The Summer Drink Issue

Coffee shop copycats, a pitcher margarita, and the frosé you’ll make on repeat.

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Friends, I have been on a serious drink kick lately. Not just the matcha — though yes, always the matcha — but all of it. Lemonades, frozen cocktails, copycats I make at home because I refuse to spend $8 on something I can make better myself in five minutes.

Summer is the one time of year where what you’re drinking feels just as important as what you’re eating. A really good lemonade on a hot afternoon can be a serious pick-me-up, a pitcher of something cold and spicy at a cookout is just what the day calls for, a frosé by the pool is life-changing. Okay, maybe not life-changing, but close enough. And they’re all way easier to make at home than you may think.

I split this one into two sections: the non-alcoholic drinks and the cocktails. Whether you’re skipping the alcohol or going all in, there’s something here for every kind of summer day. Save this one — you’re going to come back to it all season.

• A blender. The frosé, the watermelon margarita, the Aperol spritz — all of these come together in a blender.

• A matcha whisk (chasen) and bowl. For the strawberry matcha and the iced matcha — whisking properly is what gives you that smooth, frothy texture without any bitterness.

• A citrus juicer. The lemonades especially. Fresh lemon juice makes a real difference and a good juicer makes it effortless.

• A large pitcher. The watermelon margarita is a batched cocktail — make it ahead and keep it cold.

• A milk frother. Great for frothing milk for any of the lattes on this list.

• A set of glass tumblers. I don’t care what anyone says, a good glass makes a difference.

• Ice Cube Tray is the key to making the frosé!

You can shop all of my kitchen favorites over on my Amazon Storefront — I keep it updated with exactly what I’m actually using.

When I was in Tokyo at the Tsukiji Fish Market, there was a small café serving iced strawberry matcha lattes. It was part dessert, part caffeine hit, and I thought about it the entire flight home. The day after I landed I went straight to my kitchen and made my own version. A homemade strawberry syrup made from fresh strawberries layered under creamy oat milk and freshly whisked ceremonial matcha. It looks gorgeous in the glass and tastes even better.

For this Viral Caramelized Banana Iced Latte, a banana gets caramelized in a pan until it’s soft and deeply sweet, then blended into a creamy base that gets poured over espresso and ice. It sounds extra but it comes together in ten minutes and tastes like a coffee shop drink you’d pay $9 for. If you’ve been seeing this one all over TikTok and wondering if it’s actually worth making — it is.

The Best Honey Ginger Lemonade is made with fresh lemon juice, ginger, honey, water, and fresh basil. The ginger adds a subtle kick, the honey sweetens it without refined sugar, and the basil at the end makes it taste like something you’d order at a nice restaurant.

This Copycat Starbucks Chocolate Covered Strawberry Pink Drink is an off-menu Starbucks drink — the classic Pink Drink topped with a chocolate cold foam — and it tastes like a chocolate covered strawberry in a glass. I’ve been making my own version at home because I refuse to pay Starbucks prices for something I can make. The cold foam comes together in about a minute with a milk frother and the whole thing is ready faster than standing in line.

Have 5 minutes? Make this Healthy Raspberry Lemonade Refresher made with fresh raspberries, lemon juice, honey, and sparkling water. Refined sugar-free, five minutes, and it tastes like summer in a glass. It’s perfect for the afternoons when you want something cold and slightly sweet without anything heavy.

This Spicy Skinny Cucumber Margarita is my go-to cocktail, and this is the version I make on warm evenings when I want something crisp and a little spicy. Muddled cucumber and jalapeño, fresh lime, tequila, Cointreau, and a Tajin rim. The cucumber makes it surprisingly hydrating — which I’m choosing to count as a health benefit. This is the cocktail I make when I’m sitting outside after a long day and need something that feels like summer.

This Batched Spicy Jalapeño Watermelon Margarita is built for a crowd. Fresh watermelon juice, jalapeño simple syrup, tequila, and lime — batched in a pitcher ahead of time so you’re not making individual drinks all night. Sweet, spicy, and refreshing. A reader made it alongside a lobster salad on a hot day in Florida and said it was the best watermelon margarita she’d ever had. I’ll take that.

The classic Aperol Spritz is already one of my favorite drinks. This Easy Frozen Aperol Spritz version takes it one step further and everything gets blended with ice until slushy and poured over a slice of orange. It’s bubbly, bright, and cold in a way that a poured spritz just isn’t.

These Ombré Tequila Mimosas are everything you love about a mimosa but with tequila added — which sounds like a lot until you try it and realize it makes complete sense. The layered effect looks beautiful in the glass and makes it feel more celebratory. Make a pitcher of these for any morning where you want brunch to feel like more than just brunch.

The Best Lemonade Frosé is made with three ingredients, a blender, and the most refreshing frozen cocktail of the summer. Rosé, lemonade, and ice — blended until slushy and poured into a glass. It’s tart, slightly sweet, and exactly what you want on a hot afternoon. Make a big batch and keep it in the freezer.

You can find everything I use for my recipes on my Amazon Storefront and shop all of my fashion, beauty, and home favorites on my ShopMy!

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