These summer drinks are for the whole family to make at home
By Hermann Samano
As the weather warms up and summer continues, staying cool and hydrated is important.
Making summer drinks is a fun way to try out new recipes, explore new flavors and have fun together as a family. Staying properly hydrated can help keep your body temperature regulated, support a healthy immune system, and may even ensure you sleep better at night.
While water is excellent for hydration, adding fresh fruit and other ingredients for summer drinks makes it fun. Whether you’re making drinks for kids or trying out new cocktail recipes for the adults, it’s an easy way to try something new while staying nicely hydrated. You’ll save a lot of money making homemade drinks, too.
From mocktail recipes to slushies and more, check out these recipes for summer drinks to make at home that the entire family will enjoy.
Healthy Green Hydration Drink
Try this delicious green, cold summer mocktail recipe that’s perfect for brunch. This drink doesn’t contain any alcohol, so it’s an ideal substitute for a classic mimosa. You’ll need:
• 10 fresh spinach leaves.
• 5 fresh basil leaves.
• Diced green apple, approximately one-half.
• 2 slices of fresh ginger.
• 2/3 cup apple juice (fresh or store-bought).
• 3 to 5 ice cubes.
Simply toss your ingredients into a blender and blend everything until it’s smooth. Serve these fun drinks in a glass and enjoy.
Peach and Honey Cooler
Here’s another incredible nonalcoholic summer drink that’s healthy, hydrating and delicious. Refreshing peach blends with a homemade honey-lime syrup for a delicately sweet beverage without additives, alcohol or artificial flavors. You will need:
• 2 to 3 fresh basil leaves.
• 4 ounces sparkling water or seltzer water.
• 1 sliced fresh peach.
• 1 1/2 ounces honey-lime syrup (1/3 cup fresh honey and 1/3 cup fresh lime juice).
Combine the honey, 1/2 cup warm water and lime juice in a small saucepan on low heat. Mix the ingredients, making sure that the water doesn’t boil, then remove the saucepan from the heat. Muddle the basil in a tall glass or a cocktail shaker, then add the sparkling water. Add 1 1/2 ounces of the honey-lime syrup and a few peach slices, then shake everything together to combine. Pour the drink over ice and garnish it with a fresh piece of lime and a peach slice.
Fruity Watermelon and Blueberry Tequila Cocktail
While this recipe does contain alcohol, it’s still a light and refreshing choice, thanks to the addition of fresh watermelon and juicy blueberries. These are fun drinks to make, and you can always eliminate the tequila if you prefer a mocktail instead. You will need to gather:
• 4 cups cold water.
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar.
• 1 pound or 8 cups of diced, seedless watermelon.
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice.
• 1 3/4 cups fresh blueberries.
• 3/4 cup of fresh mint leaves (save approximately 8 mint sprigs for the garnish).
• 1 1/4 cups silver tequila, any brand.
• Ice.
Simmer the water and sugar in a small saucepan. Stir together over medium heat until all the sugar is completely dissolved (about 1 minute). Let the sugar syrup cool. Puree the watermelon in a blender until smooth, then strain the juice over a bowl using a fine-mesh strainer – you can discard the pulp. Combine the sugar syrup with lime juice, mint leaves and fresh blueberries. Lightly muddle the blueberries and mint with a wooden spoon, then add the watermelon juice and tequila in a large pitcher. Refrigerate everything for about 2 hours until chilled, then serve and enjoy over ice with the mint sprigs as a garnish.
Easy slush recipes to make at home for kids
Adults aren’t the only ones who can enjoy fun drinks this summer. Try out these easy, nonalcoholic, drinks to make for kids, including fantastic slush recipes and healthy drinks. The kids will love participating as they explore and learn how to make their very own slushies.
Watermelon Cooler
This is sure to become one of your children’s favorite slush recipes. If they’re not a fan of watermelon, you can easily replace it with another type of fruit. It’s one of many great hydration drinks since watermelon can replenish lost electrolytes to keep you hydrated. All you will need is:
• 2 cups seedless watermelon, chopped.
• 1 or more cups of ice.
• 1/4 cup sparkling water.
Simply toss your ingredients into the blender on high until everything reaches that perfect summer slush consistency, and then serve it with a colorful straw. Add another small chunk of watermelon as a fun garnish if you choose.
Delicious and Fun Whole Fruit Slushies
This recipe is a great way to get the kids involved, since they can pick out their favorite fruits. It’s easy to make, delicious and is chock-full of healthy and hydrating ingredients that feature nutrients like fiber, vitamin C and potassium. Have some fun mixing different fruits, and let your kids choose their favorite combinations. Some of the best fruits to try include:
• Berries: blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries.
• Melon: watermelon, honeydew, cantaloupe.
• Bananas.
• Pineapple or mango.
• Cherries.
• Peaches.
Add your desired amount of fruit to a blender with some ice cubes, then blend everything on high until it reaches that perfect slush consistency. You can also add a tiny bit of honey to make it sweeter, but it’s important to note that many fruits are already naturally sweet, so you may not need the honey. If you don’t have fresh fruit on hand, various frozen fruits will do just fine, too.
Pineapple Coconut Slush for Kids (and Adults)
Kids and adults alike will love this summer slushie. Packed with healthy ingredients, it’s a fun drink that the kids can make together at home. This nonalcoholic summer drink is also a perfect dessert for summertime dinner parties and backyard barbecues. To make the drink, you will need the following ingredients to get started:
• 2 1/2 cups frozen pineapple chunks.
• 1 cup cold coconut water.
• 1/2 lime, juice.
(Optional)
• 1 to 2 tablespoons honey (or sweetener of your choice).
• 1 ounce rum (for adults).
Place the ingredients in a blender and mix at high speed until smooth. If necessary, add more coconut water to thin out the slushy, more pineapple (or ice) to thicken or more honey (if using) to sweeten the mixture. Serve immediately and enjoy.