Cold Drink
Nonalcoholic Piña Colada
The virgin piña colada already exists. This nonalcoholic piña colada goes further, in search of balance and complexity.
By Derek Brown
Tamer Hindi (Tamarind Drink)
Tamer Hindi is a refreshing sweet and sour beverage—made with tamarind, water, and sugar—that’s popular during the month of Ramadan.
By Marlene Matar
Inside-Out Iced Tea
Reverse the typical relationship between iced tea and ice cubes by using cubes that impart more flavor into the glass as they melt and mingle instead of diluting the drink.
By Marnie Hanel and Jen Stevenson
Aperitif Scorpion Bowls
Scorpion bowls are heavily boozed, sugared, and communally shared. These updated Apéritif Scorpion Bowls keep the fun and ditch the sting.
By Rebekah Peppler
Iced Chai
To make delicious iced chai, finely grind the spices to extract their flavors, then simmer the spices and tea in milk to fully hydrate them.
By Leena Trivedi-Grenier
Homemade Soy Milk
Super fresh soy milk is easy to make at home and, frankly, tastes leagues better than the stuff sold in boxes.
By Andrea Nguyen
Padova Spritz
Serve this with a bowl of potato chips (Utz, please) and another little bowl of extra olives and sit outside with a friend. That’s all I have to say about that!
By Julia Bainbridge and Tobin Shea
Iced Café de Olla
I love the flavor of orange zest and spices in a café de olla, so I created a concentrated syrup that is ready on demand to flavor any cold brew. Coconuts are grown all along the Pacific coast of Mexico; use coconut milk to add richness and even more tropical flavor.
By Rick Martinez
Ginger and Tamarind Refresher
While it is not uncommon to find ginger blended into limeades, lemonades, and fresh sugarcane juice in India, it also pairs nicely with tamarind. Serve cold and give it a good stir before drinking.
This recipe is made with tamarind pulp, which contains large seeds that you will need to remove. Avoid the temptation to use concentrates. They’re more convenient because they don’t have seeds, but they don’t taste nearly as fresh.
By Nik Sharma
Sorrel (Hibiscus) Tea
This tea is brilliantly red and sweet-tart, with a delicious bite from ginger and aromas of clove and citrus
By Toni Tipton-Martin
Agua de Limón con Chía
Chia seeds look like poppy seeds, but when soaked in liquid for a while, they bloom and develop an awesome gummy texture. This limeade is made using the whole lime, which gives it a slight bitterness, but trust me: it’s so good you won’t want to make it any other way.
By Fany Gerson
Lágrimas de la Virgen (Beet Cooler With Fruits)
The literal translation of the name of this drink is “the Virgin’s tears,” as the red color of the beets resembles tears of blood said to have been shed by the Virgin Mary. This beverage originated in the state of Guanajuato, maybe as long ago as the end of the sixteenth century. I found a few different variations, but this one seemed to be the most common, and it’s quite special. Although this beverage is customarily prepared during Lent for the festivities of Friday of Sorrows (the Friday before Good Friday), it’s a wonderful drink during fall, when beets and apples abound. This recipe makes a large batch to share at your next gathering.
By Fany Gerson
Guava, Grapefruit, and Rosemary Agua Fresca
This refreshing nonalcoholic drink recipe is flexible and easy to make. Adjust the sweetness levels to your taste and swap in whatever ripe fruit you have on hand.
By Enrique Olvera, Peter Meehan, Daniela Soto-Innes, Gonzalo Goût, and Luis Arellano
Aguas Frescas (Mexican Fruit Coolers)
Aguas frescas, water-based fruit drinks, are a cool way to make your fresh fruit go further—especially in the summertime when you might have a larger watermelon than you know what to do with, or peaches that are starting to shrivel.
By Eddie Hernandez and Susan Puckett
Avocado and Lemon Water (Agua de Aguacate y Limón Amarillo)
Agua de limón, or Key lime water, is probably the most common agua fresca. This recipe is a fun spin on the traditional, using lemons instead of Key limes and adding avocado to acknowledge the very classic combination of citrus and avocado, but out of their normal context.
By Enrique Olvera, Peter Meehan, Daniela Soto-Innes, Gonzalo Goût, and Luis Arellano
Cashew Horchata (Horchata de Nuez de la India)
This version of horchata mixes both the nut version and the rice version in what is a creamy, rich, and very satisfying drink.
By Enrique Olvera, Peter Meehan, Daniela Soto-Innes, Gonzalo Goût, and Luis Arellano
Cacao Water (Agua de Cacao)
Although very simple to make, its flavor complexity is unbelievable, especially for how light it is. Although whole cacao beans are ideal—you can find them at a local spice store or specialty chocolate shop—cacao nibs work too.
By Enrique Olvera, Peter Meehan, Daniela Soto-Innes, Gonzalo Goût, and Luis Arellano
Homemade Oat Milk
Making oat milk from scratch means creamier, richer, dairy-free milk for mixing into coffee. With this basic formula you can drink it plain, or flavor it however you like.
By Michael Symon
Secret Mango Creamsicle Smoothie
This smoothie is a fresh take on a Creamsicle—the secret ingredient is persimmon, which provides sweetness and creaminess while letting the mango flavor shine through.
By Catherine McCord
Apple Pie Smoothie
This smoothie sates my apple pie cravings in the most healthful way possible.
By Catherine McCord