4 Refreshing Summer Drinks
If you’re looking for colorful, fresh, fruit drinks that are refreshing and perfect for summer, here are four homemade drink ideas: Strawberry Limeade, Summer Melon Sorbet Floats, Homemade Raspberry Vanilla Soda, and Cantaloupe Agua Fresca. Most of the components can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge or freezer, so that it’s quick and easy to assemble when you’re ready to serve.
There is an abundance of recipes for alcoholic drinks of all kinds, but I wanted to create a series of non-alcoholic drinks that were impressively beautiful, refreshing, and delicious. Summer drinks that could be enjoyed by kids and adults alike, whether it’s at a special family gathering or a larger party with friends and neighbors. Each drink here is simple to make, and the components can be made in advance and stored in the fridge or freezer.
Each one has its own character to it, and highlights different types of gorgeous summer fruit. The triple melon sorbet float is fruity and fizzy, the strawberry limeade is perfectly sweet and tart, the homemade raspberry vanilla soda is aromatic and bubbly, and the cantaloupe agua fresca tastes like the most wonderful fresh melon water.
Below I have recipes and videos for each one. After you’ve tried them, make sure to also try my Strawberry Iced Tea, Sparkling Peach Iced Tea, or Watermelon Slushie, which are all great for entertaining and summer.
Tips for Best Results
Get the fresh fruit for garnishes – If you want to use frozen fruit for some of the cooked parts like the raspberry simple syrup, that’s okay, but make sure to only garnish with fresh fruit.
Rub the fresh mint together before garnishing – To wake up the flavors of the mint garnish, quickly rub it between your hands to “bloom” the aroma before you put it into each cup. Do this gently.
Make sure the drinks are chilled before adding the ice – Do not add a hot drink to a glass with ice for serving, as the ice will melt too much and water down the drink. Make sure the drinks have been well-chilled in the fridge, then add to ice in a glass.
Strawberry Limeade:
Lemonade is one of the most popular summer drinks (and I do have a mint lemonade I love), but I like limeade even more! I find the flavor of lime to be a bit brighter, and to pair with the strawberries beautifully. It’s a refreshing classic enjoyed by pretty much everyone.
Strawberry Limeade
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup lime juice
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/2 lb sliced strawberries
- 20-30 mint leaves
- 2 cups cold water
Instructions
- To make the simple syrup, combine the sugar and water in a saucepan, and cook over medium high heat for 5-10 minutes until the sugar is dissolved and the liquid is clear.
- In a large mason jar or a pitcher, combine the lime juice, simple syrup, strawberries, mint, and water. Let sit in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours. Serve and enjoy!
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
Summer Melon Sorbet Floats:
Root beer floats are the most popular float drink, but you can go lighter with fresh melon balls, fruit sorbet, and seltzer. What’s neat too is the melon balls act as ice cubes here, keeping your glass extra cool.
Melon Sorbet Float
Ingredients
- assorted melon balls (watermelon, honeydew, cantaloupe, etc)
- 2 scoops lemon, raspberry, or other fruity sorbet
- fresh mint leaves
- seltzer water
Instructions
- Freeze the melon balls for at least three hours until frozen.
- To make the drink, put the sorbet into the bottom of a glass, then top with the frozen melon balls. Drop in as much fresh mint as you’d like (anywhere from a couple leaves to a handful), then top with seltzer water.
- Let the sorbet melt to sweeten and flavor the drink. Enjoy!
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
Homemade Raspberry Vanilla Soda Recipe:
No storebought soda can compare to a fresh soda made at home, using real fruit syrup cooked from scratch. Here I make a raspberry vanilla simple syrup, but you could also do other flavors using Strawberry Simple Syrup or the Peach Simple Syrup from this Sparkling Peach Iced Tea. All would be great options for a summer party drink.
Raspberry Vanilla Soda
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 cup fresh raspberries
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- seltzer water
- ice
Instructions
- In a small saucepan set over medium heat, combine the water, sugar, and raspberries. Cook for about 5 minutes until the mixture is bubbling away and the sugar is dissolved. Stir and cook this mixture for another 5 minutes, until the raspberries have cooked down.
- Set a fine mesh strainer over a measuring cup or bowl and strain the saucepan mixture, pressing down on the raspberry pulp to squeeze out all the juice. Add the lemon juice and vanilla extract, and let this chill in the refrigerator.
- To serve, fill a glass with ice and add 2-3 tbsp of the raspberry syrup. Add about a cup of seltzer on top, and enjoy!
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
Cantaloupe Mint Agua Fresca Recipe:
Agua frescas are great for truly appreciating the flavor of the fruit, and while this recipe uses cantaloupe, honeydew melon is another great option. Make sure to thoroughly chill the agua fresca mixture so it’s sufficiently cool, before adding the ice.
Cantaloupe Mint Agua Fresca
Ingredients
- 1 cantaloupe (3.5 pounds, or 4 cups chopped fruit)
- 1.5 cups cold water
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice (or lime juice)
- a few sprigs fresh mint (or basil)
- ice
Instructions
- Cut the cantaloupe up by first cutting in half, then into quarters, and cut the flesh away from the rind. Cut into chunks and place into a blender. Blend until fully pureed, then strain the puree through a fine mesh strainer in order to collect the juice.
- Pour the juice into a pitcher and add the water, fresh lemon juice, and mint. Refrigerate for at least one hour so it’s thoroughly chilled and the flavors are melded.
- Pour over ice and enjoy.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
For more homemade drinks, try my Blueberry Banana Smoothie or my Caramel Macchiato. Enjoy!
Did you enjoy the recipe? Please leave a 5-star rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page.
21 Comments on “4 Refreshing Summer Drinks”
I tried this today and it was SO good! I loved it! It was so refreshing and delicious and I love the pink color the strawberries give!
yumm
Very delish
I substituted lime for lemon and it still tasted amazing! It was really refreshing and easy to make!
Hello there! I just LOVED your recipes! But I just have 1 question- For the cantaloupe mint agua fresca, can I use oranges instead of cantaloupes?? Please let me know!
Thanks! 💝💝