Beyond Iced Tea: 6 Refreshing Drinks to Try This Season

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(NATIONAL) As the summer continues to heat up, preparing for gatherings held outside on hot afternoons means planning a menu that includes some refreshing iced drinks (adult or otherwise!). If you’d like to impress your guests with beverages that go beyond a typical iced tea or lemonade, then try these six recipes that are sure to impress even the hottest party guest this season!

Grapefruit and Rosemary Mocktail

This refreshing drink is perfect for a crowd that wants something sophisticated and delicious. By blending the flavors of grapefruit and rosemary with a simple syrup, the result is slightly sweet, slightly sour, and full of flavor. The lovely soft pink color is also sure to be a crowd-pleaser. Chill the grapefruit juice, sparkling water, and simple syrup before assembly to get that perfect refreshing sip. If you’d like to add alcohol, try gin to match the herbal quality.

Ginger-Peach Soda

Almost nothing feels quite as refreshing as a cold ginger ale on a hot day. This recipe for ginger peach soda takes that up a notch and is the perfect drink to serve on a hot spring or summer afternoon outside. By making your own ginger simple syrup, you can control how strong you and your guests would like the ginger component to be – make sure you strain the syrup very carefully to discard all the fibrous ginger pieces! Adding fresh peaches directly to each glass before combining with seltzer, syrup, and ice means that your guests will not only enjoy the flavor of fresh peaches but the aroma, as well.

Iced Sparkling Honey-Lime Red Tea

If you’re a fan of traditional iced tea but would like to impress your guests with something vibrant and unexpected, then try this recipe for iced red tea instead. By using the slightly more acidic and fruity red tea instead of traditional black, you’ll not only get a different flavor profile but a bold color, as well. Adding honey and fresh lime to the tea before topping with sparkling soda water gives the right blend of sweet and sour to the final drink. Your guests will feel refreshed and ready for fun in the sun with this drink in hand.

Sparkling Blueberry Lemonade

It wouldn’t be a hot afternoon on the back porch without some lemonade. Try a new twist on a classic this season with sparkling blueberry lemonade. Perfect for kids and adults, this version is a beautiful deep blue color and includes the fun surprise of biting into a blueberry every now and then while sipping. After you make your blueberry simple syrup, make sure to refrigerate it so that it’s chilled for adding to the final drink. Mix with fresh-squeezed lemon juice, ice, and some sparkling soda (try a lemon-lime flavor!) for a refreshing drink that tastes as good as it looks.

Iced Mint Green Tea

For another take on traditional iced tea this season, try an iced green tea infused with mint. You’ll feel extra refreshed with this drink since mint is known to have cooling properties. After steeping the green tea, mix with some honey and mint to taste and then chill in the refrigerator for several hours - you can also omit the honey in this recipe for a less-sweet option. For an alcoholic version, try it with sake; the flavor will complement both the mint and the green tea base. As an added flourish for entertaining, pick up some lemongrass stalks at your local market and put one in each glass as a garnish.

Infused Waters

Don’t underestimate the power of a beautiful and delicious infused water for your next seasonal gathering. Nothing is more refreshing than a glass of ice-cold water on a hot afternoon, and by infusing it with various fruits, herbs, and vegetables, you can create an eye-catching drink station along with a delicious beverage choice. Consider having several different infused waters in clear pitchers for your guests; varying the flavor and color will add visual and palate interest! Cucumber, mint, lemon, strawberry – the possibilities are endless!

With so many delicious choices, your guests are sure to be refreshed on a hot afternoon with these iced drinks!

The Entertainer series is presented by Carabelle’s Eats and Treats, food service dedicated to encouraging, inspiring, and strengthening women who have experienced loss to pursue holistic health through the culinary arts, while providing premier quality baked goods and catering services to the community.