It’s so hot. SO hot. You know the drill: Cool cloths on the wrists to get your brain to think “cool,” stay super-hydrated, and drink a variety of delicious, cold summer drinks. On that last front, we have you covered. Here’s what we’re reaching for, from watermelon agua fresca sparkling with lime and mint to non-alcoholic elixirs brimming with blood orange and mandarin.
Mingle a fruit with water, sugar and lime and you have Mexico’s beloved agua fresca. It’s that easy, and we have seven great recipes from which to choose. Perhaps minty canteloupe? Papaya and lime? Strawberry? The sky is truly the limit, and you can feel free to go “off-book” while whirring these in your favorite juicer or blender. And the best move you can make? Store a giant batch in your fridge, pull yourself a fresh agua fresca any time you want one, and feel like you’re in your favorite taqueria.
Quick, think of a more cooling drink than lemonade! (Can’t do it? We’ll wait.) As is true of agua frescas, you should make more than you think you need, then store a giant batch at the ready in the fridge. Finding all that citrus pressing daunting? Allow us to introduce you to our favorite time-savers. Lemonade can be spruced up with mint or basil, berries or booze, but we also love it the classic way.
Ice Cream
I mean, c’mon! Who doesn’t have memories of summer frappes, milkshakes, and the like? On the extra-hot days, they make less of a mess than ice cream, to boot. We only include the best milkshake recipes, whether it’s a minty, chocolatey grasshopper, a straightforward blackberry delight, or banana-coconut knockouts. (Pro tip: Frappe, which rhymes with “thwap,” is just a thick milkshake, if you’re in New England!)
Everyone agrees: The new crop of non-alcoholic options is just delicious. And when you’re home as much as a lot of us are, you want something refreshing without the booze sometimes. Alcohol-free cocktails, called “mocktails” by some, are a lovely way to drink “when you’re not drinking,” as the motto goes for Seedlip, an artisanal brand of distilled non-alcoholic spirits. Taking his inspiration from the 1651 book The Art of Distillation, Seedlip founder Ben Branson combined his family’s 300-year-old English farm heritage, his love of nature and his own copper still to single-handedly revolutionize the way we drink. You can simply combine the “spirits” with ginger ale and citrus or make some of our knockout Seedlip cocktails. The Sour Blossom (above) blooms with oranges and lemons, whereas the Rhubarb Spritz is bright with lemongrass and ginger.
Generally speaking, there’s no wrong way to cool it down this year!
