Saudi Champagne

It's been very, very hot lately, so in the past weeks I've kept a low profile in the kitchen (the only room in the house with no a/c), and hence, on the blog :// I've been rather thirsty than hungry and I have been feeling weak with heat and exhaustion.... If you yourselves happen to struggle with heat, you understand me well and hopefully will have excused my absence from Lemon Love Notes. 

This unbearable, scorching heat has inspired me & also reminded me of how beautiful Saudi is, a country where the sun never seems to set, but when it does, it does it style and it turns into a huge ball of incandescent fire resting over the horizon, out in the open desert.

Saudi champagne welcomes you in any restaurant that you go to- a pitcher of freshness in a blistering hot city, a simple magic mixture of apple juice, Perrier, thin slices of fruit and fresh, crushed mint. 

I smile even today when I remember that the first time I saw the word champagne in the menu, my eyes nearly popped! (Selling alcohol within the Kingdom is strictly prohibited). And in all fairness, one must be suicidal to drink alcohol in such high temperatures-  a warning and a dictate that GPs around the world will always stick to. Wherever we are, the laws of the physics and of common sense should always prevail (in my humble opinion).

Because it's sparkling, it's called champagne :), but I believe it's even better than champagne. And it will certainly keep your head cool and focused. Enjoy it... beyond measure :) 

Saudi Champagne

1/3 measure of (good quality) apple juice

2/3 measure of chilled sparkling water

rosewater / orange blossom water- infused ice cubes

thin slices of fruit (orange, apple, apricot etc)

mint leaves

Method

Mix and drink :)

To make a refreshing Saudi Champagne to totally wow your thirsty guests, use good quality ingredients: fresh mint and juicy citrus, a more expensive brand of apple juice and chilled sparkling water. I also made my own rosewater-infused ice cubes which I got from mixing plain water with rosewater. It's delicious and it has become a staple this summer for me. I often drink still water with rosewater ice cubes.  

 

Even though drinking this delicious cooler doesn't have the same impact on me as when I had it in the Kingdom (often with kabsa), it brings back...

beautiful memories of Saudi Arabia....