Food Shopping and Storing Beverages 32 Cool Drinks for a Hot Day Bonus: You can make them at home, and most feature antioxidant-rich additions like herbs, spices, or fruit. By Real Simple Editors Real Simple Editors Facebook Instagram Twitter An article attributed to "Real Simple Editors" indicates a collaborative effort from our in-house team. Sometimes, several writers and editors have contributed to an article over the years. These collaborations allow us to provide you with the most accurate, up-to-date, and comprehensive information available.The REAL SIMPLE team strives to make life easier for you. They are experts in their fields who research, test and clearly explain the best recipes, strategies, trends and products. They have worked for some of the most prestigious brands in lifestyle journalism, including Apartment Therapy, Better Homes & Gardens, Food & Wine, the Food Network, Good Housekeeping, InStyle, Martha Stewart Living, O: The Oprah Magazine, Parents, POPSUGAR, Rachel Ray Every Day, and Vogue. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Updated on May 2, 2023 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Victor Protasio Nothing says "summer" like a cool drink on a scorching day. Whether you're looking for the perfect iced tea, a kicked-up lemonade, or a fabulous tropical cocktail, a sip or two from this collection of summer drinks will help cool you off when the weather gets hot. The first half of this list (1 - 16) are alcoholic cocktails for the over-21 crowd. Want to skip the booze? The drinks in the second half (17 - 32) are alcohol-free. Cheers to a long, hot summer! 01 of 32 Mojito The Spruce Eats / Maxwell Cozzi This classic cocktail derives from Cuba and requires just five ingredients: white rum, sugar, lime juice, mint, and soda water. get the recipe 02 of 32 Tom Collins Guillermo Riveros / Food Styling by Oset Babür-Winter This classic cocktail has been popular for decades, and our version calls for just two ingredients: gin and lemon soda. get the recipe 03 of 32 Raspberry Rum Cocktail Belmond La Samanna To make this unique and flavorful cocktail, start with dark rum, then add pureed raspberries, fresh apple juice, lime, and a splash of ginger ale. get the recipe 04 of 32 Boozy Watermelon Frozen Slushie Half Baked Harvest It takes less than five minutes to whip up this refreshing summer drink. Your choice of rum or vodka will provide the "boozy" element. get the recipe 05 of 32 Kombucha-Blood Orange Mule STEPHEN DEVRIES The blood oranges give this fizzy drink a beautiful hue. get the recipe 06 of 32 Sex on the Beach bhofack2/Getty Images This popular vacation cocktail has been around for decades and calls for vodka, peach schnapps, orange juice and cranberry juice. get the recipe 07 of 32 Classic Margarita Chef John Break out the tequila! It's margarita time. get the recipe 08 of 32 Mai Tai Antonis Achilleos This classic tropical cocktail combines pineapple, lime, and maraschino cherry juice with rum and Curacao for a fun and festive drink. (Don't forget the pineapple and maraschino garnish!) get the recipe 09 of 32 White Sangria Charles Maraia Club soda adds fizz to white wine and a veritable fruit medley for a light, summery take on the standard sangria. get the recipe 10 of 32 Grapefruit Kombucha Margarita Stephen DeVries Take the classic elements of a margarita (tequila and lime juice) and add a splash of grapefruit juice and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker. The fizzy kombucha comes last. get the recipe 11 of 32 Boozy Dole Whip Debbie Galbraith/Getty Images Transport yourself to a tropical beach (or your favorite Disney park) with this fun pineapple-and-coconut frozen concoction. get the recipe 12 of 32 Partida Passion Fruit Cocktail Rob Howard Tequila fuels this citrusy-sweet and tart drink, featuring grapefruit, lime, and passion fruit. get the recipe 13 of 32 Frosé bhofack2 Freeze your favorite rosé into ice cubes so you can blend together this easy cocktail recipe for your next happy hour. get the recipe 14 of 32 Gin, Grapefruit, and Thyme Cocktail Levi Brown Freshen up gin with an extra punch of herbs from your garden. get the recipe 15 of 32 Cherry Gin Rickey Victor Protasio Cherry and lime make the perfect sweet-tart combination for this summery cocktail. Get the Recipe 16 of 32 Moscow Mule Slushy Getty Images What's better than a Moscow Mule? The slushy version. Turn this popular vodka-and-ginger-beer cocktail into a slushy to help you really keep your cool. get the recipe 17 of 32 Kombucha-Pomegranate Tonic Greg DuPree Kombucha is a probiotic-rich food, and pomegranate is full of antioxidants. So you might say this drink is a little bit good for you! get the recipe 18 of 32 Espresso Slushy Charles Maraia Instant espresso gives a low-cal cool drink some kick. get the recipe 19 of 32 Mango Smoothie Maura McEvoy We gave this mango smoothie some tang by blending in yogurt. get the recipe 20 of 32 Sparkling Pineapple Ginger Ale Yunhee Kim Pineapple sweetens the tang of ginger ale for a cool drink with tropical vibes. get the recipe 21 of 32 Watermelon-Mint Agua Fresca Greg DuPree We sweetened this refreshing watermelon drink with mint-infused syrup. get the recipe 22 of 32 Raspberry Fizz Charles Maraia Top a ginger ale–cranberry juice combo with scoops of raspberry sorbet. get the recipe 23 of 32 Strawberry Thyme Lemonade Danny Kim Give the traditional summer cooler a tweak with your favorite fresh fruit and herbs. get the recipe 24 of 32 Peach Iced Tea Kevin Miyazaki/Meredith Our version of peach iced tea is sweetened naturally with fresh peaches and honey. get the recipe 25 of 32 Cold-Brew Iced Tea Grace Elkus This naturally sweet tea looks great in a mason jar. Screw on a lid and take it with you wherever you go. get the recipe 26 of 32 Creamy Date Shake Greg DuPree If you love milkshakes but are trying to cut back on sugar, this shake (sweetened with dates and ground cinnamon) is for you. Creamy Date Shakes 27 of 32 Tropical Lemonade Antonis Achilleos Pineapple juice and apricot nectar are a few of the ingredients that give this lemonade a tropical upgrade. Tropical Lemonade 28 of 32 Hibiscus Lemon Iced Tea Greg DuPree This bright, colorful, sweet-tart tea is made with just three ingredients: hibiscus tea, lemons, and sugar. Hibiscus Lemon Iced Tea 29 of 32 Tropical Creamsicle Smoothie Greg DuPree This tangy, fiber-rich smoothie is sweetened with mangoes and honey. The "cream" of the creamsicle comes from coconut milk. Tropical Creamsicle Smoothie 30 of 32 Kale Smoothie With Pineapple and Banana Christopher Baker You can also swap spinach for the kale in this smoothie, which gets added texture from coconut milk. Kale Smoothie With Pineapple and Banana 31 of 32 Gingery Berry and Oat Smoothie Grant Cornett With the healing antioxidants in blueberries and the gut-healthy fiber in rolled oats, this smoothie is as good for you as it is delicious. Gingery Berry and Oat Smoothie 32 of 32 Coffee, Oat, and Maple Smoothie Greg DuPree Iced coffee can be a healthy drink, as long as you don't go overboard with sugary syrups and whipped cream. Another option? Make this coffee smoothie that's sweetened with banana and maple syrup. Coffee, Oat, and Maple Smoothie 21 Tropical Cocktails That'll Make You Feel Like You're on Vacation Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit