Top refreshing drinks to help in the summer heat

Hot? Dehydrated? Looking for something refreshing? You’re not alone!

How to Make Aguas Frescas

https://cookieandkate.com/aguas-frescas-recipe/

Ingredients

• 1 cup roughly chopped fruit (I recommend hulled strawberries, peeled cucumber, cantaloupe or pineapple)
• 1 cup of water
• ½ medium lime, juiced
• 1 teaspoon pure cane sugar or agave nectar or sweetener of choice (if your fruit is perfectly ripe and sweet, you may not need any sweetener at all)
• Optional: 2 large mint leaves (perfect with cucumber)

Instructions

1. In your blender container, combine the fruit, water, lime juice, sweetener, and optional mint leaves. Purée until smooth using the smoothie feature. Taste and, if necessary, add more lime and/or sweetener, then blend briefly again.
2. Serve immediately, over ice.

Top refreshing drinks: Sparkling Blueberry Lemonade

https://www.thechunkychef.com/sparkling-blueberry-lemonade/#wprm-recipe-container-8393

Ingredients

Blueberry simple syrup

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup of water
• 1 cup fresh blueberries

Lemonade

• 1 can lemonade concentrate thawed
• 1-liter club soda chilled
• 2 cups cold water
• Fresh blueberries for garnish
• slices Lemon for garnish
• Mint sprigs for garnish

Instructions

Make the simple syrup

1. Add water and granulated sugar to a small saucepan and heat over MEDIUM heat. Heat until sugar is dissolved.
2. Add in fresh blueberries and boil for 5 minutes, until blueberries are breaking down.
3. Pour mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl and set aside to cool to room temperature.

Make the lemonade

1. To a large pitcher, add thawed lemonade concentrate, cold water, and slowly pour in chilled club soda. Be careful, it will fizz up a lot.
2. Stir to combine well and place in the refrigerator to chill.

To serve

1. Pour a little blueberry simple syrup in the bottom of the serving glass, top with ice, pour in lemonade, top with a splash of club soda if desired. Garnish with fresh blueberries, lemon slices, and mint sprigs.

Sparkling Mint Limeade

Ingredients

3/4 cup fresh lime juice (5-6 limes), plus extra slices for garnish

1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons white sugar

1/4 cup packed fresh mint, plus extra for garnish

2-1/2 cups club soda (not seltzer or mineral water)

Instructions

Combine lime juice, sugar, and mint in a 2 cup (or larger) measuring cup then stir until sugar is dissolved, muddling mint in the process. Refrigerate until chilled (the longer you refrigerate, the more mint flavor you will taste in the final drink.)

Pour the lime/mint mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a pitcher then slowly pour in club soda and stir gently. Pour limeade into 8oz glasses filled with ice then serve with extra limes and mint.

Easy Peach Lemonade (ADULT AND CHILD VERSIONS!)

https://www.thecookierookie.com/peach-lemonade/#wprm-recipe-container-36686

Ingredients

• 1- pound package frozen peaches
• 12- ounce can of frozen lemonade concentrate
• 36 ounces water fill the lemonade cup up three times
• 1/2 cup good quality vodka (optional for adult version only)

Instructions

1. Place all of the ingredients in a blender and mix until smooth
2. Serve over ice
3. **Can also be made into a slush. Add ice to the blender and only 1 can of water be needed.

Good Ol’ Faithful, H2O

Many of the drinks listed above involve added flavors, some in syrup form. These syrups and added flavors will undoubtedly add flavor but they will also add sugar and calories. So, if you’re looking for the best drink to beat the summer heat and assist with hydration but avoid added sugars and calories then regular ice water is your best friend! We like to add fresh slices of lemon to a jug of water that we keep in the fridge so that the eater is both cold and refreshing with the infusion of fresh lemon.