6 summer drinks that are so refreshing you won’t need AC

With summer in full swing, it can get increasingly difficult to brave the heat of both day and night. We seek solace at the pool, try to eat light, wear hats and do all we can to survive the trip from home to work and vice versa.

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Finally, when we are able to kick off our shoes and relax, a glass in hand would be just the right thing. For years, I’ve drunk nothing but plain iced tea from May to September, but recently I dove deep in the search for the perfect summer drink.

Strawberry lemonade recipe

An oldie but a goodie if there ever was one in our family. My mom used to make these when we were kids, but I could never quite hit that perfect ratio of sweet and sour. I’m still not there yet, but the recipe itself is quite simple.

Ingredients:

• about 3 cups of water
• 1-1/2 cup sugar
• 2 cups lemon juice
• strawberries to taste
• 1 liter sparkling water

Directions:

1. In a pan, bring the water and the sugar to a boil and let it simmer until the sugar has dissolved, then add the lemon juice. Leave it to cool completely.
2. When cold, throw the strawberries into a blender with half a cup of the mixture, and blend until it turns into a puree.
3. Strain it through a fine sieve and add it to the rest of the mixture.
4. Place it in the fridge to cool down completely, and then add in the sparkling water.
5. You can serve it with or without ice.

Rooftop lemonade recipe

This is another kind of lemonade entirely, since you are basing it on vodka. (Obviously, this is more of an evening, poolside drink.)

Ingredients:

• 2 ounces vodka
• 3 ounces lemon juice
• few cucumber slices

Directions:

1. Mix vodka and lemon juice together.
2. Add in the cucumber slices to add a fine crispness to the drink.

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Matcha mint iced tea recipe

This is my sister’s favorite, as she is completely crazy about matcha teas in general and about this recipe in particular. She insists on making it just like I am writing it down, and will not let anyone else do the mixing.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups water
• 2 teaspoons matcha tea (use Mista Matcha for the best result)
• 2 cups ice
• 1 sliced lime
• 4 leaves mint

Directions:

1. Using a shaker, mix the water with the tea.
2. Add the ice to the tea (in the same cups you used for the water) and a sliced lime.
3. To that, add 4 leaves of mint.
4. Shake well and serve.

We have a running joke about our teas being shaken and not stirred, of course.

White peach cooler recipe

This is a recent addition to our family menu and is another one for the evenings.

Ingredients:

For peach puree

• peaches
• sugar
• water
• 2 limes

For drink

• 2 tablespoons peach puree
• ice
• peach vodka
• mint

Directions:

1. Chop up a few peaches and put them in a pan.
2. Add sugar to taste with the water and the juice of two limes.
3. Leave to simmer for about 15-20 minutes until the fruit is completely soft.
4. When cooled, mix in a blender. (You can strain the mixture as well, but I usually skip that step.)
5. To make the drink, add the mixture to a glass over ice and add peach vodka (or regular vodka, if you’d prefer). You can also add some mint to the mix as well.

Virgin mojito recipe

This one is my personal favorite. The recipe comes from Sober Julie, and I don’t change it at all.

Apple iced tea recipe

This is my husband’s favorite.

Ingredients:

• 5 cups boiling water
• 6-7 black or green tea bags (I prefer black)
• 4 cups apple juice
• Thinly sliced apples
• Ice

Directions:

1. Boil about 5 cups of water in a pan, and add the tea bags.
2. Remove them after 5 minutes and let the tea cool down.
3. To that, add 4 cups of apple juice and thinly sliced apples.
4. Serve over ice, of course.

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I hope I’ve given you some ideas about your next summery drink. Enjoy!