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The tinkling of ice in a tall glass is one of the satisfying sounds of summer. It promises refreshment and relief: the peppery snap of seltzer with a twist of lime; the clean, tannic zip of iced tea; the tangy-sweetness of lemonade.

We've come a long way since our early ancestors took bracing slurps of `` Adam's Ale'' from a cool stream to stay hydrated. As far back as 1000 BCE, the Chinese cut and stored lake ice for use in summer. That mode of ice production continued into the early 20th century, but due to rampant pollution and the advent of vapor-cooling systems, block ice went out of fashion in the 1920s.

Clever people, such as the Shakers, devised methods of keeping foods and liquids cool before the construction of ice-houses. This was especially important during haying season, when enormous quantities of Switchel, or `` haying water,'' was consumed in the chokingly hot fields by the Brethren. Caroline B. Piercy notes in `` The Shaker Cookbook'' (Crown, 1953) that, `` in order to cool it, they kept it in their spring-houses (built over cool springs or streams) or hung the great jugs filled with the beverage down in the wells.'' Switchel is `` Shaker Gatorade.'' It is iron- and carbohydrate-rich due to the prominence of molasses in the recipe. Rounded out with vinegar, sugar or maple syrup, and powdered ginger, nobody would mistake it for Gatorade in the flavor department. Piercy's recipe is direct from the Shaker kitchen, as it serves 30. For those curious to try Switchel, a more manageable receipt follows.

We don't know whom to thank for the cultivation of the lemon. Several schools of thought exist. China, Persia, and Malaysia are all in consideration, but the winner appears to be Southeast Asia. Apparently, an earring in the shape of a lemon was found at Mohenjo-Daro, a city in current-day Pakistan that flourished in 3000 BCE. A precursor to all-American lemonade seems to have been traded in Egypt vigorously in the 1100s. The Sicilians, who produce 90 percent of Italy's lemons, give us limoncello, a sharp, sweet after-dinner drink that we use to spike our lemonade (recipe follows).

We do know that lemons replaced verjuice (sour grape juice) in recipes calling for an acid at the beginning of the Renaissance, when lemons came to prominence in Europe. Verjuice is rarely made these days, although Westport Rivers Winery, producer of top-notch sparkling wines, makes and serves verjuice, or verjus, from grapes grown for their bubbly. Westport Rivers Chef Kerry Downey Romaniello makes non-alcoholic `` Verjade'' for dinners served at LongAcre House at the Winery. Tart, slightly sweet, with a zing of fresh mint, chef Kerry's Verjade captures the summertime lifestyle of this beautiful winemaking region. Two recent players on the cool summer drinks scene are green tea and pomegranate juice. Aside from notable health benefits and a shot of caffeine, green tea is more versatile than its fermented and/or oxidized cousin, black tea. Its mild flavor and astringency work well in hot, cold, and frozen beverages, as well as in baked goods. In the new book, `` Green Tea: 50 Hot Drinks, Cool Quenchers, and Sweet and Savory Treats'' (Harvard Common Press, $12.95), tea maven Mary Lou Heiss includes a chapter of icy drinks and smoothies, as well as cocktails, all featuring either brewed green tea or Japanese green tea powder. The master recipe for green tea is 2 bags of green tea or 1 tablespoon loose green tea leaves steeped in 2 cups of water for about 2 minutes, or until the tea reaches the desired level of strength. Remove bags or strain leaves and allow tea to cool. Refrigerate tea until ready to use.

Pomegranates are rich in antioxidants. The juice of this long-cultivated fruit (King Solomon had a vast grove of them) has been shown to reduce arterial plaque, blood pressure, and LDL cholesterol. An 8-ounce glass of this blood-dark liquid has about half of the recommended daily allowance of vitamins A, C & E for adults, plus substantial amounts of folic acid, potassium, and niacin. In a summer drink, pomegranate juice provides tartness akin to cranberry juice, but with a luscious mouth feel. Anything you can make with cranberry juice, you can make with pomegranate juice. The taste, though, is deeper.

Recipes

Switchel (Shaker Haying Water)

2 quarts water

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup molasses

2 Tbs cider vinegar

1/2 tsp powdered ginger

In a 2-quart saucepan, heat 1 quart water, sugar, molasses, vinegar, and ginger over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in remaining water. Pour Switchel into pitcher and chill until very cold. Makes six to eight servings.

Lemonade Spiked with Limoncello

1 1/2 cups Easy Lemonade Mix (see recipe below) diluted in large pitcher with 4 cups water or one 12 oz can frozen lemonade concentrate diluted according to package directions

1 cup limoncello (purchased or homemade)

Sprigs of fresh mint

1 lemon, cut lengthwise into quarters

Ice

Mix limoncello into diluted lemonade. Place a sprig of mint and lemon wedge into bottoms of tall highball glasses. Half-fill glasses with ice. Fill with lemonade mixture.

Makes 4-6 servings

Easy Lemonade Mix

This recipe is from The New Doubleday Cookbook, perhaps the most comprehensive cookbook in the canon. It contains more than 4000 recipes, and makes a smart wedding gift.

1 quart lemon juice

1 cup sugar

2 cups light corn syrup

Stir all ingredients together until sugar dissolves. Pour into screw-cap jar, cover, and store in refrigerator. To serve, shake well and pour 1/4 cup mix into a 12-ounce glass, add ice, fill with water or seltzer, and stir well. Note: This mix keeps well several weeks. To make a pitcher: allow 1/4 cup to one cup ice water.

Homemade Limoncello

10 large lemons, washed

1 liter Everclear* or 100 proof vodka

4 cups sugar

4 cups water

Remove thin layer of lemon rind with vegetable peeler, leaving behind white pith. Place lemon rind in large glass jar (with lid) and pour Everclear or vodka over rind to cover. Cover jar with lid, place in the sun for 5 days, shaking lightly from time to time. Remove to cabinet and allow to macerate for 5 more days. Make a light simple syrup by mixing sugar and water in saucepan and cooking over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved. Do not allow to boil. Cool until tepid. Pour alcohol and lemon mixture through sieve into a large bowl. Discard rinds and clean jar. Pour cooled syrup into alcohol and combine. Pure alcohol will turn limoncello cloudy, and vodka-based limoncello will remain clear. Pour back into clean jar and place in cabinet for at least one month to age. Using funnel, fill clean bottles with limoncello to within 1 inch of top and cap. Swing-top bottles work best. Keep limoncello in a dark cabinet, and place one bottle in refrigerator or freezer until ready to use.

*Note: If using Everclear or other 200 proof grain spirits, it may be necessary to `cut' the alcohol with more syrup. Increase sugar and water to 6 cups each.

Fresh Lime and White Grape Iced Green Tea

Mary Lou Heiss writes in Green Tea: 50 Hot Drinks, Cool Quenchers, and Sweet and Savory Treats (Harvard Common Press): `` When company is coming, or you just want dressier presentation, run a piece of cut lime around the rim of each glass and quickly dip the rim in a saucer of sugar to create a thin crust. Add a bamboo skewer decorate with lime slices and serve frosty cold.'' Skewered white grapes also work.

2 cups chilled green tea

2 cups chilled white grape juice

6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

Sugar to taste (optional)

Ice cubes

Small lime wedges or lime slices, for garnish

Put the green tea, grape juice, and lime juice into a medium-sized pitcher and stir well. Add sugar if desired. Pour the tea mixture into glasses filled with ice in each glass, float 4 lime wedges, or add a skewer threaded with lime slices.

South-of-the-Border Watermelon Iced Green Tea

This refreshing drink is also from Green Tea: 50 Hot Drinks, Cool Quenchers, and Sweet and Savory Treats by Mary Lou Heiss.

3 cups chopped seedless watermelon

1 cup chilled green tea

1 cup chilled cream soda

[ tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp light brown sugar

Ice cubes

Two to four 5-inch long cinnamon sticks for garnish

Put all of the ingredients except the ice cubes and cinnamon sticks into a blender ans blend on medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour the tea mixture into old-fashioned glasses filled with ice. Stand a cinnamon stick up in each glass and serve immediately.

Pomegranatini

1 1/2 oz vodka

1/2 oz triple sec

1/2 oz vermouth

4 oz pomegranate juice, such a POM

Add all of the ingredients to a martini shaker with ice. Shake to combine, and serve with a slice of lime.

Virgin Pomerita

1 small bottle POM pomegranate juice

1 small can frozen limeade

1/2 can frozen orange juice concentrate

2 cups water

Ice

1 lime cut into quarters

Put pomegranate juice, limeade, water and orange juice concentrate in a medium pitcher and stir until dissolved. Pour into glasses filled with ice. Garnish with lime quarters.

Verjade (ver-ZHAYD)

Westport Rivers winery in Westport produces a small amount of Verjuice for their kitchen at Longacre House. It is used in various sweet and savory dishes served at the winery, replacing vinegar in a salad dressing. Executive Chef Kerry Downey Romaniello developed this thirst-quenching ade, which takes the sour grape juice to new heights. Verjuice is available online from Navarro Wine in Napa Valley, CA (www.navarrowine.com).

1 1/2 - 2 ounces simple syrup (recipe follows)

1 stalk fresh mint (peppermint, spearmint orange or chocolate mint)

3 ounces verjus

4 ounces very cold water

Ice cubes

Fill a 12-16 ounce glass with ice, pour over the syrup and `` muddle'' the mint over the ice in the syrup with an ice tea spoon. Pour over the verjus and water, garnish with a sprig of mint. Adjust tartness, sweetness or intensity with more water, syrup, or verjus to your taste.

For the syrup

1 1/2 cups sugar (we use evaporated cane juice)

1 1/2 cups water

In a small saucepot, combine the water and sugar. Bring to a low boil, and the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and cool completely. Store the syrup in an airtight container in the refrigerator. This can be used for iced tea, iced coffee, fresh lemon or limeade, or sweetened seltzer as well as verjade.

Next week: Get out the blender, and get ready to make the most amazing homemade frozen drinks you've ever had.

BARRY NELSON, a Foxboro resident and all-around foodie, has cooked in restaurant kitchens, taught classes in croissant and puff pastryand interviewed dozens of chefs, writers and food media personalities, including Julia Child and Marcella Hazan. You can contact him at barrynelsonis(at)yahoo.com.