What are you drinking in this hot weather?

[HappySonHappyMum]

Am getting really fed up with drinking squash and iced water is getting boring! Tell me your perfect drink to keep you hydrated for inspiration please.

There seem to be a lot of new ranges of flavoured waters, which are sugar free..
I like ‘Dash’, the peach flavour.
Also M&S diet ginger.

If I’m at home and have time, I make a big jug with ice of lime cordial with sparkling water and a dash of elderflower. Waitrose pink grapefruit squash is delicious.

Spearmint and peppermint tea is surprisingly good.

Lavender Lemonade and Ginger & Elderflower Summer Cup is my go to summer non alcoholic staple at present.

And here below borrowed online are the ingredients and methodology.

Lavender Lemonade

The aroma of the steeped lavender heads is wonderful, but do be sure to use lavender which hasn’t been sprayed with any chemicals. It’s best made with flowers that have started to dry out naturally in high summer. Makes about 75cl of pink-tinged liquid.

Ingredients

10g lavender heads
250ml boiling water
75g sugar
600ml cold water (sparkling if you prefer)
Juice of 3 small or 2 large ripe lemons, strained
Ice cubes

Method

Put the flower heads in a small pan and pour over the boiling water. Heat up again and simmer gently for two minutes. Take off the heat and leave to steep for ten minutes. Strain off the flowers, add sugar to the liquid and stir to dissolve it. Add the cold water. Add the lemon juice and stir (the mix turns pink here), then serve in tall slim tumblers with a few ice cubes in them.

&

Ginger & Elderflower Summer Cup

This is the non-alcoholic cocktail I drink most in the summer, and it is delicate enough to go well with lighter food - salads, fish, seafood - too. I make it quite dilute but do up the amount of juice and cordial for stronger flavours, obviously.

Ingredients

25ml elderflower cordial
Small piece - about 2cms square - peeled root ginger
20ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
150ml cold sparkling water
Mint sprig and lemon slice
Crushed ice

Method

Grate the ginger finely, adding all the bits and any gingery juices into a small bowl with the cordial and lemon juice. Mix well and leave to infuse for a few minutes. Strain into a tumbler, then add crushed ice and top up with sparkling water. Garnish with the mint and a thin lemon slice.

Res I am pinching that Summer Cup recipe immediately! I love grated fresh ginger in hot drinks but haven’t tried in cold before. Don’t have any lemons, but loads of limes so tomorrow I will get busy.
Thanks for posting 👍🏻

Cool enjoy and cheers!

Chilled water with a dash of pure lemon or lime juice - you can buy both bottled and I keep in the fridge too, I like it relatively "strong" as I like a sour taste but you can make up according to personal taste

I freeze lemon wedges and add a couple of those to a bottle of water with a sprig of mint. Or diet ginger ale from sainsbury's.

Am loving some of these - thank you so much - sometimes a change is as good as a rest eh!

Iced fruit or herbal tea, I make a hot strong brew with a few teabags, then chill it when it’s cooled, to use as base to dilute with water, tonic, lemonade.

Iced coffee. I use chilled milk and old fashioned Camp coffee.

I usually have some chilled soup on the go as well.

Dalston’s Cherryade, Fennel Tea.

Non alcoholic beer - the Bavaria cans are good if you want lager, or the Erdinger wheat beer if something a bit more interesting. Really refreshing.

I bought some raspberry and lemon cordial and I have it with ice and fizzy water also with - o the decadence! - a couple of slices of lemon. God it's delicious. Especially good because you don't have to have it too sweet.