In this sweltering heat, water is just not enough to cool you down. A refreshing flavored drink adds a little extra to the thirst-quenching, especially when they involve interesting ingredients such as kamias or coconut.
Inquirer Lifestyle scoured the scene for our Top 10 innovative thirst quenchers:
Cucumber Cooler
Chef Gregory Leung Guy goes for a refreshing drink with natural, no-calorie ingredients. “Sugar heats up the body so it’s best to avoid sodas to quench your thirst,” he says.
To make: Fill a pitcher with 1 whole sliced cucumbers, 1 whole sliced lemons, basil leaves, water and lots of ice.
Chef Jill Sandique has also been preparing the same cucumber cooler since the onset of summer. She makes at least two pitchers a day of the cooler, containing 16 slices of cucumber, 8 slices of lemon, 8 sprigs of mint and tons of ice.
Southern Peach Mint Iced Tea
Chef Peter Ayson mixes this drink almost every weekend. The peaches lend the drink its refreshing flavor, while the mint gives a nice kick.
To make: Steep 10 tea bags in hot water. Remove tea bag and pour the tea into a glass pitcher with 1 c peach syrup, peach slices, a handful of mint leaves, lemon wedges and lots of crushed ice.
Kamias Watermelon Mint Cooler
This is a staple on chef Myke Tatung Sarthou’s table at home or in the office.
To make: In a blender, combine ½ small watermelon, 10 pc kamias, ¾ c honey or sugar syrup. Add lots of ice. Add muddled mint before serving.
Ana Lorenzana de Ocampo also prefers fresh watermelon to refresh and hydrate her family. She blends watermelon with passion fruit tea, honey and lots of ice.
Fresh Fruits in Water
Chef Dorothy Ferreria simply enjoys cold water with a fruity flavor.
To make: Combine 6 c cold water, 1 apple (sliced into wedges), 1 orange (sliced into wedges), 1 pear (sliced into wedges), 2 wedges cantaloupe (sliced into large chunks) in a pitcher and chill for at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to develop.
The Green Juice
For chef Ronnie Reyes, this drink is not only refreshing and easy to make, it’s also very healthy by helping remove toxins.
To make: In a juicer, mix 1 pc green apple, 250 g pechay, 2 g ginger, juice of ¼ pc lemon and 50 g celery. Sweeten with honey, according to taste. Makes 1 glass of 250 ml.
Fresh Calamansi Soda
Johnlu Koa’s favorite summer drink works all the time, even with unexpected house guests, he says.
To make: Prepare simple syrup by combining equal parts of water and sugar in clean stainless-steel pot. (For example, 2 c water to 2 c of refined sugar.) Bring to boil until sugar is completely dissolved. Let it cool down in the pot, transfer to a small container and set aside at room temperature or inside a chiller for use later.
To assemble the drink: In a tall tumbler, squeeze juice from 7 fresh calamansi making sure to discard the seeds, add 2-4 tbsp of simple syrup (or more if a sweeter drink is desired), add ice cubes and canned soda water. Stir to dissolve the syrup. Add sprigs of fresh peppermint. Serve immediately.
Summer Smoothie
For Miguel Alba, the drink has to be frozen for extra cooling effect.
To make: Mix everything in a blender: ½ c frozen strawberry, ½ c frozen mango, ½ c frozen cucumber, ½ c frozen papaya and 2 c of chilled orange juice. Serves two.
Orange Breeze
Chef Martin Kaspar serves up this cooler in a jiffy.
To make: In a glass, combine 200 ml canned soda water, 100 ml orange juice, 2 slices lemon and ice. Stir and serve immediately.
Honey Ginger Lemonade
Chef Vicky Pacheco beats the heat with her ever-reliable lemonade concoction.
To make: Juice two lemons in a pitcher. Throw in two lemons, sliced thinly. Press the lemon slices using a wooden spoon to extract more juice. Add 50 g ginger (peeled and sliced paper-thin), 900 ml purified water, 125 ml pure honey and top with ice cubes. Stir well and adjust according to taste.
Buko Watermelon Ice
It’s got to be a buko-infused summer drink for Amy Besa.
To make: In a large bowl, combine 3 c pureed watermelon with 2/3 c sugar, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add 2 tbsp lime juice and pour the mixture in a shallow glass or ceramic pan and freeze for about 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes to break up the crystals.
If the ice becomes too hard, pulse it in a food processor before serving. For the buko ice, freeze and follow the same directions above using 2 c buko juice, ½ c sugar + ½ c water to make 1 c simple syrup and 1 c carabao milk. To serve, put shaved buko ice at bottom of glass and top with shaved watermelon ice. Garnish with slice of lime.