A Trio of Easy, Quenching Beverages

Treat yourself to a Watermelon-Beet Shrub, Coconut Water Lemonade, or a Minty-Fresh Iced Green Tea

My lord it’s been hot here in New York, every day requiring a cold shower or two just to reset the system and rinse off the grime of the steamy, swampy air. There’s nothing wrong with a glass of water to take the edge off, but these days I welcome a little variety. What better time to pour a cold, quenching beverage?

I tend to get excited playing around with these types of drinks — because, I think, they are a bit frivolous. But they have logic this time of year. Acidic drinks like vinegar shrubs and lemonade stimulate salivation, making the mouth water and in turn quench the thirst. And the caffeine in tea allegedly has a cooling effect as well (though what I enjoy in an herbal iced tea is that it feels like a nice breeze on the tongue).

But most of all, these types of drinks are kind of a cheap thrill, a solid payoff for 10 minutes of work. Today I’ve got three suggestions for you, all non-alcoholic and all very different from one another.

How about a glass of lemonade that’s got a subtle salinity and lots of extra electrolytes? Or a tart, deeply fuchsia shrub that’s fruity, vegetal, and a bit mysterious? Or a very easy ice tea that I think of as a “two-fer” — minty fresh at the first sip, then tannic and earthy in the finish?

Because if you can’t beat the heat, at least you can raise a glass to it.