Celebrate Peach Month with Simple Drink Recipes

 by ulterior epicure (contact)

Peaches have always been one of my favorite fruits. They are so versatile, so delicious and so very southern. For this week's segment on my local Fox affiliate show 'Mornings with Fox43,' I'm sharing three simple and tasty drink recipes that incorporate peaches!

Each recipe begins with the same simple syrup made with fresh peaches.

Fresh Peach Simple Syrup

• 2 peaches
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup water

Combine ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer covered until the sugar dissolves and the peaches soften and become uniform in color. 

Remove pan from heat and let cool for 30 minutes. Refrigerate 8-12 hours or overnight. 

**You can separate the peaches from the simple syrup or use the mixture as is, depending on your drink recipe.

 by VlaD (DaV.) (contact)

The first drink I created is something I'm calling the "Rise & Shine." Sometimes I feel like the only person in America who doesn't like orange juice. I love fresh oranges, but I just can't stomach the juice. This drink begins with orange juice but the addition of the peach syrup plus La Croix peach/pear flavored seltzer makes it a perfect drink for brunch or just to enjoy with your breakfast. 

Rise & Shine 

• 1 part peach simple syrup
• 3 parts orange juice
• 1 can of La Croix Peach/Pear flavored sparkling water 

Serve over ice in a glass garnished with a slice of fresh peach and enjoy! 

**Note: Substitute champagne for the sparkling water to get instant peach mimosas! 

My next peach drink creation is one that is very near and dear to my heart: Peach Iced Tea. I should probably give credit where credit is due to fast food restaurant Pal's for my inspiration. I visited Pal's for the first time last weekend and their 'Peachy Tea' was so tasty, I wanted to recreate my own with all fresh ingredients.

I always use Lipton or Luzianne tea bags and while I never measure anything exactly, I usually use two tea bags per large pot of water.

 by .angels. (contact)

Classic Southern Peach Iced Tea

• 1 part peach simple syrup
• 3 parts brewed tea 

Mix together and serve over ice with a mint garnish. Enjoy! 

photo via Ocean Spray

Finally, I wanted to create an easy drink recipe that would be perfect for all these end of summer soirees we're trying to cram into our schedules before fall. 

Peachy Keen Mocktail (Cocktail)

• 1 part peach simple syrup
• 1 part Ocean Spray Sparkling Cran-Lemonade
• Optional Alcohol addition - Vodka or Gin 

This one combines peach simple syrup with Ocean Spray Sparkling Cran-Lemonade. It's as simple as that, but it's really delicious. You could even add Gin or Vodka to make a more spirited version. 

Enjoying a frou-frou drink with friends is fun, but it's easy to rack up a bar tab with just a couple of cocktails. There's no reason we can't indulge in some festive drinks at home that are simple to make and kind on the budget. I hope these recipes inspire you to do just that!