With the UK seeing all-time temperature highs, these recipes couldn’t come at a better time – so get mixing, grab a glass and kick back in the sun with a mocktail in hand.
Basil Lemon Spritz
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "He who is presented with a flower of sweet basil should not reject it, because it is light in weight and pleasant in odour."
Using herbs and spices in drinks is certainly becoming the ‘in thing’ to do, and we can see why – the basil in this drink brings such an aromatic element to the party! Honestly, it’s so fragrant and completely changes the game.
Ingredients
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1 lemon
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Fresh basil
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Raspberries
Soft drink of your choice – i.e. San Pelegrino, tonic water, lemonade
- Pop your glass (something nice and tall) into the freezer beforehand, for 15-20 minutes. This’ll ensure your drink stays nice and frosty for the duration!
- Cut your lemon in half – into a small bowl, squeeze about 3 tablespoons of lemon juice. Make sure you remove any seeds and pips.
- Cut the squeezed lemon half into smaller pieces. Take your glass from the freezer and place the chopped lemon in the bottom along with a few ripped basil leaves and a small handful of fresh raspberries. Tip: ripping basil instead of chopping it with a knife or scissors ensures that less of the flavour is released from its cells and you taste more. Apply this to cooking also!
- Using a muddler (if you have one), crush the basil, raspberries and lemon pieces together in the bottom of your glass. If you don’t have a muddler, just use anything fairly blunt – the end of a wooden spoon will do!
- Fill your glass up with ice, pour over the lemon juice and top your concoction with a sparkling drink of your choice – tonic water or San Pelegrino work well. A fragrant, refreshing and most importantly alcohol-free drink to enjoy in the summer heat!
If you prefer yours a little sweeter, before completing step 3, rub a lemon wedge around the rim of your glass to dampen it and then roll it in granulated sugar for a sweet rim to sip from!
Orange Ginger Punch
Another ingredient which you’re likely to have lying around your kitchen is ginger – a root which has a rich and varied history of usage in both cooking and medicine. Pair it with fruit to make this fiery and delicious alcohol-free punch, perfect for dinner parties, barbecues, or simply summer afternoons lazing in the sun.
Ingredients
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Fresh ginger
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Orange juice
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Pineapple juice
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Lemon (for garnish)
- Take a large pitcher and fill it with ice – ensuring the jug itself is cold will keep your drink colder for longer! Place this in the fridge until we’re ready to use it.
- Take a piece of ginger roughly two inches by one – feel free to use more if you’re a big fan. Use a sharp knife to chop this as finely as possible. Tip: alternatively, use the finest setting on a cheese grater to achieve a great texture which will mix through your drink beautifully; or, cube your ginger into small pieces and push it through a garlic crusher, if you have one to hand!
- Have your juices ready and remove your pitcher from the fridge. Dispose of the ice (keep it for serving later though!) and add orange juice, pineapple juice (two parts to one part) along with the finely prepared fresh ginger.
- Stir everything together and refrigerate until cold through.
- Serve over ice and garnish with fresh ginger slices and a lemon wedge for a fiery finish!
If you prefer your drinks sparkling as opposed to flat, simply add a fizzy drink of your choice to the mix when you’re ready to serve (not before – stirring will do away with any bubbles before you can say “thirsty”). Try sparkling water for a fresher finish, ginger ale to add to the fierceness or lemonade for a sweeter touch.
Cucumber Colada
A healthy and long-famed Sunnah food, known to have been eaten by the Prophet ﷺ himself, cucumber makes for a refreshing drink which will keep you going on those sun-soaked summer days…
Ingredients
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1 regular cucumber or 3 small cucumbers
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2 limes
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Honey
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Sparkling/soda water
- Peel your cucumbers and remove the seeds by slicing them in half length-wise and running a spoon down the centre. Next, chop the cucumber into smaller chunks ready for blending.
- Juice two limes and roughly chop a large handful of mint. Combine this and your cucumber in a blender and mix until fully combined.
- Pour this mixture over cold glasses full of ice. Add a drop of honey for sweetness and mix well.
- Top up your glass with sparkling water and garnish with a cucumber stick and slice of lime!
We love this recipe and – with the addition of honey – the sparkling water with just a hint of sweetness makes it so refreshing and drinkable on a hot day. Not to mention hydrating!
Frozen Mango Ice
Now, this recipe does take a pinch of forward planning, but trust us… It’s worth it. You’ll also need to blend the ingredients so a food processor would be ideal – but there’s nothing wrong with using good old fashioned elbow grease if you don’t own one!
Ingredients
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1 mango
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Ginger ale
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Lemon/lemon juice
- Remove the pips and chop your mango into cubes – place in the freezer for 1-2 hours.
- When the fruit is chilled (leave it for longer if need be), remove from the freezer and add to your food processor/blender along with ginger ale. Don’t add too much of the drink – add it bit by bit as you blend, to ensure you aren’t left with too much liquid. Tip: if you don’t have a food processor, just put the frozen fruit into a bowl and use a fork or, better yet, a potato masher to crush it!
- Blend until you have a drinkable consistency; you should be able to pour the liquid, but it should have a delectable slushy texture!
- Add a squeeze of lemon to add a little tartness to the flavour.
- Pour into your glass and top up with ginger ale – no ice required!
Substitute ginger ale for any tasty drink of your choice – sparkling apple juice makes for a delicious accompaniment, as would Fanta. Also, why not change up your fruit? This recipe works beautifully with peaches too or throw in a banana for an extra creamy touch!
Honey Orange Cream
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) used to love sweet edible things and honey.
If you’re a fan of some real indulgence, this decadent yet sophisticated mocktail will be right up your street…
Ingredients
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Semi-skimmed or skimmed milk
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1 orange
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Honey
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Dark chocolate (for garnish)
- Stir together milk and honey – it helps if the honey is warmed up slightly, so that it may dissolve better in the cold liquid. Make sure your milk is as cold as can be!
- Finely chop or grate and add the zest of one orange to the mixture. Mix well.
- Top with finely chopped or shaved dark chocolate (purely for extra delight – you deserve it!)
- Serve over a small amount of ice and garnished with a large orange slice for fresh flavour. Tip: rub the orange slice around the rim of the glass for a sweet and zesty kick with each sip. Also, give your drink a stir every now and then (hopefully with a reusable straw!) whilst enjoying it, to ensure the zest is well distributed throughout!
The addition of dark chocolate to this mocktail just adds a delicious hint of bitterness to counteract the silky-sweet honey and milk. Bear in mind, you could also make this deliciously creamy recipe with almond, soy or coconut milk if you prefer!
