Summer brings the end of the school year, warm weather, family trips, good food, and refreshing drinks! Celebrate summer flavors from around the world with these five refreshing student-shared drink recipes.
Iced Water
This simple summer drink, shared by Jules Miller (‘27), never fails to quench one’s thirst and is very easy to make.
Ingredients
- Water
- Ice cubes or crushed ice
- Lemon slice or mint leaf, for garnish
Place ice cubes or crushed ice into a tall glass. Pour water over the ice and garnish with a lemon slice or mint leaf, if desired.
Mango Lassi
This traditional Indian drink, shared by Kaveri Udupa (‘26), dates back to 100 BC, and is a delicious way to celebrate summer flavors. If you’re looking to try this drink, Udupa shares that “[t]he Bollywood Club is hosting an event at grad, and as part of the celebration, we’ll have a table at Kickoff starting at 12 PM! Come by to enjoy free samples of Indian food and drinks, including lassi, sweets, samosas, and other fun stuff. We’d love to see you there!” If you’re not able to make it to graduation but would still like to try the drink, the recipe is as follows.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups finely chopped ripe mango
- ¾ cup yogurt
- ¾ cup milk
- 2 teaspoons sugar, or to taste
- Finely chopped nuts, optional, for garnish
Place all ingredients (except for the nuts) in a blender, and puree until thick and creamy. Taste, and adjust to your preference, adding more milk to make the drink thinner, more sugar to make it sweeter, or more mango for a deeper flavor. Top with a sprinkling of the chopped nuts, if desired.
Rose Milk
This sweet, refreshing summer drink was recommended by Udupa, and, if you make the rose syrup ahead of time, it’s quickly assembled.
Ingredients
For the rose syrup
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 ½ cups water
- 1 teaspoon rose water or essence, see note
- ¾ teaspoon pink food color, optional, for color
For the finished drink
- 1 cup milk
- Ice cubes, optional
To make the syrup: In a heavy-bottomed pan, combine the sugar and water. Bring the mixture to a boil, gently stirring to dissolve the sugar. Allow the syrup to boil for four minutes before removing from the heat and stirring in the food color, if desired. Add the rose water or essence, and allow to cool completely before pouring into a bottle or other container. The syrup should be stored in the fridge.
To make the rose milk: Place five to six ice cubes in a tumbler or tall glass, and add three tablespoons of rose syrup and the milk. Stir well to combine, and serve immediately.
Note: Food-grade rose water (not the kind used in cosmetics) can be found at many grocery stores or ordered online, or you can make your own by boiling ¼ cup washed rose petals in 1 ½ cups water for 5 – 10 minutes. Store rose water in a cool, dark place.
Grape-Mint Slushie
This fun recipe, suggested by Inaya Dar (‘27), is a uniquely thirst-quenching, dairy-free slushie.
Ingredients
- Green grapes
- Fresh mint leaves, plus more for garnish
- Ice
- Water
- Lemon juice
Place all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. Taste and adjust the lemon, mint, and grape flavors to your preference. Pour into a tall glass and top with a sprig of mint or slice of lemon, if desired.
Sikhye
This traditional Korean recipe, shared by Susie Yang (‘25) and sourced from Kye Kim’s Modern Korean Cooking, blends malt, rice, and sugar, creating a delicious, cold, sugary treat.
Ingredients
- 2 cups of malt
- 1 cup Korean short-grain rice
- 2 cups sugar
- 20 cups of water
- 2 tablespoons of pine nuts, for garnish
Mix all 20 cups of water and malt, and let the liquid sit for two hours. It will eventually separate into two layers. Cook rice in a rice cooker and set it aside. Carefully pour the top part of clear malt water over the cooked rice, set the rice cooker to warm, and wait for around seven hours. Around four or five rice grains should then float to the top. Remove the liquid from the rice cooker, and separate the rice grains from the liquid. Wash the rice in water and drain. Boil the rice liquid in a large pot and add the sugar. Let it cool and store in the fridge. Pour the drink into a small bowl and garnish with the washed rice and pine nuts. Serve cold.