Refreshing Mocktail and Cocktail recipes to enjoy in summer

With summer, comes extreme dehydration. Especially in Pakistan, where the heat has no limit, it’s best to stay fresh with a combination of different drinks so you don’t get tired of quenching your thirst with cold water all the time. To help endure the torturous weather, we’ve compiled a few recipes for delicious mocktails to beat the heat this summer.

Cucumber Mint Twist

There’s nothing more refreshing than a cucumber in the summer! Not only does it taste great in a drink, but cucumbers are also made up of about 96% water and packed with antioxidants.

We’ve talked quite a bit about antioxidants here at NS, but to give you a recap, our bodies need antioxidants to fight off free radicals. Different food items have different antioxidants present, but as a whole, antioxidants can help prevent conditions like heart disease and some types of cancer. In a nutshell – they’re the good guys.

Cucumbers are a cool, refreshing way to add a hint of flavor to any cocktail or mocktail. This is my take on a healthy alternative to the traditional Cucumber Collins!

Ingredients:

• 1 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 ounce stevia simple syrup
• 5 slices of cucumber
• 3 mint leaves
• 1-ounce gin
• Seltzer water to finish
• Cucumber slice to garnish

Directions:

1. Pour the lemon juice and stevia simple syrup into a shaker or mason jar along with cucumber slices and mint leaves. Muddle the ingredients together with a muddler or the end of a wooden spoon.
2. Add gin and fill the shaker or mason jar with ice. Cap whichever tool you are using and shake to combine.
3. Strain the mixture into a glass and top with seltzer water to finish.
4. Garnish with a cucumber slice and serve.

Berry Smash

If you like sweet, summery drinks, this one’s for you. Berries are also packed with antioxidants and quite a bit of fiber. When muddled, they’re a great way to add a boost of nutrition to any drink.

The Berry Smash is the perfect summer cocktail or mocktail to have with your favorite summer salad, mine is the Antioxidant Summer Salad!

Ingredients:

• 1 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1/2 ounce stevia simple syrup
• 6 raspberries
• 5 blackberries
• 1-ounce vodka
• Seltzer water to finish
• Lime wedge to garnish

Directions:

1. Pour the lime juice and stevia simple syrup into a shaker or mason jar along with raspberries and blueberries. Muddle the ingredients together with a muddler or the end of a wooden spoon.
2. Add vodka and fill the shaker or mason jar with ice. Cap whichever tool you are using and shake to combine.
3. Strain the mixture into a glass and top with seltzer water to finish.
4. Garnish with a lime wedge and serve.

Strawberry Basil Mojito

Add basil to anything and I’m all for it! Basil is a powerful herb that can have anti-inflammatory benefits, antimicrobial properties and, you guessed it, plenty of antioxidants to go around. Strawberries and mint are great additions as well. Mint, in particular, is great for indigestion and calming an upset stomach.

I love that a traditional mojito doesn’t include any straining – the mint leaves and lime are both kept in the drink for an extra boost of nutrition. This summer cocktail or mocktail recipe is a little twist on the traditional mojito!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lime cut into 4 wedges
• 5 fresh mint leaves
• 5 fresh basil leaves
• 3 large strawberries
• 1/2 ounce stevia simple syrup
• 1-ounce white rum
• Seltzer water to finish

Directions:

1. Place the mint leaves and 1 lime wedge into a shaker or mason jar. Muddle the ingredients together with a muddler or the end of a wooden spoon.
2. Add 2 more lime wedges along with the basil, strawberries and stevia simple syrup then muddle the ingredients again.
3. Add rum and fill the shaker or mason jar with ice. Cap whichever tool you are using and shake to combine.
4. Pour the entire mixture into a glass and top with seltzer water to finish.
5. Garnish with the remaining lime wedge and serve.

 Mango mojito

This refreshing drink is an adaptation of the signature Mango Mojito cocktail at the Conch Republic Seafood Company in Key West. Store leftover Simple Syrup in the refrigerator for up to two weeks; use it to sweeten iced tea or iced coffee.

Ingredients

• 2 lime wedges
• 5 fresh mint leaves
• 1/4 cup club soda
• 3 tablespoons rum
• 2 tablespoons Simple Syrup
• 1 tablespoon mango nectar
• Crushed ice

Directions:

Squeeze the lime wedges into a small glass; add wedges and mint to glass. Crush with the back of a spoon for 30 seconds. Add soda, rum, Simple Syrup, and nectar; stir gently. Serve over ice. Nutritional analysis includes Simple Syrup.

Frozen peach blast

Fruit smoothie guaranteed to blow your hair back. Raspberries and peaches are a perfect pair to add sweetness while lemon Greek yogurt rounds out the flavor with tangy creaminess.

Ingredients: 

• 2 ripe peaches
• 1 cup sparkling apple juice
• 2 tsps sugar
• 1 tsp lime juice
  

Directions:

Blend all the ingredients together and pour into two glasses. Top with some more apple juice and decorate with a peach slice.