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Let’s Celebrate

By Carmen Niehaus

During October, we have plenty to celebrate. Summer is finally here; the rugby world cup is in full swing, and we are still spoilt with plenty of rugby to watch and to cheer for our favourite team. The best way to relax and join the World Cup festivities or to celebrate the new summer season is with a couple of drinks served with a platter of tasty nibbles.

FOR THE PLATTER

2—3 Cheeses:
soft: e.g., cream cheese or Chevin goats’ cheese; camembert or brie;
semi-hard: e.g., Gouda or matured Cheddar;
hard: e.g., Parmesan or pecorino
Chutney (see recipe here) or spreads or pâté
Toasted chunks of French baguette and/or seed crackers
Olive oil and seed confetti (or dukkha)
Biltong and droëwors or a variety of charcuterie
Variety of fruit e.g., strawberries, grapes, and other fruit in season

Arrange all the above-mentioned products on a large wooden or glass platter and serve with a variety of drinks.

FOR THE DRINKS

Make sure to stock up on Carmién’s range of sparkling rooibos ice teas and cold brews and you are sorted to impress with a variety of refreshing drinks.

For me, the big bonus of Carmién’s sparkling ice teas is that they are low in kilojoules (surprisingly iced teas normally have plenty of sugar). They are also packed with all the added benefits of rooibos and are naturally caffeine-free. Enjoy as is, serve on ice or mix with your favourite spirit for a refreshing alcoholic option. There are 3 delicious flavours: Geranium Mint, Tangerine Grapefruit and Berry Hibiscus.

Carmién’s cold brew rooibos teas are specially developed to be used in COLD WATER. Using cold water instead of hot water slowly extracts more flavour, giving you a smooth, sweet, and cleaner-tasting tea – ideal to add (only one bag is needed) to your favourite drink for a touch of extra flavour. Another plus is that no sugar is added to the cold brew tea bags, only natural stevia leaf is used to add a bit of sweetness, making it a much healthier option. Available in 4 delicious flavours: Cranberry Hibiscus, Apple Mint, Coconut Pine and Apricot Blossom.

CRANBERRY AND BERRY HIBISCUS DRINK WITH BERRY LOLLIES

The Cranberry Hibiscus cold brew brings a touch of tartness to this delicious drink loaded with berries. The berry lollie adds a nice surprise.

FOR THE LOLLIES
125 ml (½c) full-cream yoghurt
250 g frozen strawberries
80 ml (⅓c) raw honey

Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Spoon into 5—6 lollie holders and freeze.

FOR THE DRINK

Place a bag of Carmién’s Cranberry Hibiscus Cold Brew in a glass and fill halfway with ice-cold water and ice. Top with Carmién’s Berry Hibiscus Sparkling Rooibos Iced Tea and add a few blueberries and strawberry slices if preferred. Serve with a lollie dunked into the drink.

For an alcoholic version: add a tot of Carmién Floral Berry Gin or vodka.

APPLE MINT AND GERANIUM DRINK

The crispy apple taste and notes of perfumed geranium are a good match.

Place a bag of Carmién’s Apple Mint Cold Brew in a glass and fill halfway with ice-cold water and ice. Top with Carmién’s Geranium Mint Sparkling Rooibos Iced Tea. Add a few slices of strawberries and cucumber plus mint and/or basil leaves. Decorate with geranium flowers and leaves.

For an alcoholic option add a tot of Carmién’s Floral Berry Gin or vodka.

COCO PINE AND TANGERINE GRAPEFRUIT DRINK

Hints of coconut and pineapple and notes of citrus pair beautifully in this drink.

Place a bag of Carmién’s Coco Pine Cold Brew in a glass and fill halfway with ice-cold water and ice. Top with Carmién’s Tangerine Grapefruit Sparkling Rooibos Iced Tea. Add a few lime or lemon slices and decorate with a stalk of lemon grass or sprigs of mint or thyme.

For an alcoholic option add a tot of Carmién’s Citrus Chai Gin or vodka.