How to make your own drinks…the natural way

Create fresh seasonal drinks from Elderflower Cordial to Cinnamon Schnapps

 Do you grow your own fruit and vegetables, or pick wild berries and flowers? Or do you simply have a well-stocked kitchen, fridge and freezer?

 Then why not make your own drinks out of natural, fresh – and often free – ingredients, just as you do when cooking food. There’s been a huge new trend for growing and foraging your own, so here at last is the essential modern guide to making your own delicious, seasonal, homemade drinks.

PUBLISHED BY MITCHELL BEAZLEY 26^TH MAY 2011 £16.99

 Forget the old image of a sandal-wearing geek fermenting home-brew, in Make Your Own Drinks popular author and broadcaster, Susy Atkins, provides an up-to-the minute and straightforward introduction to making simple drinks at home.

The book shows you how to create family friendly cordials from flowers and fruit; fashionable spirit infusions for cocktails and shots; luscious, rich liqueurs; hot and cold drinks based on fresh herbs and dried spices. All of these can be made in a ridiculously short time and are quite delectable. Recipes include a mouthwatering Lavender Lemonade, a simple Blackberry Wine, Elderflower Cordial and Sloe Gin through to more adventurous recipes for Star Anise Vodka, Spiced Mead and Nettle Beer. 

Susy’s book shows you just how easy, natural and cheap it is to make your own drinks: whether you are a gardener with a glut of summer berries, a forager seeking inspiration for armfuls of hand-picked elderflowers or a farmers’ market devotee wondering what to do with a bulk-buy of late-season apples. The book helps you make the very most of core ingredients sourced in the field or garden, or, for city dwellers, in the backyard or on the balcony. 

This timely and modern guide includes step-by-step instructions on how to make the drinks, as well as many essential tips on bottling, storing and serving them. Make Your Own Drinkshas ideas for every event whether it’s a festive knees-up or a summer picnic as well as inspiration on that home-made drink to have on hand for a special occasion.  

Susy Atkins is a well-known, award-winning wine writer and broadcaster. She writes the weekly wine column for the Sunday Telegraph’s Stella Magazine and is wine editor for Delicious magazine, as well as appearing frequently as a TV wine expert on shows including BBC1’s hugely popular ‘Saturday Kitchen’ for over four years.

Susy is author of ten modern, down-to-earth books about wine and drinks in general. Two have won major awards. In 2004 she was named the International Wine & Spirit Competition’s ‘Communicator of the Year’. She has given wine talks and tutored tastings across the UK, often in conjunction with celebrity chefs and at such prestigious events as the Ideal Home Show and the London Wine Show.

Susy also runs popular wine tastings at various venues all around the UK. She lives in Devon with her young family