Wednesday 14 August 2013

Summer Drinks

I really like drinks such as milkshakes, iced coffees, smoothies, lemonade etc. I like them all year round but they're especially good to have in summer. So I thought I'd do a post on my favourite summer drinks. :)

Update 14/6/20: I've updated links since this post is several years old now. When McDonald's McCafe gets back up and running I'll add the latest links. :)


Iced coffee


Starbucks

My favourite type of iced coffee would have to be Starbucks' mocha frappuccinos. I don't have them that often because they're expensive. I also like vanilla frappuccinos, I have them occasionally.

See the Starbucks frappuccino range here: https://www.starbucks.co.uk/menu/drinks/frappuccino-blended-beverages


McDonald's


Now McDonald's are doing iced coffees, I've been having them a bit more often because they're cheaper (£2.19 compared to £3+). I like both the mocha and caramel but like the mocha best.


Homemade

I sometimes make my own iced coffee at home using a Sam Stern recipe and it's nice but never as nice as shop bought, lol. The other week I made some using this recipe which is a DIY Starbucks frappuccino: http://www.fantasticalsharing.com/2013/07/drinks-week-diy-starbucks-frappuccino.html

I used Sainsbury's coffee whitener for my creamer. I made it too strong and overdosed on coffee! It tasted nice though. I want to have a go at my own mocha one soon.



Smoothies

Innocent

I really like Innocent smoothies, my fave is strawberries and bananas. I don't like banana but it's ok in a smoothie as long as it doesn't taste too strong! lol.


McDonald's

I recently tried their new strawberry and banana smoothie and liked it. I've yet to try the mango and pineapple.


Check out the McDonald's range of fruit smoothies and iced frappes here: http://www.mcdonalds.co.uk/ukhome/more-food/iced-fruit-smoothies-iced-frappes.html


Update 26/5/14- You can find the latest McDonald's smoothies and frappes at the link for McCafe:

http://www.mcdonalds.co.uk/ukhome/more-food/mccafe.html

 

Update 4/7/22: You can now find the caramel iced frappe (they no longer do the mocha one), mango and pineapple smoothie and other cold drinks/this year's summer range at this link: https://www.mcdonalds.com/gb/en-gb/menu/milkshakes-and-cold-drinks.html



Milkshakes

Nesquick

I like Nesquick chocolate milkshakes best of all. Also strawberry.


McDonald's

McDonald's chocolate, vanilla and strawberry milkshakes are good. They do banana too.


Uncle Sam's

I like Uncle Sam's vanilla as well. They're thicker than McDonald's.


Lemonade

Shop bought

I like cloudy lemonade from the supermarket. Also Fentiman's Victorian and rose lemonades are good and the Sainsbury's ones that come in little bottles.


Burger King

They have a new range of frozen lemonades, lemon and strawberry lemon. I had a lemon the other week and liked it. Burger King also do smoothies and frozen frappes but I've yet to try them.

Visit their site here: http://www.burgerking.co.uk/

 

Update 4/7/22: UK Burger King does not do any of these drinks anymore, as far as I'm aware! Their drinks range is really disappointing these days. My local one currently has frozen lemonade and strawberry Fanta, but not the frozen Coke they did before for some reason. They sometimes have milkshakes and Oreo milkshakes (which are kind of like ice cream as well). Maybe it varies depending on your location.



Costa Coffee

Costa did lemonade last year. I had one then and liked it but I'm not sure which flavour I had, I think they did pink lemonade then. This year I had an original iced lemonade and didn't like that much, it seemed quite watery.

Costa also do iced coffee, creamy coolers, fruit coolers and coffee coolers. I had one of their coolers last summer but can't remember which one. I had a coffee cooler last week.

Costa Ice menu: http://www.costaice.co.uk/the-range


Update 14/6/20: Costa Ice no longer has its own separate section but you can find the full range here: https://www.costa.co.uk/menu/



Homemade

I occasionally make my own lemonade. My favourite is Hello Kitty lemonade from the book Hello Kitty's Little book of big ideas, lol. I thought I'd share the recipe here:

Update 26/5/14- I realised that I shouldn't have copied the whole recipe because of copyright laws, so I'm going to change what I wrote. I came across this article about sharing recipes: http://www.thegraciouspantry.com/how-to-share-a-recipe/



Lemonade

What you'll need for approximately six glasses:

Pitcher (jug)
Measuring cup
Fruit juicer
6 glasses
6 cups water
1/2 cup sugar
4 lemons
Ice cubes
Lemon slices

You basically mix the water, sugar and lemon juice together and adjust it according to taste. It's similar to other basic lemonade recipes. :) Here's another recipe: http://www.marthastewart.com/346587/classic-homemade-lemonade







So these are my favourite summer drinks! :)