Raise a glass to refreshing fruity drinks!

As temperatures start to soar, it’s a good reminder to think of ways to keep hydrated.

Water is always the best way to keep yourself healthy out in the heat. But what if you just want something a little extra? A cool drink with a little flavor but not too sweet?

The best way is to add fresh fruit to your drinks and to ditch adding alcohol. Experts tell us that when it gets hotter alcohol only makes us more dehydrated.

So why not try something that is more water-based? These also are some fun drinks that will encourage your kids to not only eat more fruit but to also drink more water.

Here are just a few ideas to keep you happy and hydrated this summer:

Infused water

Once thought of being served in fancy hotel lobbies or at yoga studies, infused water become the new water trend. These are super easy to make and something the kids can help with you, too.

Strawberry, Basil and Lemon Infused Water
Ingredients: 1⁄2 cup of strawberries stemmed, sliced; 5 large basil leaves torn; 1 lemon thinly sliced; 5 cups of water; 1 cup of ice;
Instructions: In a large pitcher, add strawberries, basil, lemon. Add water and ice. Stir and let infuse for a few minutes. Serve. Be sure to include pieces of the fruit and basil in individual glasses.
— from TaylorBradford.com

Flavored Iced Tea

I know this might seem like a sacrilege to us Southerners, but iced tea doesn’t need to have two cups of sugar in it in order for it to taste good. Instead, use fresh fruits to add that sweetness. This time of year strawberries and rhubarb are a perfect combination, usually in pies. But they taste just as delicious together combined with a flowery tea.

Hibiscus, Strawberry, & Rhubarb Tea
Ingredients: 1 liter (1 quart) of water; 4 stalks of rhubarb, thinly sliced; 2 to 3 hibiscus tea bags; 2 tablespoons of wildflower honey; 1 cup of cold water; 1 pint of strawberries, stemmed and sliced, set some aside for garnish
Instructions: In a small saucepan combine water and rhubarb. Simmer on low between 15 and 20 minutes until rhubarb is extremely tender. Remove from heat and add tea bags. Cover and seep for about 8 minutes. Remove tea bags and strain rhubarb while adding water to a pitcher. Stir in honey. Add a cup of cold water. Refrigerate until completed chilled. Add strawberries to a pitcher. Muddle gently. Pour into glasses filled with ice. Garnish with strawberries.
— Recipe from GourmandeInTheKitchen.com

Mocktail

These are the perfect type of drinks for a hot day. You can look fancy but don’t have to worry about nursing a bad headache the next day. You might have to wait another month before you can enjoy this with fresh blueberries, but you can try it with frozen blueberries.

Rosemary Blueberry Smash
Ingredients: 1-pint blueberries (use about 8 per glass); 1 rosemary sprig, stripped; 1 ounce of honey syrup; 1 ounce of fresh lemon juice, strained; 7 ounces of 7UP; ice
Instructions: Make honey syrup (see recipe below). In the bottom of a cocktail shaker muddle gently blueberries, rosemary leaves and honey syrup. Add lemon juice and ice to shaker, cover and shake for 10 seconds. Strain through a mesh strainer into a tall glass of fresh ice. Top with sparkling water and stir. To make it even fancier, add blueberries onto a cocktail skewer and sit on top of the glass. — recipe from 7UP

Honey Syrup
Ingredients: Favorite honey; water
Instructions: In a saucepan add equal parts honey and water. Bring to a boil. Let it cool. It can be stored in an airtight container.

Cheers everyone! Come down and see what other fresh fruits or herbs we might have for your next drink. We’re open Monday through Saturday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.