At this time of year, many countries are getting hit by heat waves. You need to cool down somehow, and staying hydrated is also very important. To help you handle the heat, cool down and stay hydrated, I gathered some recipes for herbal drinks. I hope you enjoy them, and let me know if you try any of them.

Limonana

This is a frozen mint lemonade, adapted from an Israeli recipe. ½ cup or 0.12 l of sugar 2 cups or 0.47 l of water 1 cup or 0.24 l of fresh lemon juice 3 ½ cups or 0.83 l of ice ½ cup or 0.12 l of fresh Mint leaves Heat the water and sugar until the sugar dissolves, then allow it to cool. Combine the sugar water, lemon juice, ice, mint leaves and the rest of the water in a blender. Pulse for a few seconds, then blend until the ice is crushed and the drink turns to slush. Pour it into cold glasses and serve. Serve in cold glasses garnished with mint. If you prefer it sweeter, just add more sugar. This can also be made with for example Stevia if you want to avoid the sugar.

Floral Fizz

2 ½ lemons Zest of one lemon 2 sprigs of fresh Mint 2 sprigs of fresh Marjoram 2 sprigs of fresh Thyme 2 sprigs of fresh Lavender heads 2 oz. or 0.05 l of Elderflower syrup Sparkling water Zest one of the lemons and pull the leaves off of all of your herbs. Fill a cocktail shaker ⅓ of the way with crushed ice, and add the herb leaves, lavender flowers, lemon juice, lemon zest, and elderflower syrup. Muddle well with a muddling wand. Fill two 8 oz/0.23 l glasses ½ way up with ice add the mixture, and top off with sparkling water.

Rosemary Citrus Spritzer

Serves 10-12 2 lemons 2 oranges 4 sprigs of fresh Rosemary ¾ cups or 0.18 l of sugar ¼ cup or 0.06 l of honey Ice Soda water Rosemary and lemon for garnish (optional) Peel off thick strips of zest from a lemon. Juice lemons and oranges into a measuring cup (you should have about 1 cup of juice, top off with water if necessary). Combine the zest, juice, rosemary, sugar, and honey in a saucepan over medium heat. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly to dissolve the sugars. Remove from heat and let sit 10 minutes. Strain, diskard solids, and let it cool. Fill an 8 oz/0.23 l glass halfway with ice cubes, add 2-3 tablespoons of syrup, fill with soda water, and stir. Garnish with rosemary sprigs and/or lemon slices.

Watermelon Lemonade with Rosemary

2 cups or 0.47 l of water ¾ cup or 0.18 l white sugar 1 sprig of Rosemary, chopped 2 cups or 0.47 l of lemon juice 12 cups or 2.8 l of cubed watermelon 8 cups or 1.9 l of ice cubes Dissolve the sugar by bringing it to a boil in water over high heat. Stir in the Rosemary, and set aside to steep for an hour. Add 1 cup or 0.24 l of lemon juice, and half of the watermelon into a blender. Strain the rosemary syrup through a mesh, then add it to the mixture in the blender. Cover, and puree until it’s smooth. Strain it into a pitcher, then puree the remaining lemon juice and watermelon. Add it all together, and stir before serving over ice. Since its the weekend I thought I’d better mention that most of these, if not all, can be turned into cocktails by adding white rum vodka or tequila 🙂

Is it hot where you live right now? How are you handling it? Have you tried something similar? Do you have any recipes of your own? Leave a comment below.