Summer Thirst Quencher: Barley Water

I have to admit, when I first read about barley water I couldn’t imagine it being any good. But I was curious. The beverage has a long and storied history, and it’s still served to tennis players at Wimbleton today. Barley itself is a good source of protein, fiber, magnesium and antioxidants. Barley water has all sorts of alleged health benefits, but I couldn’t find anything concrete (even the National Barley Foods Council – yes, that exists – had no info on whether the water took on any of the nutritional properties of the grain soaking in it). But as a refreshing summer alternative to lemonade or iced tea, though — I dig it. And the novelty factor would make it fun for serving at daytime summer gatherings (with or without the gin).

There are many ways to prepare barley water, but it’s basically just what it sounds like: Barley soaked in water. It can be simmered or simply left to soak overnight; you can add salt, sugar, honey, lemon, mint, ginger or gin. I added 6 cups of water and 1 cup of barley to a pot, and let it simmer on low heat for a few hours. Then I removed the pot and placed it in the fridge overnight.

The next morning, looking at the soggy grains floating in the pot of water did nothing to up my excitement about this drink I’d concocted. But no backing down now! I poured myself a large glass of the mixture, adding some fresh lemon juice and a teaspoon of raw honey. I closed my eyes and took a sip…And what do you know? It was kind of delicious. The water had really taken on flavor from the barley, and combined with the honey and lemon, the drink tasted like a strong, sweet iced tea.

Go ahead, give it a try – I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised. And if you have any good tips for making this barley brew (hey, we could have secret barley water fanatics amongst our readership), share ‘em in the comments, please.