Radhika MundraHere in India, summer is already upon us, and the heat is unbearable. To make it worse, I live in the desert state of India, Rajasthan. The heatwave has already started, and it feels like the seasons decided to skip Spring and jumped directly to Summer from Winter. In happier news, the arrival of Holi, the festival of colours, has changed our frustration to the excitement. Holi marks the arrival of spring and is celebrated over the course of two days. It signifies the triumph of good over evil and is the celebration of fertility. So, to help you serve your guests this festival better, I tried three refreshing drinks for a colourful spring, and you’re going to love them! You can easily put these drinks in a Vaya water bottle and you’re good to go!
Getting on with the recipes, here are the three refreshing drinks-
1. Strawberry Splash
Serves: 1
Ingredients:
For the Drink:
4-5 Tbsp Strawberry Syrup
Crushed Ice
Coldwater/Soda (Sprite)
For Garnish:
Sunflower seeds
Powdered Sugar
Method:
Add 4-5 tbsp of strawberry syrup to the serving glass. Fill half the glass with crushed ice. Add clear water or soda as per your preference. Mix the drink.
Lastly, add one tsp sunflower seeds and sprinkle powdered sugar on the top.
The drink is ready to serve.
Tip: If you don’t have readymade Strawberry syrup, you can make it at home. Here’s how:
Heat a pan. Add half a cup of chopped strawberries to the pan. Add one and a half cups of water, one and a half tsp of lime juice and half a cup of sugar. Stir and bring it to a boil. After it comes to a boil, stir continuously and cook it until it gains consistency and becomes thick. When you get the syrup-like consistency, remove from flame. Now pass it through a sieve and use a spatula to press down the contents. You’ll get a clear syrup. Let it cool down, and now it is ready to use as sherbet or a topping on ice creams.
2. Orange Mocktail
Serves: 1
Ingredients:
For the Drink:
1 cup Orange Juice
1 tsp Lime Juice
Pinch of Black Salt
1 tsp Sugar Syrup
Crushed Ice
Coldwater/Soda (Sprite)
For Garnish:
Orange peel shavings
Powdered Sugar
Method:
Add the orange juice up to half of your serving glass. Add a pinch of black salt. One tsp each of lime juice and sugar syrup. If you want to make it sweeter, you can add more sugar syrup. Mix it well. Add crushed ice. Add clear water or soda as per your preference. Mix it.
Finally, garnish it with orange peel shavings and sprinkle powdered sugar on the top.
The drink is ready to serve.
3. Paan Shot
Serves: 2
Ingredients:
2 Paan/Betel leaves
1/2 Tsp Sauf/Fennel Seeds
2 Tbsp Gulkand/Rose Petal Jam
3 Tbsp Whipped Cream
2 Cups Chilled Milk
1 Tsp Sugar (Optional)
Method:
In a mixer, add betel leaves, fennel seeds, gulkand, and sugar. You can add a little water to make it sweeter. Grind it to a smooth paste. Now, add the whipped cream to the paste and grind again.
Add chilled milk to the mixer and mix it.
Serve chilled.
Pin it for later:
So, these are the three refreshing drinks for a colourful spring! My favourite among the three was the Paan Shot because I love that flavour. Also, since summer is almost here, I recommend keeping a stainless steel water bottle handy filled with my other favourite drink, water, wherever you go!
These refreshing drinks are sure to beat the heat. Tell me how you like these or how you make them in the comment box!
I am definitely going to try the Paan shot this time. It serves two but meh what is in there for a foodie.. 😛 Will let you know how it goes though if I prepare it correctly..
Sure, please do! I look forward to hear from you.
All the drinks look delicious and colorful! I would especially love to try the Strawberry Splash!
Oh, it was perfect! Thank you! Do try.
I do hate the bugs of the summer. That drink makes summer worthwhile.
So do I! They make the whole place messy and infectious.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts! 🙂
These drinks all sound so refreshing! We are still waiting for spring here in Canada, but I will try these out when our warmer weather hits.
Oh, sure do, Riely! Hope you enjoy them.
That festival looks awesome, and those drinks too!
Thanks so much, Lianne!
It’s summer here in LA , and these are really helpful to beat the heat. Thanx for the recipe
Glad these could be of help! Do try and let me know how they work for you! ❤
I would love to try the Orange Mocktail. It has all the flavors I enjoy in a beverage.
Strawberry splash for me! Surely trying it out soon.
Thanks so much, Priya! Looking forward to hear how you liked the taste! 🙂
The orange mocktail looks so good, it would probably be my favorite! These all looking super refreshing.
Thanks, Dylan! Yes, the Orange one was a mix of tangy and sweet, quite a refreshing flavour! Do try and let me know how they work out for you! 🙂
The paan shot is so unique and beautifully done! I can’t wait to try it, I’m always looking for new ways to quench my thirst, especially when the weather starts getting warm!
Well, do try it! It is the best among three!
I’ve been really into strawberry lately, so the strawberry drink you have sounds like it would be really good!
It tasted yum! You should try!
A very rejuvenating drink for the summer. I can do that strawberry splash anytime but how about the Paan shot?
Yes, try it certainly! It has a unique and refreshing flavour, very popular in India!
I liked the idea of all 3 of them, will try them out and see which I loved the most.
Thanks for sharing 🙂
Glad! Do share your with me how you liked it!
Can’t wait for Summer to try these! Great post 🙂
Thank you!
The recipes are so easy and simple. I will try the strawberry splash one
Sure, do! Let me know how it turned out!
Yum! I love the Strawberry Splash, but I’d love to try the orange mocktail, too. Looks delish.
Oh yes. It was delicious!
Love the colours and flavours for all the drinks. I especially love the one with the paan leaves!
It’s the best among the three, for me that is! Do try! 🙂
Lol! Never had these type of drinks in my spring break though! but I would love to try these out. It looks pretty nice! Thanks for sharing it.
Do try ’em, Sophie!
They all look so springy. I’ve never heard of garnishing a drink with sunflower seeds.
Tastes great, try it!
I’ll take one of each. Seriously! I could use a drink and these all sound fantastic.
Thank you, Amber! Do try!
I want to try the Strawberry Slash it looks really refreshing. But I’m pretty sure that all of these are tasty.
You’re right, they are all tasty, Wendy!
Hi Radhika,
Cool Article for this hot summer. The post look colourful and fresh. I am gonna try out all the three splash, especially strawberry. Because it is very attractive.
Thank you for sharing. Keep posting
Thanks so much, Sathish! It was tasty as well!
Yikes.. Love the drinks. So refreshing. Thanks for sharing
You’re welcome, Jen!
I’m so ready for spring to get here already. I think I’d try the strawberry splash first.
It’s tasty! You won’t regret it!
oh loved reading this will definitely try and make some.
Do try, Elizabeth!
I don’t like the heat at all. Your drinks look so refreshing I want to make one now !
Go make one, Cynthia! You’ll be glad you did!
Love these recipes, thanks! I think I might try the first one 😀 Love red! lol
Haha. Do try!
You got me with the strawberry & yes, once it gets warmer I’ll definitely want to give it a try.
Love all the recipes! Such vibrant colourful drinks 🙂 loved the Paan shot. Looks refreshing!
You’ll find that it tastes much more refreshing than it looks!
Wow love these drinks! Im planning a few parties for the upcoming season and I def want to try these. Thanks!
Do try, they’ll make it to the guests favourite!
I love it! Recipes are now flooding in for Spring. I think these drinks are perfect for the weather and for the festivals as well!
They sure are! Do try.
These looks really fresh, colorful and fun – I bet that these would also be great for a grown up summer cocktail party with a splash of liquor!
I’m pretty sure liquor will make ’em better!
I’m loving the colors on these drinks. I could go for a mocktail.
Thanks for sharing! This second one I need to try asap!!
Cool recipes, especially for this summer. Thanks for sharing 🙂
My personal favourite from the above three was the paan shot. .. yummy recipe… Will try this one…
+ Radhika Mundra. Two of the drink’s sound YummY. But the drink containing Paan/Betel leaves; Um, i’m not sure on that one , I have searched many sites and am still left wondering……. do’s the Paan taste sweet like a pineapple or is it bitter ? Thank you for interesting post, PS, Who could have ever thought that any fruit or veg could make someone so curious ? But, seeing as it’s not available in England ( I hadn’t heard of it before now ) I still remain curious, Thank you again . Tc. 🙂
Strawberry my all time favorite! Thanks for sharing!
The orange mocktail is a favourite.I love the colourful variety you have offered..Paan shot sounds interesting too!
The drinks looks delicious… I should try all the cool drinks before the winter sets in few months.
Annyeong radhika di I’m vivan. Im a big fan of kdrama i haven’t watch much drama’s but 12 toh dekh he liye honge. Could you plz write your experience on ur first kdrama and afterwards. My first kdrama was high school love on, I’m a big fan of kim woo bin he was the main lead character in Uncontrollably fond which is my personal fav and sscond lead role in heirs i have watched atleast almost old and new dramas, my sister also watches kdrama her first drama was meteor garden of vanness wu. Share ur experience of ur,ur sis ,ur brother etc.
And these drinks look’s great for sure try to make it at home.
Very Helpful Information thanks a lot
Wao! This is a really impressive blog.
Excellent blog. Amazing Drinks! Will have to try!
The drinks look very delicious. I am going to try Paan shot for sure it sounds and looks very interesting and seems to be very delicious.