Barley water was originally drunk as a medicine, but later became the drink of genteel Victorian ladies. It is forever linked with tennis and croquet parties.

Ingredients

100g (3½oz) pearl barley
50g (1¾oz) white sugar cubes
4 large lemons
1.2 litres (2 pints) boiling water

Method

Rinse the pearl barley in a sieve under cold running water and drain well. Place in a pan and pour in cold water to cover, then bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and cook gently for 5 minutes. Pour into a sieve and rinse again, then put in a large jug or bowl.

Rub each sugar cube over the rinds of the lemons to extract their oils, then add the cubes to the barley. Pour in the boiling water and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Cover with a clean cloth and leave to infuse for 3 hours, or until cold.

Squeeze the juice from the lemons, then add it to the barley water and strain through a nylon sieve. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour before serving with plenty of ice and lemon slices. This needs to be drunk more or less straightaway, as it will not keep well.

Taken from Home Brew (Published by Pavilion, 4th October 2010, £20.00) by Doug Rouxel and Sara Paston-Williams.