If endless glasses of iced tea and bottles of water have you bored this season, here are some of the refreshing summer drinks I’m treating myself to.
Large Acrylic Goblets
Early in the season I found a set of 12 Tommy Bahama acrylic glasses at TJ Maxx. They are humongous. As in an entire can of seltzer water fits into one. They are the inspiration for trying out some new drink mixtures.
I thought maybe using the new glasses for an afternoon drink would make me feel like I was on vacation or something special.
But here’s the thing. The rim is really thick. And sort of uncomfortable. Like maybe I could cut my lip on it if I’m not careful.
So, maybe I’ll use them if I ever throw a large outdoor party, but for now, I’ll stick with my favorite old Pioneer Woman goblets.
In the meantime, here’s what I came up with while trying out the glasses.
Diet Squirt Spritzer
This is my twist on a tart Shirley Temple. Diet Squirt is really an unexpected and underused (in my opinion) soft drink. It’s really nostalgic for me and reminds me of a childhood treat. I rarely see anyone drinking it.
Amarena cherries add so much sophistication compared to maraschino cherries.
- 1 can Diet Squirt
- 2 Amarena cherries
- 1 tbsp cherry juice
All these ingredients were cold to start with, but served over ice kept the drink refreshing for the entire 10 minutes it took me to slurp it down.
Cranberry Raspberry Sparkler
Such a simple concoction not only provides a lovely-to-look-at drink, but adds just enough kick to make a can of seltzer even more refreshing.
Beware of the bottle of juice you pick up. The low calorie, no calorie and full calorie bottles all look the same. Not everyone wants a diet drink, but if you happen to buy the full cal version, be prepared for a whopping number of calories and grams of sugar to be added to your drink.
You might be thinking I am smart enough to have avoided this, but nope. I noticed after I had added approximately 10,000 calories to my 0 calorie seltzer water drinks. The cran mixed juices are so tart, I didn’t even notice I was consuming a ton of sugar.
- 1 can flavored sparkling water (lemon, lime or grapefruit are all great)
- ½ cup cranberry fruit mixed juice (raspberry, grape and mango are all so good)
- Lemon slice for garnish
Mixed Berry Cooler
And now my very favorite! This one is a bit more work, but oh, so worth it.
- ½ cup simple syrup
- ½ – 1/3 cup mixed berries
- Fresh lemon juice
- Flavored sparkling water (I used lemon)
- Sprig of mint
Lightly muddle any berries you have on hand (I always have frozen mixed berries in the freezer). Add to simple syrup and let the flavors mingle for a few minutes.
Pour ¼ cup syrup berries mixture over ice with a tablespoon of lemon juice. Add a can of sparkling water and garnish with fresh mint.
You’ll have enough simple syrup and berry mixture for three or four drinks.
Wrap Up
There are endless combinations for refreshing drinks based on your taste and what you might have on hand.
You know I just had to have all these drinks over ice made from our countertop ice maker. Those little cubes are so addicting.
Serving these drinks as mocktails is a good option for guests who don’t drink alcohol but want a special or delicious drink. Of course, adding a few spirits to any of these might be another option. 😉
Hopefully these suggestions are just in time for a fun and sunny weekend.
God bless you and yours and thanks for reading my blog!