Summer Drinks to Keep the Whole Family Refreshed

The sun is out, and the days are long and bright. It's the perfect time to gather the kids and head out to the pool, the lake, the river, or your favorite summertime vacation spot. While summer is undoubtedly gorgeous in the South, it's also hot. In some cases, almost unbearably so. An ice-cold, refreshing drink is one of our favorite ways to keep cool! Today, we'd love to share some family-friendly summer drinks to refresh everyone.

Delicious, refreshing, a hint of tartness and sweetness from whole frozen cherries—and it's easy to make! A perfect kid and adult-friendly drink for a hot day.

What you need:

• 12 ounces of frozen cherries, thawed
• 1 cup fresh lime juice (about ten medium limes.) Fresh is best, as it is less sour.
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 4 cups of water, divided.

How to Make:

1. In a food processor or blender, puree your thawed cherries and lime juice together so the cherries are fine.
2. In a saucepan over low heat, bring your cherry-lime mix and 1 cup of water, and 1 cup of sugar to a low simmer, stirring consistently until the sugar completely dissolves.
3. Strain the mixture through a fine metal sieve into a large pitcher and cool completely in the fridge for about 2 hours.
4. Add in the remaining 3 cups of cold water and serve over ice.

The bright, summery-sunshine taste of lemons with the cooling flavor, mint, and lots of ice will be the perfect chiller for a hot day.

What you need:

• 1 and ½ cups of your favorite lemonade
• ¼ cup of fresh mint leaves

1. Place lemonade, mint, and 2 cups of ice in a blender. Blend until the ice is crushed and the mixture is smooth. Serve!

The golden, bright taste of vanilla with the sweetness of fresh and ripe raspberries in a bubbly soda is ideal in a

big glass with lots of ice by the pool or the lake.

What you need:

• ¼ cup of water
• ¼ cup of sugar
• 1 cup of fresh raspberries, washed
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Your favorite seltzer water
• Ice

How to Make:

1. Combine water, sugar, and raspberries in a small saucepan on medium heat. Cook for roughly 10 minutes until the mixture bubbles and the sugar dissolves.
2. Set a fine mesh strainer over a measuring cup or bowl and strain the saucepan mixture, pressing down on the raspberry pulp to squeeze out all the remaining juice. Set the pulp aside, add the lemon juice and vanilla extract into the cup or bowl, and set it in the fridge until chilled.
3. Fill a glass with ice and 2-3 tablespoons of raspberry-vanilla syrup to serve. Add about a cup of seltzer on top, and enjoy!

Feel free to experiment with these recipes by trying different fruits and juices or grapefruit juice instead of lemon or lime for a unique flavor. We kept these recipes friendly and straightforward because nobody wants to be in the kitchen long when it's too hot to cook. We hope you and your family enjoy these this summer!