August 2025

7 Old Fashioned Homemade Summer Beverages To Cool You Down Fast

Tired of the same old iced tea, lemonade and sugary sodas? Then check out these seven old-fashioned summer beverages that are easy to make, healthy and totally delish.

For many, summer is a time for vacations, fun at the lake or ocean, and getting a great tan.

However, if you own rural land or run a homestead or hobby farm, it’s also prime time for never-ending outdoor projects that leave you baking in the sun!

And after a long, hard day working in the heat, there’s nothing like an ice-cold, refreshing and restorative beverage to cool you down, as you take in the sunset on your country porch.

Our ancestors knew the joy and necessity of cold beverages during hot work.

If they were lucky enough, they even had a public or private ice house stocked with ice blocks packed in sawdust from a local lake, which they used to make ice cream and cold drinks throughout the year.

In this article, we’re sharing seven delicious old-fashioned family-friendly summertime beverages to help quench your thirst, restore your energy and cool you down.

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1. Haymaker’s Punch

Also known as Switchel or ginger water, Haymaker’s Punch has been made since Colonial times to help farmers stay hydrated and keep up their strength during the dog days of the haying season.

According to Farmer’s Almanac, switchel was also served to Congress in the 1800s during hot summer meetings in Washington and was liberally spiked with rum.

Haymaker’s punch is as much refreshing as it is medicinal.

Made from water, apple cider vinegar, water, molasses or maple syrup and ginger (sometimes rum or other embellishments), it’s the ultimate natural sports drink, and as Laura Ingalls remarked in “The Long Winter”, the cider vinegar and ginger make it so you can drink a lot without upsetting your stomach.

Here’s a basic recipe for Haymaker’s Punch:

Ingredients

1 gallon of water
1-1 ½ cups molasses, maple syrup, honey, or your favorite unrefined sweetener
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1-3 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
- The best amount of ginger depends on your palate, some people add several tablespoons

How to Make:

Combine everything in a large pitcher and stir to combine.
Let sit 10-15 minutes to allow the ginger to infuse the liquid.
Pour over ice and enjoy.

Store in the refrigerator for up to a week.

2. Egg Cream

Originating from New York City, the egg cream contains neither eggs nor cream, but was served for years exclusively in soda fountains in New York City and the surrounding boroughs.

Although its history is debated, egg creams have Yiddish origins and are believed to have originated in the late 1800s or early 1900s in New York City or Brooklyn, depending on who you ask.

Here’s a basic recipe for an egg cream you make at home:

Ingredients:

3/4 cup seltzer water
1/4 - 1/2 a cup of whole milk
2-3 tablespoons chocolate syrup (Fox’s U-Bet is considered the best for egg creams, but others will do in a pinch)

How to Make:

Mix everything together in a tall glass with ice and enjoy immediately.

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3. Eggnog

It may sound strange, but icy cold eggnog was considered a perfect hot weather beverage and snack, or even a meal replacement for farmers in summer.

People back then made it the old-fashioned way, with farm-fresh raw eggs, raw milk, cream, molasses, maple syrup or honey and spices.

The more calories, the better, so the farmers and hired hands could keep working with fewer breaks.

However, today you can make it the safe way using pasteurized eggs, or an egg-free version, and still get the same level of flavor and refreshment.

You could also buy it, but chances are you’d be hard-pressed to find eggnog in the summer, so why not try your hand at it?

Get recipes for traditional, dairy-free, and eggless eggnog in: 5 Last-Minute Handmade Christmas Gift Ideas (no store runs required!)

4. Iced Sun Tea

If you’re looking for a quick and healthy way to make iced tea, you’ve got to try sun tea.

This method of tea brewing is so simple and can be used with any type of tea, black, green, herbal, rooibos — whatever you like.

To make sun tea, just plunk a few tea bags into a large glass jar or pitcher, fill with fresh water, cover (because bugs should not be part of sun tea) and leave it in direct sun for several hours.

The result is a delicious, sun-infused tea with zero bitterness and a ton of refreshing flavor.

You can also add flavor enhancers like citrus, fruits, spices, or other herbs and really make it your own.

This is also a fun activity to do with children, as there is no hot water required, and they’ll enjoy the tea as well (just be sure to use decaf).

Here’s a tasty recipe for Ruby Red Summer Sun Tea, I make with my kids on our herb farm

Ingredients

4 bags or three tablespoons of dried hibiscus leaves
1 quart of filtered water
1 sliced lemon
1 sliced lime
1 sliced orange
A few fresh or frozen strawberries, raspberries, or whatever berries you have on-hand
Optional: a vanilla pod scraped of the seeds or a few drops of pure vanilla extract

How to make:

Put everything into a big pitcher or jar, cover, let sit in the sun at least 4 hours.
To sweeten, vigorously whisk in 1/4 - 1/2 a cup of honey while it’s still warm from the sun. Liquid stevia also works, but we find maple syrup is a bit too mapley for this recipe.
Pour over ice and enjoy!
Store in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.

And for those Southern iced tea purists out there, yes, you can make traditional iced tea this way and it’s delicious!

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5. Mango Lassi

This traditional drink originates from India—one of the world's hottest places—and is served in Indian restaurants worldwide.

Considered the “original smoothie,” its origins have been traced by to the Punjab region of India as far back as 1000 BC!

Mango Lassis are super easy to make and customize at home, refreshing, nourishing and filled with gut-friendly probiotics from buttermilk, yogurt, or kefir. They can be sweet or salty, spiced or unspiced, but always delicious!

Basic Sweet Mango Lassi Recipe

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups sweet frozen mango
3/4 yogurt (choose Greek yogurt to extra creaminess and protein)
3/4 cup cold milk or water
2-4 tablespoons sugar, maple syrup, or honey to taste
- You can also omit the extra sweetener if desired
Optional: 1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder, teeny pinch of saffron threads

To Make:

Blend everything together in a blender on high until smooth and creamy.
Garnish with optional pistachios and mint, and enjoy!

6. Tepache

Tepache is an ancient fermented drink created in pre-Hispanic Mexico. Its name means “made from corn” in the ancient Aztec language.

Fast-forward to today, and tepache is typically a fruit-based beverage commonly made from pineapple and citrus and may be spiced with cinnamon, star anise, or chiles.

Tepache is similar to kombucha and is made by fermenting fruit juice and pulp with water and sugar, which creates natural yeasts, probiotics, a nominal amount of alcohol (about 2%), and fizz. It can also be made by using a starter called tibicos, similar to a kombucha mushroom.

Check out Nourished Kitchen for a classic pineapple tepache recipe, “Tepache de Piña”.

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7. Cold Apple Cider Two Ways

Apple season comes early in the South, making late summer the perfect time to cool off with a cold cider.

To make your own cider, follow the directions in: How To Press And Make Your Own Apple Cider.

For a more modern version, try making apple cider slushies at home!

To Make:

Pour apple cider into an ice cube tray and freeze until set (dry doing this the night before to save time).
Pop the ice cubes into a blender with a splash of unfrozen cider, add a pinch of spices if desired (cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves), and blend to desired consistency.