5 easy-to-make drinks to serve on Eid

What other way to satisfy guests till the food rolls out, than serving chillers!

KARACHI: Hosts know what a task it is to prepare and serve food on Eid, because let's be honest, we desis don't trickle in, we snowball into people's houses. So what does one do when you have to serve so many people at once and you're running out of time?

You serve them drinks, of course! And what other way to satisfy them till the food rolls out, than serving the following easy-to-make sherbet recipes! These five drinks can be fixed within a matter of minutes. You can even make them a night before and serve them chilled the next day.

1. Lemon-mint cooler:
1 1/2 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 12 lemons)
1/2 cup sugar
6 cups water
1 cup torn fresh mint leaves
2 12-ounce cans club soda
lemon slices (to garnish)


Instructions
- Place the lemon juice, the sugar, and 1 cup water in a large pitcher. Stir until the sugar dissolves, then add 5 more cups water, the mint leaves, the club soda, a few slices of lemon to garnish, and plenty of ice.
- You can also freeze mint leaves in an ice tray and put them in the glass when serving guests to spruce up your drink. 

2. Ginger Peach Cooler
3 cups ginger ale
1/2 cup peach nectar
2 ripe peaches, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger



Instructions
- In a pitcher, combine the ginger ale, nectar, peaches, and ginger
- Serve over ice.

3. Banana Bonkers
3 bananas
3 cups fresh grapefruit juice
2 cups lemon sherbet


Instructions
- Puree bananas in a blender or food processor. In a gallon pitcher combine pureed bananas, grapefruit juice, lemon sherbet and crushed ice. Stir and serve.
- Optional, you can mix in 3 eggs which have been whipped in the blender.

4. Watermelon lemonade:
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup water
4 cups cubed watermelon
3 cups cold water
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
6 cups ice cubes


Instructions
- Place the watermelon into a blender. Cover, and puree until smooth. Strain through a fine mesh sieve. Bring sugar and 1/2 cup water to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in 3 cups of cold water and the lemon juice.
- Divide the ice into 12 glasses, and scoop 2 to 3 tablespoons of watermelon puree over the ice, then top with the lemonade. Gently stir before serving.

5. Honeydew, cucumber and mint cooler
1 honeydew melon peeled and chopped
1 cucumber, 1/2 chopped and 1/2 thinly sliced
1 cup fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup fresh lime juice (from about 8 limes), plus 1 lime, thinly sliced, for serving 

Instructions
- Puree the melon, chopped cucumber, and mint in a blender until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a large pitcher.
- Add the lime juice and sliced cucumber. Chill for 30 minutes or up to 12 hours. Stir well before serving. Serve over ice, garnished with lime slices.