5 Easy Summertime Non-Alcholic Drinks
Hot summer days call for refreshing drinks. Light, bright and refreshing, they're just what you'll want in your glass when the weather heats up. Below are a few of my favorite summertime non-alcoholic recipes I experimented with during breast cancer treatment. Now they are part of my regular eating and drinking life style.
Sparkling Pomegranate
Pomegranate has recently become more popular among juice drinkers. It provides plenty of health benefits and its slightly tart flavor tastes great in juice. Mixing it with sparkling water helps you meet your water intake goals for the day and cuts the calories of the juice overall without cutting the flavor. Plus, the bubbly juice makes a great alternative to high calorie, sugar sodas.
Ingredients
1/2 cup pomegranate juice, no sugar added (or any unsweetened juice of choice)
1/2 cup sparkling seltzer water or club soda
squeeze of one lemon wedge
ice
Directions
Add ice to a glass, pour in pomegranate juice, seltzer water and lemon.
Enjoy!
Cucumber Lemonade
Cucumber is a natural refresher rich in minerals and powerful anti-inflammatory properties. A couple slices will hydrate your system and help you mellow out. It can be tough to drink enough water daily, especially if you’re not used to drinking a lot of water. Although it’s important to drink eight glasses of water a day, adding cucumber to your beverages is a great way to start the hydration process.
Ingredients
1 pound cucumbers, peeled if waxy, unpeeled if organic and not waxy, chopped, 1/2 cup of sliced cucumbers reserved for garnish
2 cups fresh squeezed lemon juice (about 15 lemons)
8 cups water, divided
2/3 cup raw honey
12 ice cubes
Directions
Place chopped cucumbers in the blender with 1 to 2 cups of the water. Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl or into the pitcher, pressing with the back of a ladle to get all of the juice through the sieve. Discard pulp. Add ice on top of cucumber.
Heat 1-1/2 cups of the water on a stove top over high heat until steaming, but not boiling. Remove from heat and whisk in honey until dissolved.
Pour honey mixture, lemon, and water over ice and cucumber. Stir well to combine.
Enjoy!
Strawberry Lemonade
If you like lemonade, you'll love this easy version with frozen strawberries and fresh lemons. It's cool and refreshing, just like a summer drink should be.
Ingredients
2 cups fresh strawberries
3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, about 5 lemons
1/2 cup agave
Chilled Water (we used distilled)
1 extra lemon, thinly sliced
Directions
Combine all ingredients in a blender and pulse until the beets turn into juice. Add a lemon slice to the glass edge, if desired.
Slice tops from strawberries, discard. Add strawberries, agave and lemon juice to a blender and pulse until strawberries are liquid. Strain juice through a sieve if you prefer most of the pulp be removed.
Pour juice into a 1/2 gallon pitcher, add slices of lemon, fill with chilled water. Don't over fill pitcher with water, add just enough to make 1/2 gallon. Pour over ice and enjoy!
Garnish sides of glasses with lemon slice and half of a strawberry. Also, try adding a few sliced strawberries to the pitcher.
Sparkling Mojito Iced Tea
Mojito? Yes, is a non-alcholic mojito. You can’t get much simpler than this recipe. It’s quick and inexpensive. And is the perfect drink for a hot summer day.
Ingredients
4 cups water
4 mint tea bags
8 teaspoons lime juice (freshly squeezed or purchased)
4 half slices of lime for garnish, if desired
4 sprigs fresh mint, if desired
Vanilla coffee syrup, agave syrup or honey to sweeten drink, if desired
Crushed ice, if desired
2 cups sparkling water (carbonated)
Directions
Bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Remove from heat and add 4 bags of mint tea. Allow to steep for 10 minutes.
Discard tea bags and pour tea into a small pitcher.
Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or until well chilled.
Chill tall glasses in fridge or shortly in freezer, if desired.
Add crushed ice, 1 cup of tea, sweetener (if desired) and 1 or 2 tsp lime juice, depending on how tart you like your tea.
Stir.
Add 1/2 cup sparkling water.
Squeeze mint sprig and add to glass.
Garnish with half a lime slice, if desired.
Cheers!
Sparkling Peach Bellini
This quick and simple peach bellini is ideal for brunch, cookouts, or just because.
Ingredients
1/4 cup peach nectar, chilled
3/4 cup ginger ale, chilled (nectar are typically sweet. If you are watching sugar grams, try sparkling seltzer water or club soda - that's my preference)
1/4 cup fresh berries - blueberries, raspberries and sliced strawberries
Directions
Pour peach nectar evenly between two champagne glasses or regular tall glasses. Top with ginger ale or sparkling water and fresh berries.
Serve immediately and enjoy.
I hope you enjoy these recipes as much as I do. Let me know your thoughts. If you take photos of your drinks tag us on Instagram or Facebook #courageforthesoul #drinksforthesoul.