50 Summer Drinks

Drink up! Food Network Magazine made enough sodas, shakes and cocktails to last all season.

White-Grape Spritzer (No. 50), Old Cuban (No. 30), Honeydew Ice (No. 3)

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White-Grape Spritzer (No. 50), Old Cuban (No. 30), Honeydew Ice (No. 3)
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Photo by: Sang An

Sang An

1. PB Frappe: Purée 1/4 cup peanut butter with 1 cup milk. Pour some chocolate syrup into a glass; top with the peanut-butter milk. Slowly add seltzer and stir.

2. Vietnamese Iced Coffee: Pour 3 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk over ice; stir in 1 cup cooled strong coffee.

3. Honeydew Ice: Purée 1 cup each frozen honeydew melon and frozen diced cucumber with the juice of 1 lime and some sugar.

4. Sake Spritzer: Combine 1 basil leaf, 6 mint leaves, 2 lemon twists, 1 orange wedge, 1/4 cup diced cucumber and 1 1/2 ounces orange liqueur in a shaker with ice; shake. Pour into a glass and top with sparkling sake.

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Peach-Ginger Iced Tea

Photo by: Sang An

Sang An

5. Peach-Ginger Iced Tea: Mash 6 canned peach halves with 1 1/2 cups of the juice, 1/3 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon grated ginger in a pitcher. Add ice and 6 cups cold English breakfast tea.

6. Pineapple Rummy: Fill a glass partway with sparkling cider and ice. Add a shot of dark rum and a few pineapple chunks.

7. Concord Cow: Scoop some vanilla ice cream into a glass. Mix equal parts concord grape juice and lemon-lime soda, then slowly pour over the ice cream.

8. Real-Man's Margarita: Salt the rim of a beer mug; fill with ice. Add Mexican beer, a squeeze of lime juice, a splash of tequila and hot sauce to taste

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Cherry Cooler

Photo by: Sang An

Sang An

9. Cherry Cooler: Purée 1/2 pound pitted cherries, 1/2 cup sugar and 1 cup strong hibiscus tea. Serve over ice and garnish with cherries.

10. Agua Fresca: Purée 2 unpeeled cucumbers, the juice of 2 limes, 3 tablespoons sugar, 1 cup water and 1/4 serrano pepper; strain. Serve over ice.

11. Elderflower Fizz: Fill a glass halfway with ice and cranberry juice. Add a splash each of vodka and elderflower liqueur; top with seltzer and garnish with mint.

12. Tequila Paloma: Pour a shot of tequila into an ice-filled glass; top with grapefruit soda.

13. Guava Green Tea: Pour equal parts guava juice and green tea over ice; garnish with lemon.

14. Lychee Sparkler: Purée half the lychees from a 20-ounce can with all the syrup; strain. Mix with 2 1/2 cups Lillet and a few dashes of rose water and bitters.

15. Kiwi Punch: Purée 7 peeled, cubed kiwis with 1/2 cup sugar, the juice of 2 limes and 1 cup water; strain and serve over ice.

16. Bull's-Eye Brew: Mix equal parts tomato juice and pale ale. Serve on ice with lime wedges.

17. Strawberry Limeade: Make simple syrup: Dissolve 1 cup sugar in 1 cup water in a saucepan over low heat; let cool. Combine with 1 cup lime juice, 2 cups water, some frozen chopped strawberries and ice.

18. Pimm's Ginger Cup: Pour 2 ounces Pimm's No. 1 over ice. Squeeze in a lemon wedge; top with ginger ale and garnish with a cucumber stick.

19. Iced Chai: Brew 6 black tea bags in 4 cups water with a 1-inch piece ginger and 2 teaspoons Chai spice blend. Cool, remove tea bags and ginger and stir in 1/4 cup honey. Serve over ice with sweetened condensed milk.

20. Fruity Protein Shake: Purée 2 ounces silken tofu, 1 cup frozen fruit, 1/4 cup fruit juice, 1/2 cup soy milk and a little honey.

21. Russian Cherry Soda: Bring 1 cup water, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup pitted cherries to a boil and cook until syrupy; stir into seltzer.

22. Lavender-Peach Cooler: Make half a batch of simple syrup (see No. 17), adding 1/4 cup dried lavender to the hot syrup; let cool. Purée 1/2 cup of the syrup with 1½ pounds peaches and 1 cup water; strain. Stir in lemon juice and serve on the rocks.

23. Go-To Margarita: Shake 3 ounces tequila, 2 ounces lime juice, 1 ounce simple syrup (see No. 17) and ice in a shaker. Strain into an ice-filled glass.

24. Apricot Sun Tea: Steep 4 bags orange pekoe tea in 4 cups cold water in a sunny spot for several hours. Stir in 2 cups apricot nectar, 1/4 cup simple syrup (see No. 17), the juice of 1 lemon, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1 cup fresh mint; chill.

25. Instant Horchata: Sweeten rice milk with sugar; add a pinch of cinnamon. Serve over ice with diced cantaloupe and pecans.

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Watermelon-Coconut Cooler

Photo by: Sang An

Sang An

26. Watermelon-Coconut Cooler: Blend 8 cups frozen cubed watermelon with 8 ounces lemon vodka, 7 ounces simple syrup (see No. 17) and a 17.5-ounce can coconut juice. Serve with watermelon wedges.

27. Orange-Berry Daiquiri: Purée 2 cups crushed ice, 1 cup sliced strawberries, 4 ounces light rum, 1 ounce orange liqueur, 2 ounces lime juice and 1 tablespoon superfine sugar. Pour into 2 glasses.

28. Virgin Daiquiri: Swap the alcohol in the above recipe for 1/2 cup fresh orange juice.

29. Derby Martini: Shake 1 1/2 ounces bourbon, 1/4 ounce Lillet, 1/2 ounce cherry brandy, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, a dash of bitters and ice in a shaker; strain into a martini glass.

30. Old Cuban: Muddle a handful of mint leaves in a shaker with 1 1/2 ounces rum, the juice of 1 lime, 1 ounce simple syrup (see No. 17) and 2 dashes bitters. Shake with ice; strain into a flute and top with champagne.

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Berry-Guava Lemonade

Photo by: Sang An

Sang An

31. Berry-Guava Lemonade: Mash 4 diced strawberries with 2 tablespoons sugar and 4 tablespoons guava juice in a glass. Fill with ice, then add 6 tablespoons lemon juice and lemon slices.

32. Cherry-Lime Rickey: Mash 6 pitted cherries, 3 lime wedges and 2 teaspoons sugar in a glass. Add 3 ounces gin and ice.

33. Blueberry Slush: Purée 4 ounces tequila, 2 ounces blue curaçao, 1/2 cup blueberries, the juice of 3 limes, 1 tablespoon sugar and 3 cups ice until slushy; pour into 2 sugar-rimmed margarita glasses.

34. Ginger Shandy: Mix equal parts ginger ale and pale ale; serve on the rocks.

35. Chocolate-Cherry Shake: Purée 1 cup softened vanilla ice cream, 1/4 cup milk, 1/2 cup frozen cherries and 8 chocolate wafers.

36. Pink & Green Aperitif: Mix 2 parts Aperol and 1 part vodka with muddled lime wedges and pink grapefruit juice. Garnish with raspberries.

37. Vir-Gin & Tonic: Crush 2 tablespoons juniper berries with 2 tablespoons fresh mint. Add 1 cup tonic; steep for 20 minutes, then strain. Serve on ice; top with tonic and 2 dashes bitters.

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Smoky Creamsicle Float

Photo by: Sang An

Sang An

38. Smoky Creamsicle Float: Scoop some vanilla ice cream into a glass; add 1 ounce mezcal and 6 ounces orange soda.

39. Raspberry Egg Cream: Purée 1/4 cup raspberry jam with 1 cup milk. Place 1 tablespoon jam in a glass. Top with the raspberry milk and seltzer; stir.

40. Pink Lemonade: Boil 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup water and 1 cup raspberries; let cool. Strain into a pitcher, then stir in 1/2 cup lemon juice, 1 cup cold water and ice.

41. Melon Sangria: Mix 1 bottle white wine, 1/2 cup green melon liqueur, the juice of 3 limes and 1/4 cup sugar in a pitcher; chill. Garnish with melon balls.

42. Cucumber Water: Combine 1 gallon ice water, 1 sliced lemon and 1/2 sliced cucumber; chill.

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Bluetini Drizzle

Photo by: Sang An

Sang An

43. Bluetini Drizzle: 2 teaspoons blue curaçao into a chilled martini glass; add 2 dashes orange bitters. Shake a shot of blueberry vodka with ice in a shaker, then strain into the glass; garnish with blueberries.

44. Boozy Cherry Pop: Pour 2 ounces each cherry syrup and gin over ice; add a splash of seltzer. Float a layer of red wine on top by pouring over the back of a spoon; garnish with a maraschino cherry.

45. Rosemary Gin & Tonic: Mash a lime wedge with 4 cucumber slices in a glass. Add 2 ounces gin, a sprig of rosemary and some ice; top with tonic.

46. Caramel-Java Freeze: Purée 1/2 cup espresso, 1/2 cup milk, 2 tablespoons each caramel sauce and sugar and 1 cup crushed ice. Pour into 2 glasses; top with whipped cream and caramel.

47. Champagne Punch: Mix 1 bottle champagne, 2 cups seltzer, 1 cup peach nectar and 1/2 cup brandy in a punch bowl; add sliced peaches and berries.

48. Raspberry Shrub: Fill a jar with raspberries; cover with cider vinegar and steep overnight. Strain into a saucepan and add 1 cup sugar per 1 cup liquid; boil 15 minutes, then cool. Combine 3 tablespoons shrub in a glass with ice, lime juice and seltzer.

49. Ginger Juice: Soak 1 cup grated ginger in 8 cups water overnight. Add 1 cup sugar; simmer 1 hour, strain and chill. Stir in a dash of almond extract and serve over ice; top with seltzer.

50. White-Grape Spritzer: Mix equal parts white grape juice and lemon-lime soda; serve over ice with sliced fruit.

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