8 Delicious Summer Drinks From Around The World To Try
With the weather finally warming up it’s the perfect time to think of alfresco lunches, barbecues and some of our favourite summer drinks that we need on the table as heatwave season approaches.
Around the world, there are quintessential summer drinks that pop up on menus and kitchen tables that make the long, sweltering days a tad bit better. From a Chinese medicinal juice to the UK’s favourite summer cocktail, we’ve rounded up summer drinks from around the world and where you can find them in London.
Mango Lassi
Lassi? Good. Mango lassi? Even better. Best enjoyed with the freshest mangoes straight from the market, mango lassi is the kind of drink that reminds you of scorching Indian summers, and running home from school to a glass of cold sweetness on the table.
Country: India
Ingredients: Fresh mangos if you can (or the canned pulp will do), yoghurt, sugar (avoid if the mangos are already very sweet) and a dash of cardamom if you like some spice.
Where to find it in London: Jamavar
Pisco Sour
Who doesn’t love a good pisco sour? The national drink of Peru and Chile, you’ll find them all over bars and restaurants in London. Made slightly differently in both regions, it’s made from pisco (a spirit made from fermented grapes) and serves as a refreshing take on the classic whisky sour. The perfect order who anyone who can’t handle whisky neat, the pisco sour is a summery, tangy drink best enjoyed with some authentic South American cuisine.
Ingredients: Pisco, sugar syrup, lime juice and egg white, and angostura bitters
Where to find it in London: LIMA
Piña Colada
If you like piña coladas (and getting caught in the rain), this one is for you. A cocktail that immediately reminds you of summers on the beach, colourful umbrellas, your favourite swimsuit and the sound of the ocean, there’s nothing like a piña colada to take you straight to Puerto Rico.
Ingredients: Coconut cream, white rum and pineapple
Country: Puerto Rico
Where to find it in London: The Sipping Room
Ayran
In Turkey, Ayran is the summertime drink on everyone’s table especially on sweltering days. Made of yoghurt, water and salt, it’s the perfect way to increase your sodium intake if you’re dehydrated. The salty version of the Indian lassi, it’s high in protein and calcium and great for a quick summer refresher.
Country: Turkey
Ingredients: Yoghurt, water and salt
Where to find it in London: Gökyüzü
Pimm’s
With summer rolling in, there’s nothing quite like perching yourself at one of London’s glorious terraces and pouring a pitcher of Pimm’s, complete with all that fruity goodness. Loaded with strawberries, cucumber, lime and mint, Pimms goes hand-in-hand with a quintessential British summer.
Country: UK
Ingredients: Pimm’s No.1, lemonade, mint leaves, strawberries, sliced cucumbers and oranges
Where to find it in London: The Refinery Bankside
Caipirinha
Made with a sugarcane-based spirit called cachaca, Caipirinha is a refreshing cocktail that brings together the tartness of lime with the sweetness of sugar to make the perfect brunch cocktail. Served in a glass or tumbler with ice, a caipirinha also makes a great fruity drink if you’d like some more flavour so pop in some seasonal fruits for the summer when you’re making it at home. (Think lychees, tangerines or berries)
Country: Brazil
Ingredients: Cachaça, brown sugar and lime
Where to find it in London: Tia Maria Bar and Kitchen
Suanmeitang
This centuries-old Chinese drink is especially great as a thirst quencher (in preparation for any incoming heatwaves). Its deep magenta colour comes from sour plums, giving the drink a slightly salty taste. Had chilled during the summers in China, it’s also believed to have medicinal benefits that can improve digestion.
Country: China
Ingredients: Smoked plums, rock sugar, sweet osmanthus
Where to find it in London: Mr Meng’s, Soho
Iced Tea
Cold tea? Most of the UK shudders at the thought of dunking ice in tea, and this is not something you’ll commonly find at bars or on menus in restaurants here. But in America, it’s a refreshing summer drink that kids grow up with and continue to enjoy as adults (unless they move to the UK). While American singer-songwriter Mark Ambor has made a name for himself singing about it (cold iced tea and warmer weatherrr), London has yet to catch on.
Country: USA
Ingredients: Black tea with lemon, sugar and a healthy quantity of ice
Where to find it in London: Just your local grocery store
