19 Refreshing Summer Drinks to Keep You Cool on a Hot Day By Dillon Evans Dillon Evans Dillon Evans fell in love with cooking at a very young age. He remembers the novel experiences of microwaving a bowl of oatmeal without his parents' permission and asking to make his mother's morning pot of coffee. These moments became catalysts for his interest in cooking and baking. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Published on June 5, 2024 Close Credit: Photographer: Ryan Liebe, Food Stylist: Judy Kim; Prop Stylist: Paige Hicks Sip on one of these cold summer drinks to quench your thirst on a hot day. Whether you’re sitting inside to escape the sun or embracing the heat next to the water, we’ve got just what you need in this roundup. From cocktails like classic margaritas, spritzers and martinis, to seasonal juices, fun slushies and mocktails, you’ll be enjoying your favorite summer flavors like cucumber, cherry and more in these refreshing recipes. Chill out with a helping of our Whipped Frozen Lemonade and Cucumber-Mint Spritzer. You’ll want to make these drinks every time you think of summer. Love any of these recipes? Tap "Save" to add them to MyRecipes, your new, free recipe box for EatingWell. 01 of 19 Whipped Frozen Lemonade Casey Barber Whipped frozen lemonade combines the creaminess of a milkshake with the thirst-quenching tanginess of freshly squeezed lemonade for an incredibly refreshing treat. And this simple frozen lemonade treat comes together with just four ingredients and a blender. You can use light coconut milk or refrigerated coconut milk in place of full-fat coconut milk, though the end result won't be as rich and creamy. View Recipe Save 02 of 19 Classic Negroni This brilliant red bittersweet cocktail was first created in Italy about a hundred years ago and remains a widely popular aperitif. Made with staple home bar bottles, the Negroni is a great cocktail to brighten up your happy hour. Don't have gin? Substitute bourbon or rye whiskey to make a classic boulevardier! View Recipe Save 03 of 19 Cucumber-Mint Spritzer Cucumbers and mint pair delightfully in this refreshing spritzer that's perfect for a summer afternoon on the porch. View Recipe Save 04 of 19 Ginger-Beet Juice Photographer: Fred Hardy II, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Phoebe Hauser In this healthy ginger-beet juice recipe, we pack in vegetables by adding kale and a carrot, and sweeten with an orange and apple. No juicer? No problem. See the juicing variation below to make this beet juice recipe in the blender. View Recipe Save 05 of 19 Whipped Frozen Cherry Limeade How can you possibly make whipped frozen limeade even more refreshing? Add tart cherry juice to the mix! This homemade slushie tastes like summer in a glass. Add a splash of half-and-half or your favorite nondairy creamer to give it a soft serve-style spin, or leave it plain to evoke an old-time cherry-lime rickey. And while bottled tart cherry juice is perfect for this drink, if you have fresh cherry juice from picking your own fruit, feel free to use it here! Either way, this homemade refresher will make your summer even sunnier. View Recipe Save 06 of 19 Layered Strawberry-Mango Margaritas Swirl layers of red strawberry margarita with yellow mango margarita in this skinny frozen cocktail for a festive party drink that will wow your guests. It tastes just as good as a restaurant frozen margarita, without all the sugar! View Recipe Save 07 of 19 Watermelon Juice Clean and simple, it just takes a blender to whip up this DIY watermelon juice. You can enjoy this refreshing drink with no added sugar on its own, or jazz it up with one of our variations (see below). View Recipe Save 08 of 19 No-Sugar-Added Frozen Strawberry Piña Coladas Photographer: Greg DuPree, Food Stylist: Anna Kelly, Prop Stylist: Christina Brockman This frozen strawberry piña colada is super fresh and fruity with just the right amount of sweetness for a cocktail. Use a pineapple-flavored rum that uses 100% juice to avoid excess added sugars like we do here. You can use store-bought frozen pineapple, or if you have a perfectly ripe fresh pineapple on your hands, you can cut and freeze it instead (reserve a few fresh spears for garnish). To freeze pineapple, peel off the skin with a sharp knife and slice the fruit into 1-inch chunks. Freeze in a single layer on a small baking sheet or large plate to prevent the pieces from sticking together. View Recipe Save 09 of 19 Smoky Tajín Margarita This easy margarita recipe is like vacation in a glass. A bit of the chile-lime seasoning Tajín on the rim of your glass contrasts with the sweet orange and agave. View Recipe Save 10 of 19 Moscow Mule Mocktail Antonis Achilleos In this Moscow Mule mocktail, the slightly spicy flavor of ginger is balanced with fresh lime juice for a tart and refreshing drink. If you can't find ginger syrup in stores, you can easily make your own. View Recipe Save 11 of 19 Watermelon-Basil Agua Fresca Carson Downing Sweetened fruit-infused water popular throughout Mexico and South America, this refreshing drink blends watermelon and water with lime juice and basil for even more flavor. The fruit for agua fresca is pureed and can be strained, but we skip the latter step for a thicker drink. Try it spiked by stirring 1 1/2 ounces gin or vodka into each serving. View Recipe 12 of 19 Gin & Blackberry Spritz Jamie Vespa, M.S., R.D. This "berry" fresh spritzer is light and satisfying and really can be enjoyed year-round. It gets its beautiful color from muddled blackberries and its kick from gin (or vodka). Top it off with a little soda water and there you have it! We intentionally kept the added sugar out of this cocktail, but if you want a little sweetness, stir in some honey. View Recipe Save 13 of 19 Whipped Blueberry Lemonade Rachel Marek This whipped blueberry lemonade whirls coconut milk, lemon-infused simple syrup and fresh blueberries together into one thirst-quenching beverage perfect for a hot summer day. Keep the extra simple syrup on hand to whip up another batch of lemonade, or combine it with lemon-flavored seltzer and a splash of vodka for a light cocktail. To keep this drink extra cool, serve it over ice cubes. View Recipe Save 14 of 19 Fresh Mint Mojito Cocktail Fresh mint and zesty lime combine to create a flavor base for this classic rum cocktail. We use superfine sugar to ensure it all dissolves for the smoothest refreshing mojito. View Recipe Save 15 of 19 Color-Changing Lemonade Slushies Kids and adults alike will be wowed watching this delicious slush turn from blue to pink and purple in an instant. The magical concoction is made with natural blue tea and refreshing lemonade for a fun science experiment that's tasty too. Perfect for your child's birthday party! (Adults may enjoy spiking their drink with a little vodka or gin.) View Recipe Save 16 of 19 Whipped Frozen Creamsicle For those of you who always loved to run to the curb to buy a little bit of summer on a stick, this drink is right up your alley. The secret to the straight-from-the-ice-cream truck taste of this creamy frozen treat? Double the fruit! A little bit of frozen mango helps thicken the drink naturally in the blender while boosting the juicy flavor of fresh orange juice. Unsweetened vanilla coconut milk brings just a hint of sweetness while keeping this added-sugar-free and vegan. You could also use a sweetened coconut milk if you prefer a little more sweetness. Enjoy this refreshing and nostalgic drink on its own, or add a splash of your favorite vodka or rum for a summer happy hour indulgence. P.S.: Unlike the ice cream version, this one travels well in an insulated cup if you want to take it poolside! View Recipe Save 17 of 19 Frozen Peach Margaritas Enjoy sweet peach flavor anytime of year with this skinny frozen margarita. It tastes just like a restaurant version, but with less sugar, for an easy cocktail you will actually want to make at home. View Recipe Save 18 of 19 Frozen Tiramisu Espresso Martini Photographer: Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Jasmine Smith , Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle These frozen espresso martinis draw inspiration from tiramisu, a popular Italian dessert. Here, coffee and espresso are used to create the frozen drink while mascarpone combines with cream to create a light, fluffy topping. Whip the cream until it’s just thickened, but doesn’t form soft peaks, or the mixture will be too firm to drink. Finish the drinks with a dusting of cocoa powder to mimic the iconic look of the dessert. View Recipe Save 19 of 19 The Best Pomegranate Martini You’ll Ever Have Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster This fruity, tart pomegranate martini is light and bright with a subtle hint of citrus from orange blossom water—an ingredient with Middle Eastern roots that gets its floral, citrus scent from the essence of bitter orange petals. You can substitute the orange blossom water with 2 teaspoons of grated orange zest if you prefer. View Recipe Save Explore more: Healthy Recipes Seasonal Summer Summer Drink Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit