Oh man- it’s hot outside and I’m so glad it’s Friday! Today I’m linking up for the Friday Five with Courtney, Mar, and Cynthia. Make sure you check out their awesome blogs as well as those who join the link up.

This weekend is supposed to top 90F here in the Washington, DC area. It’s clearly time for some pool/park/porch sitting. A friend and I have the Washington, DC Drink Passport again this summer, which encourages us to try new bars, restaurants, neighborhoods and drinks. Here are my five summer go-tos, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic.

Rose wine:

Washington Rose

Washington Rose

Also dubbed thinking wine. I prefer the drier roses, made from merlot or pinot noir grapes. Chill it, and it’s great for an afternoon or evening when you still want to read, write, grill.

Infused water:

Infused Water

As much as I love water and know that hydration is important, sometimes it gets boring. Personally, adding lemon, lime, basil or berries gives it that taste that make me want to keep on drinking my H2O.

http://dish.allrecipes.com/fresh-ideas-for-making-infused-water/

 

Pimm’s Cup:

These scream English summer, punting along a river, picnics in the shade. The basic recipe is Pimm’s No. 1, lemon seltzer or ginger ale, cut veggies/fruit. Most bottles of Pimm’s No. 1 have a recipe on the back. Personally, I’m a fan of cucumber and a berry or two. Pimm’s is gin-based and very herbacious, but the seltzer cuts it and makes it a great summer drink.

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/pimms-cup-2

 

Half & Half :

It’s an equal mix of lemonade and iced tea. Not too sweet, not too bitter. Also known as an Arnold Palmer. I like mine with ice and well-mixed.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnold_Palmer_%28drink%29

 

Caipirinha:

Oh, these are so good. Cachaca, which is a Brazilian liquor, made from sugarcane, is mixed with lime and simple syrup. I like mine particularly lime-y, so I’ll muddle/mash half of a lime (cut into 4 pieces) in the bottom of my glass first. Then I’ll add the syrup and cachaca and give it a quick stir. I tend to put the ice in last and stir again, just so I can see the proportions correctly.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caipirinha

 

I’m also a fan to this older New York Times article for new ideas of summer drinks: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/06/22/dining/20110622-summer-drink-recipes.html. Enjoy your summer beverages in the sun!

20 Thoughts on “Friday Five: Five Refreshing Summer Drinks

  1. Nice list! I don’t know a thing about wine, but I do love a good cocktail! I need to try some infused water, it’s so refreshing!

  2. Half and half and infused water are two of my favorite summer drinks. So yummy and refreshing!

  3. These are all tasty summer drinks. I love a great Rose. And I’m a regular Arnold Palmer drinker, especially at Chic fil a with my kiddos. My daughter even likes it now.

  4. I love infused water all year around!

  5. I did the fruit infused water this year and accidentally left it sit overnight in my blender bottle and it got moldy. I need to find a better way..lol

  6. mm, love infused water especially in the summer! I didn’t realize it was going to hit 90 in DC this weekend, ack! Thank goodness our pool has opened.

  7. I love a good rose with dinner in the summer 🙂

  8. I love infused water! On the wine/cocktail side of things, summer always says sangria to me!

    • Christina on June 12, 2016 at 5:04 pm said:

      OOh, sangria. I’ve had very good and very not good sangria in my life, but wine and fruit is a great combo!

  9. Yum – I’m thirsty! Love your list 🙂

  10. I love half and halfs! I need to do more infused water, it’s soo good!

  11. Yum! All of these look so good. I just got my first bottle of Rose….excited to try it!

  12. Jessica on June 17, 2016 at 10:14 am said:

    These are all great options! I’ll see you Arnold Palmer and raise you a John Daly (sweet tea vodka and lemonade – or just tea, vodka and lemonade, depending on what I’ve got in the house!)

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