Raspberry-Mint Limeade

When it comes to summer entertaining, I’m all for taking it outdoors. To save myself multiple trips to the kitchen, I prefer to mix up a large, icy pitcher of drinks I can easily serve outside. With a sweet raspberry and mint-spiked syrup for the base, lots of tangy lime, and a little bubble to keep things fun, you can add or forgo the booze in this big-batch beverage, making it fit for kiddos and non-drinkers alike. (If you’d like to spike it, gin or vodka would work equally well.)

This tasty drink starts with syrup made of fresh raspberries, mint, sugar and a bit of water. I like to pulse the mint and sugar together in a food processor before adding it to the berries. This trick releases the oils in the mint and makes for pleasantly herbal-tasting syrup.

Then, combine the syrup with the lime juice, plain and sparkling waters in a pitcher. Lime slices, mint leaves and raspberries make gorgeous garnishes.

All that’s left to do now is to fill glasses with plenty of ice and serve a little sidecar of booze, if you please. How easy is that?