Summer is here and some parts of the country are already facing heat waves, causing us to sweat and feel fatigued all day long. With the excess heat sucking the water out of our body, it is important to stay hydrated by drinking a lot of water. While at it, you can also prepare some lip-smacking juices and mocktails to cool off and quench your thirst. With fresh fruits, some peppy drinks, ice and water, you can prepare delicious mocktails at home during summer. Here are a few refreshing choices.
1. Watermelon Crush
Take a big chunk of de-seeded watermelon, chopped into pieces, along with sugar, Sprite and ice. Blend the watermelon in the juicer blender and keep it aside. Crush the ice in the same blender, ensuring they are not very small in size. In a glass, pour some Sprite, then add the watermelon juice and top it off with crushed ice. Spruce it up with a juice straw, garnish with mint leaves and one big chunk of watermelon. Serve it fresh and chilled for a refreshing time.
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2. Bel Bonanza
We all have had Bel Panna prepared using the succulent bel fruit along with milk. Now, how about making a mocktail out of the fruit, sans the milk? All you need is some bel fruit, chopped into pieces and blended to make a thick juice, together with some soda. You may also try ice cream soda to give your mocktail the sweet vanilla flavour, tinged with the delicious flavour of bel. Pour the soda first and then the thick bel juice. Top it with crushed ice and serve with some basil leaves for the added flavour.
3. Pineapple Punch
It’s summer and the markets are flooded with fresh fruits and pineapple is definitely one among the most harvested. So, why not make your next mocktail with pineapple, combined with soda, lime juice or lemonade, sugar syrup and basil leaves as the ingredients. Blend the pineapple, lime juice and sugar syrup well in a juicer and pour them into a tall juice glass. Top it off with the frothy soda and crushed ice. Garnish with ice cubes and big slices of pineapple and serve chilled for a rejuvenating experience.
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4. Masala Shikanji
A super cooler for the hot summer season, Shikanji can be a refreshing drink for your guests. It is easy to prepare and requires just a few basic ingredients at home. All you need for preparing this succulent mocktail are some lemons, black salt for taste, ginger juice and shikanji masala that you can get in the market, alongside some sugar and water. In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients in the required quantities tasting the right amount of salt and sugar and serve it cold in glasses garnished with lime slice and mint leaves.
5. Green Gluttony
Go green with raw mangoes, kiwi and lime this summer for a refreshing mocktail blended with lychee and apple juice. Mix the mangoes, kiwi and lime along with ice in the blender and pour some apple juice on top. Serve garnished with coriander leaves and spruced up with black salt for a tangy and refreshing flavour. Your afternoon siesta is sure to be cool with this drink down your throat.
Satarupa B Kaur has been writing professionally for a decade. Always on the go, she loves to travel, read books and enjoy playtime with her toddler, as she explores new places and food.