orange slices, and serve.
Yield: about 15 servings
***End of Recipe***

Caribbean Romance

1 1/2 oz Light Rum
1 oz Amaretto
1 1/2 oz Orange Juice
1 1/2 oz Pineapple Juice
1 splash Grenadine

Shake well with ice and pour into highball glass. Float grenadine on top and garnish with an orange, lemon, or lime slice.
***End of Recipe***

Island Girl

1 1\4 oz vodka
3 oz orange juice
4 oz lemon lime soda
1 cherry
1 small pineapple wedge

Grenadine to color Fill glass half full with crushed ice, place cherry in bottom of glass. Add vodka, soda and orange juice. Use pineapple wedge attached to umbrella to garnish.
***End of Recipe***

ABC Mango Cocktail

In the Dutch Antilles, or "ABC" islands of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao, this is a favorite before-dinner drink that features mango and blue Curaçao. Superfine, or castor sugar, dissolves more easily than table sugar.

1/2 cup cubed mango flesh
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup blue Caraçao
1 Tbs lime juice
1/4 cup rum
1 1/2 teaspoons superfine sugar
3 tablespoons grenadine
Crushed ice
Thinly sliced mango, with the skin on, for garnish

Blend the mango with 1/2 cup water until smooth, then stir in the remaining water. Strain the juice into a large glass. Add the rum, Curaçao, lime juice and 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar, cover, vigorously until the sugar has dissolved. Garnish with the mango slice and serve. Yield: 1 serving
***End of Recipe***

Whale Watcher - West Indies

1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon hot water
2 cups ice cubes
1/2 cup grapefruit juice
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons amber rum
2 tablespoons creme de banana
2 tablespoons Myer's Original Rum Cream
1 tablespoon grenadine

Combine sugar and water in small bowl and stir until sugar dissolves. Cool and transfer to blender. Add all remaining ingredients and blend until smooth. Divide among 4 glasses. This recipe makes 4 servings
***End of Recipe***

Goombay Smash

This drink from the Bahamas will catch you by surprise. Remember: "Do not drink and drive".

1/8 cup light rum
1 tablespoon coconut rum
1/4 cup pineapple juice
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker and shake well with crushed ice.
Yield: 1 serving
***End of Recipe***

Havana Banana - serves 1

3/4 oz light rum
3/4 oz banana liqueur
1/2 cup pineapple-coconut drink
Ice cubes
1 Maraschino cherry
1 sl orange

Combine rum and banana liqueur. Add pineapple-coconut drink and stir to blend. Pour over ice cubes in large or small brandy snifter. Garnish with maraschino cherry and orange slice.
***End of Recipe***

Our next recipe comes from JoanDunbar. She is no longer on AOL but is on the mailing list. She sent this Rum drink to us.

Mojito
The Mojito originated in the Caribbean, probably in Cuba. It is more or less a Rum Smash with the addition of club soda, which makes for a long, thirst-quenching drink.

6 fresh mint leaves
1 1/2 Tbs. simple syrup (see related recipe)
1 Tbs. fresh lime juice
Crushed ice
2 fl. oz. light rum
2 fl. oz. club soda
1 lime wedge

Put the mint leaves in the bottom of a highball glass. Add the simple syrup and lime juice and muddle well. Fill the glass with crushed ice. Add the rum and club soda and stir briefly. Add the lime wedge. Serves 1.

Simple Syrup
Because it is difficult to dissolve sugar in cold liquid, bartenders use a sugar solution called simple syrup. It is easy to prepare and keeps 2 months or longer in the refrigerator.

1 cup water
1 cup sugar
***End of Recipe***

BANANA MUDSLIDE
Slide into paradise. This is the Island favorite and ours was voted - best in the Cayman lslands!

1 and 1/4 oz. - Vodka
1 oz. - Kahlua
2 oz. - Irish Cream
1- Fresh Banana

Combine all ingredients and a scoop of crushed ice in a blender until smooth. Serve in a hurricane glass and float the straw with more Kahula. It may slow you down!
***End of Recipe***

Tropical Fruit Punch - Trinidad/Tobago

3 cups orange juice
3 cups pineapple juice
3 cups grapefruit juice
1/4 cup lime or lemon juice
1/2 cup honey
4 cans ginger ale or soda water
1 cup rum or white whine
1 cup finely chopped pineapple
1 cup small melon pieces or balls
1 lime or orange seeded and thinly sliced

1) Combine orange, pineapple, grapefruit and lime juices
2) Sweeten to taste with honey and chill for a few hours
3) Just before serving stir in ginger ale, rum, pineapple pieces and melon balls. Garnish with lime or orange slices, serve over crushed ice

*You can leave out the alcohol and also substitute fruit with a can of fruit salad
***End of Recipe***

Ginger Beer

3/4 cup (1/4 pound) grated ginger root
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
12 cups (3 quarts) plus 1/4 cup water
2 1/4 ounce packages active dry yeast
2 cups sugar

In a large bowl, combine grated ginger root, lime juice and cream of tartar and stir well. In a large kettle, bring 12 cups water to a boil over high heat. Carefully pour hot water over ginger mixture and set aside to cool. In a small bowl, combine yeast, 1/4 cup water and 1/2 cup sugar. Stir to make a smooth paste. When ginger mixture is lukewarm, add yeast mixture and stir well. Cover bowl loosely with plastic wrap and let stand for 3 days. (But the longer you let it stand, the stronger it gets!) Pour ginger mixture through a sieve with another large bowl underneath to catch the liquid. Add remaining sugar to ginger beer and stir well. Serve chilled over ice.
***End of Recipe***

Caribbean Castaway Punch - serves 14

3 cups orange juice
3 cups pineapple juice
2 cups lime juice (from about 15 limes)
2 cups light rum
2 cups dark rum
1 cup curaçao or other orange liqueur
1/2 cup grenadine
1 block of ice or 5 cups ice cubes

Stir first 7 ingredients in large punch bowl. Refrigerate until cold. (Can be made 6 hours ahead. Keep refrigerated.)

Add block of ice or ice cubes to bowl with punch. Ladle punch into glasses.
***End of Recipe***

*~BAHAMA MAMA~*

1- ¼ ounces rum
1 ounce Crème de Cassis
3 ounces orange juice
3 ounces pineapple juice
¼ ounce lemon juice
¼ ounce Angostura Bitters
Dash of Grenadine Syrup
Dash of nutmeg

Shake well and serve in a tall glass.
***End of Recipe***

KAPALUA BUTTERFLY

2/3 cup pineapple juice
1/2 cup dark rum
6 tablespoons canned cream of coconut (such as Coco López)*
1/4 cup sweet and sour mix
2 tablespoons grenadine
2 teaspoons frozen orange juice concentrate, unthawed

20 (about) ice cubes

*Available in the liquor department of most supermarkets.

Combine first 6 ingredients in blender. Chill in freezer 30 minutes. Add ice to pitcher; blend until ice is finely crushed. Pour into brandy glasses. Serves 2.
***End of Recipe***