Today when my co-workers and I went to grab a bite for lunch we were talking about how quickly summer passed us by.
It seems like just yesterday when I was contemplating to myself if a sleeveless tank was okay to wear to the office for the sake of my body temperature. NYC summer heat is no joke. Luckily the record breaking temps are starting to taper which is just one more reminder that summer is coming to an end. Technically summer is officially over in September, but I think most of the world starts working their minds and their life out of summer mode as soon as school starts. And when Labor Day hits, the sweaters start coming out. So in an effort to capture the last of patio season it only seems appropriate to do a round-up of the best healthy summer drink that I know of: the spritzer. (I guess we can’t get our mind off drinking today…).
With these summer spritzer drink recipes you can cool off without ruining your workout because they are refreshing and won’t rack up the calories. Cheers to that! No better reason to throw a barbecue, pool party, picnic or host one last girl’s night out if you ask me.
Let the refreshing roundup begin!
1. Rhubarb and Ginger Spritzer
Love this tart and sweet concoction from Girl Cooks World. And the use of ginger is perfection.
Make It:
4 stalks fresh rhubarb into ½ pieces (about 4 cups)
4 inche pieces of fresh ginger, coarsely chopped
1 cup agave or stevia
2 cups water
2 cups sparkling water
Combine rhubarb, ginger, agave/stevia and sparkling water into a large saucepan and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered until rhubarb is soft. Remove from heat and let sit for 30 minutes, chill and serve with ice.
2. Berry Spritzer
This beauty screams 4th of July, but any berry lover can enjoy Martha Stewart‘s blended spritzer through the rest of summer.
Make It:
3 cups blackberries
1 cup raspberries
1/2 cup white grape juice
1/3 cup lemon juice
Pour into blender and puree until smooth, add sparkling wine or seltzer on top.
3. Lime-Mint Spritzer
Any mojito fan will love this virgin refreshment from Our Best Bites. One more reason to love mint!
Make It:
8-10 large mint leaves
3/4 c. fresh lime juice (about 7 small, juicy limes)
Add truvia sugar to taste
1 24-oz. bottle of sparkling water (like Perrier)
Chop the mint leaves and press your allotted sugar into the mint with the back of a spoon. Add the lime juice and stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the sparkling water and serve over ice.
4. Strawberry Champagne Spritzer
If anything you should make this recipe from Linda Wagner just because it is pretty. Poppin’ bottles!
Make It:
1 bottle champagne or sparkling water
1 pint strawberries
6 lemons
3-4 springs of mint
Truvia to taste
Slice strawberries into vertical slivers and tear up mint leave and add to a large pitcher, squeeze the juice from the lemons and gently mash the ingredients with a wooden spoon. Add champagne or sparkling water and add a drop of stevia or agave into each glass before serving.
5. Cranberry Spritzer
Don’t you think that the flavors of cranberry and orange cause you to have a magnetic pull to your patio? Thanks Food Network for this stellar combo.
Make It:
12 ice cubes
2 ½ cups of seltzer or sparkling wine
2 cups 100% cranberry juice
tablespoons of honey OR 1 tablespoon of agave
1 orange thinly sliced
Place ice cubes into pitcher, add seltzer or wine, then add the 2 cups of cranberry juice. Mix in honey/agave and add orange slices. Each serving is approximately 100 calories!
6. Sour Cherry Summer Spritzer
Love the simplicity of this cherry dotted beverage from Flavour Food and Wine.
Make It:
White wine, your choice
Club soda, or any sparkling water
Fresh sour cherries
In your favourite wine glass, fill about 2/3 of the way with your choice of crisp, white wine. Fill the rest with club soda and drop in as many sour cherries as you’d like. Ice cubes optional.
7. Plum-Blueberry Spritzers
This is the perfect bite…in drink form from All Four Burners.
Make It:
5 cups water
1 cup fresh ripe blueberries
3 ripe black plums, pitted and cut into eighths
8 dried bay leaves
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar (honey or truvia can be substituted!)
Add blueberries, plums, bay leaves and sugar to boiling water. Cover and let reduce on high heat, stirring occasionally, until the juice is reduced (about 20 minutes). Strain the mixture though a fine sieve, pressing lightly with a spatula to extract the juice; reserve the bay leaves. Return the juice to the pan, add the reserved bay leaves and simmer over moderate heat until reduced to 2 cups, about 10 minutes. Discard the bay leaves; let the syrup cool. To serve, pour 2 tablespoons of the berry syrup into a Champagne flute and top with Champagne or sparkling wine.
8. Lemongrass and Blood Orange Wine Spritzer
Just as Kitchen Confidante described it…this is “grown up lemonade.”
Make It:
2 stalks lemongrass (plus extra for garnish, if desired)
2 cups water
1/2 cup sugar
ice cubes
2 cups Lemongrass Syrup
1/2 cup blood orange juice
white wine (Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio work well)
seltzer water
To make the lemongrass syrup: Trim the ends off the lemongrass and chop into 2 inch pieces. Using a morter and pestle or the back of a knife, crush the lemongrass stalks to help release the juice. Combine lemongrass, water and sugar in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes. Let it cool in the refrigerator. Strain. Fill glasses with ice cubes. Add 1/2 cup lemongrass syrup and 1/8 cup blood orange juice to each glass. Fill remainder of glass with white wine and a splash of seltzer water. Garnish with a lemongrass stalk and serve.
9. Peach Rosemary Spritzer
Even the sound of this cocktail from Food is Like Art makes me feel sophisticated. Who knew peach and rosemary went together so well?
Make It:
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 medium ripe peach, pitted and peeled (about 1/2 cup chopped)
juice from 1 lemon
1 cup cold water (or club soda or white grape juice)
Combine the sugar and 1/4 cup water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring often. Boil until the sugar is totally dissolved. Remove from the heat, add the rosemary, cover and let sit for about 30 minutes. Remove or drain the rosemary and pour the syrup into a pitcher (or divide it evenly between two glasses). Using a blender or food processor, puree the peeled peaches until smooth. Add the peach puree, lemon juice and water (or club soda or juice) to the pitcher and mix until combined. Refrigerate until serving. Serve with ice and a garnish of fresh rosemary and/or a peach slice.
10. Pomegranate Citrus Spritzer
Fizzy antioxidants works for me. Love the usage of the actual pomegranate seeds and not just pom juice from Nutmeg Nanny’s recipe.
Make It:
1/2 cup seltzer water
1 cup white wine
1 tablespoon pomegranate seeds
1 lime wedge
Add ice to a glass. Add wine, top with seltzer. Add pomegranate seeds and lime wedge.
What is your favorite beverage to cool off with? Do you like to put fruit in your drinks? Have you ever made summer spritzers?
Aha! Now I know what to do next time my CSA delivery has rhubarb! I don’t blame you for having your mind on beverages, it’s too hot to cook. I was posting so many drink recipes on my blog my mom got worried I was a budding alcoholic.
I had to explain the fact that I hate being drunk probably ruled that out…
That is so funny about your mom! But it is true…the heat means salads and iced beverages 🙂
I’ve been searching for healthy beverages! I’m sharing this one on my Facebook Page.
Perfect timing for you! I hope that you try some of them out. And thanks for sharing on FB!!
Mmm…there all sound so refreshing!
Perfect for a Labor Day BBQ! 🙂