Soda, tea, herbs and shrubs: alcohol optional beverages for summer get-togethers

Photo: Sheela Prakash

What summer cookout or party would be complete without refreshing drinks? If your get-together includes guests who are over and under 21 years old there are some great ways to build alcohol-optional beverages using sodas, teas, herbs and drinking vinegars aka shrubs. Sheela Prakash is a food writer, recipe developer, and an editor at The Kitchn. She talked with Francis Lam about fun non-alcoholic drinks you can make by the pitcher that are easily converted to full-on cocktails for the 21+ set. She shared with us her recipe for Easy Soda and Shrub mocktail. You can also ready her full piece on drinking shrubs via The Kitchn.

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Francis Lam

Francis Lam is the host of The Splendid Table. He is the former Eat columnist for The New York Times Magazine and is Vice President and Editor-in-Chief at Clarkson Potter. He graduated first in his class at the Culinary Institute of America and has written for numerous publications. Lam lives with his family in New York City.