Summers are here. And apart from the heat, it's the quarantine that can get us really heated (and cranky) at times. And we're giving you a reason to chill out. Sometimes, nothing's better than gulping down a chilled glass of refreshing beverage or a drink. So, we've compiled a list of 10 refreshing beverages you can easily make at home with the most basic ingredients.
Here's you go! Happy summers!
Whip up these super simple coolers with any citrus fruit of your choice. You can use oranges or sweet lime (mosambi), grapefruits or ripe lemons paired with some fresh mint leaves, soda and sugar. Fill your cup with ice and pour it in for a relaxing break.
We all love a good slushie, don’t we? Mix up some coconut milk with pineapple chunks, some leftover lemonade and ice. Mix this in a blender to crush the ice, and you got yourself a slushie packed with flavour!
This one is quite interesting. Make a quick blueberry drink with water and blueberry syrup and freeze it into ice cubes. Use these later in your lemonade or soda with some mint leaves and lemon slices. You can even crush them up for a fun and flavourful smurf themed drink.
Also Read: 10 summer cocktails you can make at home.
It's finally mango season! In a pitcher of your choice, mix equal quantities of soda, lemonade and chunks of mango. Shake it up a bit and pour it in an ice cube tray or a popsicle tray (if you have one). Once frozen, dip it in some lemonade with fresh mint leaves and you’re good to go.
Fan of coke floats? Try a fruity one instead. Blitz together watermelon and soda in a mixer to get a fruit soda. Then add a generous scoop of vanilla ice-cream in your serving cup and pour over your concoction to have a glorious fruity float for the summer.
Get onto your creative side with this drink. Pair your favourite ingredients, whether it is watermelon with lemon, ginger and mint, mango with coconut or any combination you like. First, you need to make a simple sugar syrup which acts as a base. Mix 2 tablespoons of sugar with 1/4th cup of water and a pinch of salt and let it boil. Then reduce the heat and let the sugar dissolve. Don’t stir just yet. Remove from heat and stir in your flavouring (lime/ginger/ mint leaves) and then strain into your cup. Blend your other ingredient with the remaining syrup and let the mixture freeze. When you’re ready to serve, mix the syrup with your frozen mixture and you got yourself the classic summer slushie!
For all the Harry Potter fanatics out there, this one is a must-try. Place a generous scoop of vanilla ice-cream, 3 tablespoons of butterscotch syrup, half a teaspoon of vanilla essence (just 2-3 drops) and 1 cup of soda in your blender and mix until combined. You can also add ice to blitz it up or add it later in your cup as ice cubes. Serve it in a chilled glass and with your favourite HP movie, you’re all set!
Kokum is the perfect remedy to hot summery days and with authentic kokum syrup, it can’t get any easier. Mix your syrup with some water and ice cubes to get a cool, refreshing and healthy drink. You can also make your own syrup by soaking half a cup of semi-dried kokum in a bowl of water and keep for 30 minutes. Strain the water and mix it with 5 tablespoons of sugar and keep aside. Blend the soaked kokum into a fine paste with half of the kokum water and reduce in on medium heat to make your syrup. You can also add cumin (jeera) powder and black salt to your drink.
Have leftover lemons? Create a quick syrup with the lemon juice, sugar, some lemon zest and water over heat. Boil it to mix and let it cool down for you to add to your cup through a strainer. Add an equal quantity of heavy cream to the same cup and pour over 1 cup of soda to fill your drink. Mix it up and serve immediately.
Striving to be healthy? This drink is just for you. Blend in 1 beetroot with half an apple, a handful of spinach, half cup of mint leaves and half a cup of 100% pomegranate juice. Mix it in your blender for a while, as you don’t want any chunks left, a smooth consistency is what you want. If you want the consistency to be like a juice, add in half a cup of water to the blender. Don’t strain your juice and have it straight along with all the plants (it's much more nutritious that way!)
Don't have the energy to make these? Just order these cocktail mixes home.