The Chefs Black Book

Sonic® Ocean Water

Any Sonic Drive-In regular knows the three or four unique
fountain drink favorites on the menu. There's the Limeade,
the Diet Limeade, and, of course, the Cherry Limeade. But
that bright blue stuff called Ocean Water has become a
recent favorite for anyone who digs the taste of coconut -
it's like a pina colda soda. The server simply squirts a
bit of blue coconut syrup into some cold Sprite. The big
secret to duplicating this one at home is re-creating that
syrup, so that's the first step. After that's done, you make
the drink as they do at the restaurant in less time than it
takes to say, "Does my blue tongue clash with what I'm wearing?"

3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon imitation coconut extract
2 drops blue food coloring
2 12-ounce cans cold Sprite
ice

1. Combine the water and the sugar in a small bowl. Microwave
for 30-45 seconds, then stir to dissolve all of the sugar.
Allow this syrup to cool.
2. Add coconut extract and food coloring to the cooled syrup.
Stir well.
3. Combine the syrup with two 12-ounce cans of cold Sprite.
Divide and pour over ice. Add straws and serve.
Makes two 12-ounce servings.

Sonic® Cherry Limeade

Here's the signature drink from the chain that's reviving
the drive-up burger joint, just like a scene out of American
Graffiti or Happy Days. It was in 1953 that Troy Smith obtained
the parcel of land in Shawnee, Oklahoma that was big enough
to fit the new steakhouse and root beer stand that was his
dream. Troy thought he'd make he steakhouse his primary operation,
but as it turned out folks preferred the hot dogs and cold drinks
over at the root beer stand. So Troy did the smart thing and
ditched the steakhouse to focus all his efforts on the other joint.
At first he called the root beer stand "Top Hat," but when Troy
found out later that name was already being used, he came up
"Sonic" to signify "service at the speed of sound." Today the
chain is the sixth largest hamburger outlet in the country.
This recipe makes a simple, old-fashioned drink by combining
Sprite with cherry juice and some lime wedges. Use cherry juice
made by Libby under the brand-name Juicy Juice for the best home
clone.

12 ounces Sprite (1 can)
3 lime wedges (1/8 of a lime each)
1/4 cup cherry juice (Libby's Juicy Juice is best)
1. Fill a 16-ounce glass 2/3 full with ice.
2. Pour Sprite over the ice.
3. Add the juice of three lime wedges and drop them into the drink.
4. Add the cherry juice and serve with a straw.
Makes 1 16-ounce drink (medium size).