Retro summer drinks [3 easy recipes]

Guest blog by Georgia Coote

In these wonderfully warm temperatures there is nothing nicer than a refreshing drink to sip on. Here I’ve come up with three retro classics to inspire you - these are all especially fun to make with kids. Why not start a tradition of summer drink concocting and come up with a signature drink? We’ve been enjoying Friday film nights with cherry coke floats and all the trimmings.

Pink lemonade

This pretty pink lemonade is ‘not too sweet, not too sour, just too uh...pink!’ (bonus points if you can name the film!). I adapted this from an American recipe, and so have used cups to measure - you don’t need to use specific measuring cups, but just make sure you use the same cup for all the ingredients. I would recommend tasting as you go along and tailoring it to your personal taste.

Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar
• 5 cups water
• 1 cup lemon juice - fresh or bottled
• 1/2 cup cranberry juice
• Serves roughly 6

Method

Stir all the ingredients together well to dissolve the sugar and then serve over ice.
Tip: For a fancy finish pour some sugar onto a shallow dish and then first dip the rim of the glasses into some of the lemonade and then into the sugar for an extra sweet sip.

Cherry Coke float

Traditionally made with cream soda, a ‘float’ is simply a fizzy drink with a scoop of ice cream. The combination of the ice cream and fizz makes for a fun and frothy nostalgic drink, and is perfect as an extra special summer holiday treat. I used cherry coke and topped with whipped cream, sprinkles and a glacé cherry for a little extra indulgence.

Ingredients

• Cherry coke
• Vanilla ice cream
• Sprinkles
• Glacé cherries

Method

Place a scoop of ice cream into the bottom of the glass, then carefully top with cherry coke. Finish with sprinkles, whipped cream and a glacé cherry.

Healthier banana milkshake

This milkshake is made with Greek yoghurt in place of ice cream for a slightly healthier twist on the classic drink. Deliciously thick and creamy, this is also super tasty with a teaspoon of peanut butter added to the mix.

Ingredients

• 1 banana
• 3 tbsps Greek yoghurt
• 1 glass (the one you are using) of your choice of milk
• Serves 2

Method

Place all the ingredients into a blender and then blitz until it is smooth, if it’s looking too thick for your liking, add a little more milk. If you’d like it thicker add a little more yoghurt. Slurp and enjoy!