Bright Pick
Cherries, next exit? You’ll want to buy ‘em up in fresh bunches from roadside fruit stand for this rainier cherry mojito recipe by Cookie and Kate. For each glass, muddle together 8 cherry halves, fresh mint, juice from ½ a lime, and 1 teaspoon of raw sugar, swirl together with 1.5 ounces of rum (adults only, of course), and top with a bubbly club soda.
Simple Mint
The award for most refreshing-looking image goes to Sips and Spoonfuls for this grapefruit and mint cooler recipe. First, boil a bit of sugar until just dissolved with 1 cup of water and mint leaves (to make a sweet syrup). Then, strain out the mint leaves and blend the mixture together with the juice of 1 grapefruit. Chill and serve over ice with mint leaves for garnish – aaahhhh.
Tart & Green
Fork Knife Swoon has a remedy for sweltering hot days with this cucumber-lime agua fresca recipe. Blended cucumbers, lime juice, mint leaves, water, and sugar makes for a verdant and refreshing garden mocktail.
A Different Orange Juice
Okay, so maybe you’re not harvesting cantaloupe fresh from the garden, but this cool drink by Mangoes and Palm Trees had to be on our list. Combine one ripe cantaloupe (shredded with a fork or citrus peeler) with 8 cups of water and 1 cup of sugar. Let the flavors infuse for a while, then serve over ice. Garnish with a few basil leaves for that fresh-from-the-garden touch.
Basil Blues
Roasted blueberries? Blend them together with basil, sugar, and lemon-lime soda, and it sounds like a winning idea to us. The result is bursting with berry goodness. Head over to Amy’s Cooking Adventuresl for the full recipe and a suggestion for a secret adult-only ingredient. Hmmm…
What a Pear
For those sophisticated backyard BBQs, this recipe by Green Kitchen Stories is faaann-cy, and it’s pretty much a garden in a glass. Pears, fennel, rosemary, ginger, and lemongrass start off the mix, and sparkling water finishes it off! Head over to the blog post to check it out.
Lavender Fields
Lemonade is synonymous with summer. This lavender-infused lemon cocktail by Bake Noir would work great for a summertime cocktail party. It’s not overly sweet, and the recipe features DIY lavender syrup. Skip the gin and substitute more extra lemon juice if the party is a family affair.
Orange You Fizzy?
Vacation in a glass! Nest of Posies shares ideas for crowd-pleasing summer fizz drinks. Our fave is the cilantro-orange-coconut refresher. Here’s the basic recipe for endless combos: fill a glass ¾ full of sparkling water, add juice from fruit of your choice and a dash of your favorite herb – serve over ice. (Some combos may need sugar to sweeten.) Get out to the herb garden and let your junior mixologists loose!
Peachy Punch
Table for Two hits a home run with this peach-prosecco punch recipe. When peaches are at their prime, mix the nectar with frozen raspberries, chilled Prosecco, and ice – a perfect summer party drink. Nix the prosecco and substitute a sparkling peach or raspberry drink for a non-alcoholic version.
Agua Fresca!
How many of us have at least half a watermelon camped in our fridge? And a sad flat of U-pick berries from the farm? Well this recipe from Mango & Tomato makes your leftover fruit sing in a light agua fresca. Simply take 1 part watermelon, 1 part strawberries, 2 parts water, plus fresh mint leaves, blend it all together, strain, and serve over ice. Head over to the full blog post for tips and tricks!
