38 Cold Drinks to Cool You Off on a Sweltering Summer Day (2024)

Nothing says "summer" like a cold drink on a scorching day. Whether you're looking for the perfect iced tea, a kicked-up lemonade, or a fabulous tropical co*cktail, a sip or two from this collection of summer drinks will help cool you off when the weather gets hot.

From smoothies to shakes, spritzers to slushies, there's something for everyone here. The top of the list features alcohol-free refreshments for all ages, followed by boozy libations for the over-21 crowd. Cheers to a long, hot summer!

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Watermelon-Mint Agua Fresca

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We sweetened this refreshing watermelon drink with mint-infused syrup. Not a watermelon fan? You can also make it with cantaloupe or honeydew.

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Creamy Lemonade

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We picked up this trendy refresher from TikTok and found it simple, sweet, and refreshing. The drink recipe has just three ingredients—freshly squeezed lemon juice, water, and sweetened condensed milk—and we couldn't help but suggest a few tweaks to liven things up. We bet you'll have your own ideas.

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Sparkling Cantaloupe Lemonade

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This lemonade has a few twists that no one will see coming. First, there's cantaloupe, which is certainly not known for its juice. Second, it's spiked with pink peppercorns that give it a certain punch. Third, the last-minute addition of sparkling water or club soda gives this lemonade a delightful, refreshing fizz. Try it!

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Mango Smoothie

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We gave this mango smoothie some tang by blending in yogurt. Use a sweet, ripe mango for best results, and try this hassle-free method of cutting a mango.

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Peach Iced Tea

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This recipe calls for rehydrating dried peaches in honey-infused water and English breakfast tea. It's a low-sugar version of a summer classic that you can feel good about drinking.

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Tropical Creamsicle Smoothie

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This fiber-rich smoothie is sweetened with mangoes, carrots, and honey, while the "cream" comes from coconut milk. You'll also note a slight tang from apple cider vinegar, which is good for your gut.

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Sparkling Pineapple Ginger Ale

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Pineapple juice sweetens the tang of ginger ale for this cool drink with tropical vibes. Up the ante by adding fresh pineapple triangles to float in this deliciously fruity drink.

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Kale Smoothie With Pineapple and Banana

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Here's a cold drink option for that coconut milk leftover from a recipe (say coconut curry sauce). Instead of throwing it out, use it to add a creamy texture to your next kale smoothie. If you don't have kale on hand, swap it out for spinach.

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Hibiscus Lemon Iced Tea

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This bright, colorful, sweet-tart tea is made with just three ingredients: hibiscus tea, lemons, and sugar. The fuchsia color, which comes from dried hibiscus flowers, is a pick-me-up in itself!

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Tropical Lemonade

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This summer drink recipe is a bit work-intensive—it requires fresh juice from about 12 lemons—but the result is worth it. Pineapple juice and apricot nectar are among the other ingredients that give this lemonade a tropical upgrade.

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Creamy Date Shake

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If you love milkshakes but are trying to cut back on sugar, this shake is for you. It's sweetened with ground cinnamon and Medjools dates, which taste a bit like caramel. This recipe also calls for healthy hemp seeds that deliver protein and omega-3 fatty acids.

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Frozen Blueberry Lemonade

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A drink doesn't get any colder than a slushie, and this four-ingredient recipe gets one in your hand in 5 minutes. Just blend with ice, pour, and chill out.

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Gingery Berry and Oat Smoothie

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With the healing antioxidants in blueberries and the gut-healthy fiber in rolled oats, this smoothie is as good for you as it is delicious. It also has a bit of a kick from adding fresh ginger to the blend.

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Lemon Iced Tea

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This perfect marriage of lemonade and iced tea is a match made in summer refreshment heaven. Sure, you could buy a jug of the stuff, but this recipe uses real lemons, mint leaves, and freshly brewed black tea to fill a half-gallon pitcher that tastes soooo much better.

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Tom Collins

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This classic summer co*cktail has been popular for decades, and this version calls for just two ingredients. Just pour 1 part gin and 2 parts soda into a rocks-filled highball glass. Cheers!

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Raspberry Rum co*cktail

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To make this unique, flavorful co*cktail, start with dark rum and add pureed raspberries, fresh apple juice, lime, and a splash of ginger ale. This recipe is courtesy of Marco Nobile, Head Bartender at La Samanna, a Belmond Hotel in St. Martin.

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Boozy Watermelon Frozen Slushie

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It takes less than 5 minutes to whip up this refreshingly cool drink on a hot day. Your choice of rum or vodka adds the "boozy" element. There's no better beverage to celebrate summer.

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Kombucha-Blood Orange Mule

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Blood oranges give this fizzy, spicy-sour drink a beautiful hue. If you don't have them, use freshly squeezed orange juice or grapefruit juice. The kombucha does the rest.

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Sex on the Beach

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This popular vacation co*cktail, which has been around for decades, calls for vodka, peach schnapps, orange juice, and cranberry juice. Refreshing and sweet, it instantly transports you to a tropical island.

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Classic Margarita

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Break out the tequila, it's margarita time! There's just one big decision to make: Rub the rims with a lime slice and dip them in salt or not? Regardless, make sure you add ice and garnish with lime slices.

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Mai Tai

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This classic tropical co*cktail combines pineapple, lime, and maraschino cherry juice with rum and Curacao for a fun and festive drink. Don't forget the pineapple and maraschino garnish!

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White Sangria

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Club soda adds fizz to white wine, white grape juice, and a veritable fruit medley for a light, summery take on the standard sangria. This drink sweetens with time, so let it sit in the fridge for at least an hour before serving.

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Grapefruit Kombucha Margarita

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This drink recipe starts with the classic elements of a margarita—tequila and lime juice—in a co*cktail shaker but adds a splash of grapefruit juice and simple syrup. Give it a quick shake, and then add the fizzy kombucha.

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Mojito

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This classic Cuban co*cktail requires just five ingredients: white rum, sugar, lime juice, mint, and soda water. Don't skimp on using freshly squeezed citrus juices. It's the difference between a so-so mojito and a great one.

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Boozy Dole Whip

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Transport yourself to a tropical beach (or your favorite Disney park) with this fun, adults-only pineapple and coconut frozen concoction. Whether you sip it with a straw or scoop it with a spoon, make sure to add extra pineapple and coconut flakes on top.

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Chambord Lemonade co*cktail

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Stay cool and in the pink by sipping this three-ingredient lemonade-co*cktail mashup. Chambord, a naturally-flavored raspberry liqueur, lends it color and fruity flavor while vodka kicks in up a notch.

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Partida Passion Fruit co*cktail

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Tequila fuels this citrusy sweet-tart recipe from Partida Tequila that features grapefruit, lime, and passion fruit. For added refreshment and more fruity flavor, slip in some sliced apples and berries.

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Frosé

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Freeze your favorite rosé into ice cubes so you can blend this easy co*cktail recipe for your next happy hour. Add strawberries, grenadine, and a shot of vodka to the mix, and this adult slushie is ready to go.

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Grapefruit Thyme co*cktail

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Freshen up this co*cktail of gin, grapefruit juice, and seltzer with an extra punch of herbs from your garden. Garnish with a fresh grapefruit slice and serve to delighted guests.

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Cherry Gin Rickey

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Cherry and lime make the perfect sweet-tart combination for this summery co*cktail. Strain the cherries yourself to extract their full flavor and use freshly squeezed lime juice for best results.

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Espresso Martini

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You don't often look to coffee to cool you down, but perhaps this co*cktail will change your perspective. With just four ingredients—vodka, espresso, coffee liquor, and simple syrup—you have a refreshing and a little frothy martini to wake up your happy hour.

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Paloma

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Think of a Paloma, a Spanish classic, as a kinder, gentler version of a margarita. It features a simple syrup made with grapefruit juice (the recipe tells you how), a little less tequila than your typical margarita, a splash more grapefruit juice, and soda water. Garnish with a grapefruit peel twist, a salted rim, or both.

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Green Tea Pimm’s

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Pimm’s—a gin-based English liqueur with herbal and fruity notes—teams up with zesty ginger-infused green tea for this adults-only iced refresher. Make this big-batch (eight-serving) recipe—with or without vermouth—and allow plenty of refrigerator time (at least 2 hours) for maximum chill.

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Long Island Iced Tea

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Iced tea is the ultimate summer refresher and this co*cktail—other than its name, its sweet refreshing taste, and how it looks—has practically nothing else in common with it. Emboldened with five types of alcohol, this potent iced tea is not for guzzling.

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Cucumber Spritzer

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This co*cktail is out to prove that vegetables can be refreshing, too. It combines a minty simple syrup with cucumber, lime juice, club soda, and gin for a healthy-ish co*cktail poured over ice. For an alcohol-free version, just swap out the gin for more club soda.

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Campari Soda With Orange

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Many know Campari as the bitter component in classic Italian co*cktails like Negroni and Americano, but here its strong orange flavor is mixed with orange juice for sweetness and club soda for fizz. The result is a co*cktail on the rocks that's bright and invigorating.

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Cold Brew Slushies

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Coffee fans rejoice! This cold drink can cool you off on a hot day, too. The secret to getting this Irish cream- and vodka-spiked rendition to go down like a frothy milkshake is in the ice cubes. This recipe calls for making them from coffee instead of water, so your co*cktail doesn't get diluted while sipping in the sun.

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Elderflower Spritz

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You've no doubt heard of an Aperol spritz, a co*cktail that rose to popularity in Venice in the 1920s and has had recent renewed interest. This twist on the popular drink uses elderflower syrup to infuse it with a fruity and floral pop, and dry sparkling wine and club soda for the sparkle. Top it off with a sprig of fresh mint and a lime wedge, and you'll feel like you're sitting along the Venice canals, watching the gondolas drift by.

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