There’s nothing like relaxing in an air conditioned room with a cool and frosty beverage on a hot, Australian summer day. Looking for something a bit different to kick back with as you watch the cricket? These five homemade iced drinks will help keep your insides nice and chilly!
Cold brew tea
Cold brew tea works perfectly in summer for two reasons. The first is that you don’t need to heat up water to brew the tea. The second is the fact that it’s an iced tea. Setting up cold brew tea is a simple matter. Add your favourite tea to water. Use twice as much tea as you would normally use when preparing hot tea. Steep it in the refrigerator for a minimum of four hours. Add ice and enjoy.
Iced coffee
Don’t overspend at gourmet coffee shops for your iced coffee; you can make it at home using a simple, two-step process. The first step is to brew normal strength coffee, wait for it to cool, and pour it into an ice cube tray. Place the tray in the freezer and wait for the cubes to freeze. Set up your coffee pot with twice the amount of coffee as directed and brew it normally. Fill up a glass with the coffee cubes and pour the cooled double strength coffee over the top. Use sugar, creamer, milk, or simple syrup to sweeten your drink.
Lemonade
Lemonade is one of the most refreshing drinks you can make for summer, and it’s also one of the easiest. All you need is a cup of squeezed lemon juice and four cups of water. You can stir in granulated sugar or honey to sweeten the lemonade to your liking.
Fruit smoothie
Fruit smoothies are not only refreshing, they’re also healthy for you. Fruit that works well for smoothies include strawberries, blueberries, bananas, and raspberries. Put a cup of your preferred fruit in a blender along with a cup of ice and 1/4 cup of water. You can omit the water if you put frozen fruit in the blender instead of fresh fruit. Combine the mixture using the highest setting on your blender. Add additional water or fruit juice if the smoothie is not the consistency you prefer.
Chocolate milkshakes
Milkshakes are another versatile chilled drink perfect for summer. Combine two scoops of chocolate ice cream with a cup of milk to create a thick milkshake that shakes away all the heat of summer. Add in chocolate candy, pretzels, or nuts to add texture and additional flavour.