SUMMER IS HERE! Even though today is our anniversary and it’ll be a rainy day….for the next 6 day actually! I’m gearing up for the warmer weather and try to figure out what to drink on our newly made corner bench on our deck. Here are 5 Summer Drinks and these will be so great for kids!
Crafty Dutch Girl is Reader-Supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more.
What are Mocktails?
A few weeks ago we went to New Orleans. Just my husband and I. During this trip we tried several cocktails, because one of New Orleans’ famous cocktails is “the Hurricane” and it was one of the many things we needed to try. This cocktail is made with two types of rum, lime juice, orange juice, passion fruit puree, grenadine and simple syrup. Unfortunately we didn’t get it in a special “Hurricane” glass.
We also tried this “Chameleon”. You add orange juice to the base and it’ll change color! (Don’t mind me making a mess:)
But the best of all was the “Strawberry Mojito”. My husband was obsessed with it!
So when we got home, he immediately bought the white rum and made this cocktail for us. With sugar rim, lime wedges, mint and all!
Of course our 7 year old was curious about the fancy drink and asked if she could try! Uhhh, well, let see if you we can make a fancy drink without the alcohol. I was thinking why we weren’t making more of these Mocktails (cocktails without the alcohol), not only for the kids, but also for us!
Time to find the best Summer Drinks without alcohol.
Note: We usually don’t use sugar that much, but it is important to taste and add sugar to your liking. Start with a smaller amount!
1. Strawberry Mojito
Let’s just start with this one, because M got hers right after she saw our “adult” Strawberry Mojito.
Here is what we did:
- strawberries
- water
- sugar
- mint and some for decoration
- limes
First we blended lime juice, strawberries and mint leaves in a blender. Then we added water and sugar, blend and taste. Then we added ice cubes. Stir it and put a mint sprig on top!
2. Pina Colada
Summers are so awesome for the amount of fresh fruits you get. Like pineapple! They’re usually green when I buy them, but after a few days on the counter, they’re ripe enough to cut into. The pineapple pieces are usually gone within an hour!
I have to be quick to make this Pina Colada!
- Pineapple chunks
- Pineapple juice
- coconut milk
- simple syrup or sugar
- lime juice
Blend all the ingredients in a blender until smooth. You can strain the juice if needed. Garnish with a piece of pineapple and rind on the rim of the glass. Enjoy this great Summer Drink.
3. Blueberry Lemon Cooler
Look below at “Water and Syrups” how to make a Blueberry syrup. You can add grated ginger in it for a little kick. I like it when the syrup is heavier than the water and you see an ombre effect when the water is being poured on top of the syrup. Freeze some blueberries in ice cubes.
- Blueberry syrup (with or without ginger)
- Lemon juice
- (Fizzy) Water (see “water and syrups” below, how to make it)
- Fresh blueberries and lemon wedges for decoration.
4. Orange Mint Mocktail
Oranges are another refreshing fruit for the summer!
- orange juice
- lime juice
- fizzy water (see “water and syrups” below, how to make it)
- sugar
- orange wedge, mint and ice cubes for garnish
Mix ingredients together, stir until the sugar has dissolved. Add the garnish (like the sugared rim) and enjoy!
5. Refreshing Cucumber Lemon Mocktail
Last years cucumber harvest in our own garden was a disaster. I really hope we’ll get a good amount of them, because we love this Cucumber Lime Mocktail.
- cucumber
- lemon juice
- water
- sugar
- mint and lemon wedge for garnish
- ice cubes
Blend 1/2 cucumber, sugar and 1/2 lemon in a blender. Strain the juice. Pour over ice cubes. Add the lemon wedge and mint for garnish.
Additions to make your Summer Drinks even more Special.
Straws
For fun (and for the sake of the environment) we love these eco-friendly bamboo or metal straws.
Glasses
We love the size of these glasses, because with Mocktails you can drink all you want, right! You can get them with flowers or personalized like these!
Ice cubes
We found these summer ice cube trays, which I think the kids will love! Add any kind of juice to the water you’ll freeze and the ice cubes will have some fun colors to add to your favorite Summer Drinks.
You can also add small pieces of fruit into the ice cubes.
Water and syrups for your special Summer Drink
Some children might not be into fizzy water, but we do! To make easy carbonated water at home you can use the Soda Stream starter kit. It is about $80 on Amazon.
Instead of fruit juices we use freshly made syrups. At our local grocery store we buy mango pulp in a can, which we also use for our morning smoothies.
Fruit by itself has sugar, but you can add more if you want to to make these Mocktails. No preservatives and it takes you less than 30 minutes. Store the syrup in an airtight container like Mason Jars in the fridge. Here you can find how to make them.
Hello everyone,
Welcome to my Crafty Dutch Girl blog! Grab a cup of “koffie” and browse through fun blog posts about our Dutch family expat life in the USA, Dutch history, Dutch recipes, Dutch things to do in the USA and all kinds of crafts and activities. Don’t forget to connect with me for new ideas! “Groetjes en tot ziens”.