What’s summer without a cool, refreshing drink?

Try this sweet and spicy libation.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup water
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 2 drops natural clove oil or ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 teaspoons whole black peppercorn
• 1 cinnamon stick
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or seeds from 1 vanilla bean
• ¼ teaspoon almond extract
• 1¼ cup cherries, halved and pitted
• sparkling soda

Directions:

In a medium saucepan, bring water, brown sugar, and cloves to a boil. Add peppercorn, cinnamon stick, vanillas, almond extract, and cherries. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Remove from heat, strain, and allow mixture to cool. Note: mixture should resemble syrup.

Fill 8 ounce glass with ice cubes. Add 2 tablespoons of syrup, and top with sparkling soda.

Refrigerate remaining syrup in a closed container for up to 2 weeks.