[Clockwise from large photo: Watermelon-Basil Cooler, Four Sustainable Seasonal Smoothies, Spectacular Summer Smoothie, Frozen Matcha Latte.]
Hot town, summer in the city. Back of my neck getting dirty and gritty. . .
Ah, remember that one? When that song was blaring from every convertible cruising the city or wailing through every back-yard transistor radio, I was still playing with dolls. But I do remember my older sister hanging out with her (suspiciously hippie) friends in our yard, swaying to the music and smoking teeny tiny hand-rolled cigarettes that smelled kind of like dried rose petals.
My own friends and I, on the other hand, spent our days out on the suburban streets, playing hide-and-seek or exploring the empty lot down near the high school, where it was rumored there was a haunted house. We’d create our own brand of “dirt and gritty” from running around on mud-filled fields, walking to the local shopping center to buy tri-colored popsicles, the rainbow liquid running down our chins and leaving sticky splotches on the collars of our tank tops as we slurped them on the way home.
I still do love me a hot, sunny summer day. These days, though, I prefer to lounge out on the patio with one of my favorite cool summer sippers, whether light and fizzy or rich and creamy, the HH and the Girls by my side, as we listen to some of those old Baby Boomer songs and naturally generate some Vitamin D.
I’ve compiled a list of some of my favorite summer drinks from some of my blogger friends and me so you can have that same lazy, relaxed feeling as you sip or slurp. It’s bound to make any summer day more enjoyable.
These are all free of refined sugars, dairy and gluten, too. So drink up!
SUMMER ICED TEAS:
Refreshing Iced Tea from Heather Nicholds
Iced Strawberry Green Tea from Big Girls, Small Kitchen (use coconut sugar or xylitol)
Vegan Thai Iced Tea from Minimalist Baker (use coconut sugar option or sub xylitol)
Ginger-Mint Iced Tea from Ricki Heller
Raspberry Peach Iced Tea from Damn Delicious (use xylitol or stevia)
Peachy Iced Tea from Vegetarian Times
LEMONADES & COOLERS:
Watermelon Lemonade from Recipe Renovator
Sparkling Lemon Cucumber Cooler from Eat Drink Better
Watermelon Berry Fizz from The Pretty Bee
Love Potion Lemonade with Rose Water from Gluten Free with Emily
Sugar-free Lemonade from Whole New Mom
Strawberry Lemonade Bliss from Tess Challis
Watermelon Basil Cooler from Ricki Heller
Watermelon Ginger Zing from Run to the Finish
Cherry Vanilla Italian Soda from Allergy-Free Alaska
Matcha-Pineapple Cooler from Ricki Heller
Strawberry Lemonade from My Plant-Based Family
SMOOTHIES, SHAKES & CREAMY DRINKS
Chocolate Mint Milkshake from Ricki Heller
Nuts for Pineapple Smoothie from Go Dairy Free
Mango Carrot and Pineapple Smoothie from Welcoming Kitchen
Kid-Friendly “Green” Smoothie from Welcoming Kitchen
Frozen Matcha Latte from Ricki Heller
Carrot Colada from Gluten-Free Easily
[Clockwise from top left: Watermelon Lemonade, Sparkling Lemon Cucumber Cooler, Strawberry Lemonade Bliss, Cherry Vanilla Italian Soda.]
SMOOTHIES, SHAKES & CREAMY DRINKS con’td
Avocado Superfood Smoothie from The Blender Girl
Anti-Inflammatory Cherry Smoothie from Strength and Sunshine
Ricki’s Smooth Operator Smoothie from Heather Nicholds
Kiwi Smoothie from Gluten Free with Emily
Spectacular Summer Smoothie from Ricki Heller
Four Sustainable Seasonal Smoothies from Go Dairy Free
Vegan Rocket Fuel Frappuccino from Healthful Pursuit
Blueberry Pie Smoothie from Gluten Free School
Sunshine Smoothie from An Unrefined Vegan
Cherry Chocolate Chia Smoothie from Wendy Polisi
Kiwi Spinach Smoothie from Win Win Food
Pineapple Strawberry Smoothie from Strength and Sunshine
Disclosure: Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links. If you choose to purchase using those links, at no cost to you, I will receive a small percentage of the sale.
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Hi! I'm Ricki, cookbook author, professional recipe developer, holistic nutritionist and anti-candida crusader. Let me show you how easy it is to eat plant-based, sugar-free, gluten free food that tastes great! 
Ricki!
This is such an awesome round up! I will share it sometime this week on Facebook. 😉 Thanks for including one of my recipes!
Hugs,
Megan
Of course, Megan! Loved that soda!! Can’t wait to try it out myself. 😀 xo
Thank you, Ricki!
Of course! Gorgeous drink! 🙂
I’m bookmarking this as I feel a hot summer is ahead for NYC, and this list will help get me through! I have ordered matcha drinks out but haven’t purchased any to enjoy at home. Your frozen matcha latte has inspired me to make sure I have some on hand! Stay cool, Ricki!
You, too, Heather! And how I wish I could experience a few days of that NYC heat… because it would mean I was IN New York!! Enjoy it. 🙂 xo
You can never have enough lemonade recipes!
Gotta agree with you there, Megan! 😉
What a great list! I particularly like the Watermelon Basil Cooler!
Thanks, Kaila! It’s one of my favorites. 🙂
I barely made it past the iced teas! I remember the hardest part about being in Canada was how the iced tea was always sweetened! I love it unsweetened like they serve in the US, but am totally open to trying some of these fun sugar-free versions! Thanks for putting this together Ricki.
That’s so interesting–I sometimes order iced tea and always ensure it’s not sweetened. Maybe we’ve come a ways since you were here? 😉 In any case, iced tea is one of my favorite summer drinks, too. I’ll have to order some in the US some time (must be the only time the US DOESN’T add sugar to something that we do over here! LOL!!).
I LOVE this list of tasty beverages! I’m going to save this for my next cook out!Thanks!
Yay! Glad you found something you liked, Elizabeth! 🙂
These are just in time for the hot North Carolina weather, thank you!
That’s great to know–always good to have something refreshing in hot weather! 🙂
It’s so hot here, I can’t wait to try some of these out!
Hope you like them, Amanda! 🙂
My son is obsessed with lemonade. I’m excited to try that nice list you put together.
Hope he enjoys the lemonade! 🙂
What a fantastic list! It’s blazing hot here right now so this is perfect!
I agree–we finally got summer, and now I want these drinks! 🙂
So many options! And perfect timing given this hot weather 🙂
Thanks, Laila! Glad you like them. 🙂
Hopefully I could save enough money to get me a good blender and make all these delicious looking drinks.
I used a regular Osterizer blender for years, and was able to make 99% of all the smoothies and drinks out there. 🙂