Summer’s here! And with longer days and higher temperatures, there is no better way to celebrate this new season than by spending some time outside sipping on refreshing summer drinks. Whether you are planning a big cookout or a small get-together with family, you can enjoy your lunch or dinner with one of these non-alcoholic drinks for summer. These recipes can also be particularly helpful for those who are in recovery from alcoholism and want to enjoy their summer without risking relapse.   

Refreshing Non-Alcoholic Summer Drinks 

Navigating life in recovery from alcohol addiction can be tough. Sometimes, it is not the major temptations that are difficult to ignore but the small ones that are innocent in the grand scheme of things.  

However, something as simple as one alcoholic drink can tip the scales and make it difficult for you to get back on your feet. To offer you both a cushion for relapse prevention and a way to bond with your loved ones this summer without relapsing, we are sharing these delicious summer non-alcoholic drinks you should try.   

Watermelon Limeade 

This one is definitely the most creative of the bunch, but it is worth it.  

What You will Need:  

• 16 cups seedless watermelon chunks 
• 1 ¼ fresh lime juice 
• Ginger ale or Sprite for serving  

What You will Do: 

Blend your watermelon in the blender until it has the consistency of puree. Then add in the lime juice. Next, you will add a watermelon dispenser or spigot to the rind to use the watermelon itself as a drink dispenser! Now for the carving.  

1. Using a paring knife and working at an angle, cut around one end of the watermelon to create a lid, then scoop out the inside of it with a spoon.  

1. Hand-write “Enjoy” or anything you would like above the spigot marker, then use a linoleum cutter to trace the letters and etch them in for a fun look.  

1. Fill the watermelon up with your limeade, replace the lid, and position it on a stand at the edge of a table.  

1. Leave the ginger ale or Sprite next to the watermelon to be served with your limeade and enjoy! 

Virgin Piña Colada Recipe 

Nothing says summer like a good ole’ Piña Colada. Below is a quick and simple recipe for one of the most popular non-alcoholic refreshing summer drinks out there.   

What You will Need:  

• Blender  
• 1 ½ cups unsweetened frozen pineapple chunks (these can be stored bought, or you can cut up fresh pineapple and leave it in the freezer for an hour or two) 
• ¼ cup ice 
• ¾ cup unsweetened pineapple juice 
• ¾ cup unsweetened coconut milk 

• 1 to 3 tablespoons brown sugar (optional) 
• Use fresh pineapple wedges as a garnish (optional) 
• Add a small paper umbrella to give your drink to add some pizzazz  

What You will Do: 

1. Blend frozen pineapple chunks and ice. 

1. Add the pineapple juice, coconut milk, and brown sugar (if you are using it) and blend again.  

1. Pour into your glass and garnish with pineapple wedges or your little paper umbrellas. 

Mason Jar Citrus Icees  

This is a deliciously tart non-alcoholic summer drink that serves several people.  

What You will Need:   

• 8 mason jars (preferably with lids)  
• 1 ½ cup fresh orange juice 
• ½ cup lime juice 
• ½ cup lemon juice 

• 1 ½ tsp. sugar (or any sweetener of your choice)  
• 6 cup club soda 
• Lemon slices for garnish (optional) 
• Lime slices for garnish (optional)  

What You will Do:  

1. In a pitcher or large container, stir the orange, lime, and lemon juices together. Then add the sugar or sweetener of your choice into 8 mason jars or cups of your choosing.  

1. Fill each mason jar with ice, mover, and shake to dissolve the sugar at the bottom.  

1. Top with club soda, add your garnishes, and enjoy! 

Watermelon Lime Slushie  

While all of these are non-alcoholic summer drinks, this colorful melon slushie is something your kids will want to enjoy with you, as well. 

What You will Need: 

• 1 average-sized watermelon 
• Home-made simple syrup for flavor 
• Zest from 2 limes 

• ½ cup of limes (about 4) 
• ¼ teaspoon salt 
• ¼ cup of water 
• 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar 
• Sprite or soda water 

What You will Do:  

1. Remove the skin and seeds from the melon. 

1. Cut the melon into 2-inch pieces. 

1. Make the syrup: In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, water, and salt and bring it to a boil. Then reduce the heat to a simmer (do not stir) until the sugar dissolves. 

1. Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the flavorings, but do not add the melon yet.  

1. Let the sauce cool and strain into a small bowl or measuring cup.  

1. Blend half of the simple syrup and half of the watermelon until smooth. Strain into a square pan or Tupperware and repeat this step with the remaining syrup and watermelon.  

1. Cover the pan or Tupperware and put it in the freezer for about 8 hours.  

1. When the mixture is ready to be served, use a fork to scrape the top of the mixture to create flakes. Transfer these flakes to glasses, add soda water or Sprite, and serve with additional fruit if desired.  

Spritz of Orange   

This is one of the most simple and delicious non-alcoholic summer drinks to make with a refreshing hint of citrus to celebrate this sunny season.   

What You will Need:  

• ½ cup orange juice (no pulp) 
• 1 cup of Sprite 

• Orange slices for garnish (optional) 
• 1 cup ice  

What You will Do:  

1. Add the juice and ice into the blender and blend until you hit the consistency you like. You can add more ice if desired. 

1. Pour the mix into a cup, add some Sprite, and top with your garnish. 

See? Super easy and delicious! 

Salted Watermelon Juice  

Salted? Yes, salted! Try this refreshing watermelon juice recipe. You will not regret it. This recipe yields about 4 cups, so you can enjoy it with loved ones.  

What You will Need: 

• 1 average size watermelon (or you can purchase pre-cut slices of watermelon) 
• ¾ tsp. kosher salt 
• Lime wedges for garnish (optional) 
• 1 fine-mesh sieve  

What You will Do:  

1. If you have a whole watermelon, remove the rind and seeds.  

1. Cut the watermelon up into cubic chunks to make about 6 cups worth.  

1. Puree the watermelon in a blender until smooth. 

1. Strain the watermelon through a fine-mesh sieve into a large pitcher or measuring cup and discard the solid extract.  

1. Mix in the salt.  

1. Pour the juice into an ice-filled glass, garnish with lime wedges, if desired, and enjoy! 

Pineapple Mango Slushie  

Alcohol can age you, so, it is a good thing that these drinks are alcohol-free! Pineapples and mangoes are packed with vitamins C and A, both of which provide major skin-brightening benefits to support that summer glow.   

What You will Need: 

• 2 large mangoes, peeled, cut into 1" pieces, frozen (about 4 cups) 
• 2½ cups pineapple juice  
• ⅔ cup fresh lime juice (about 4½ limes) 
• ¾ tsp. kosher salt 

• 1 tsp. Aleppo pepper 
• 1 cup ice  

What You will Do:  

1. Blend the mango chunks, pineapple juice, lime juice, salt, 1 tsp of Aleppo pepper, and 2 cups of ice until smooth.  

1. Make more: This slushie can be made one hour ahead. Just store the blend in the freezer, then re-blend on high speed when you are ready to have more to reincorporate the ingredients and soften up the mix. 

You can also make big batches of this drink, store it in the freezer, and reblend when you are ready to have more, or you can use it to make delicious ice cubes that will not water down your other non-alcoholic summer drinks.  

Passionate Ginger Soda  

This is one of our more fun non-alcoholic summer drinks that incorporates some passion fruit for a sweet-but-also-tart flavor with a refreshing twist.  

What You will Need:   

• 1 cup sugar 
• 2 tbsp. minced fresh ginger 
• 1 ½ cups of pineapple chunks (can be store-bought or fresh) 
• 2 liters of seltzer or sparkling water 

• 16 fresh mint leaves for garnish (optional) 
• 1 fine-mesh sieve  

What You Will Do:   

1. In a medium saucepan over medium to low heat, bring 1 cup water, sugar, and ginger to a simmer, stirring it until the sugar dissolves. 

1. Remove the simple syrup from heat, cover, and steep for about 30 minutes. 

1. Over a medium bowl, pour your syrup through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing the minced ginger against the sieve with the back of a spoon to extract the flavor.  

1. Discard the ginger and cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until it’s chilled. 

1. Evenly distribute the pineapple chunks among 8 tall glasses. For each glass, lightly press pineapples with the back of a wooden spoon to release the juice.  

1. Pour about 2 tablespoons of chilled syrup over the pineapples. You can store the remaining syrup in the fridge for about two weeks. 

1. Add ice cubes to your drinks, then top with seltzer or sparkling water.  

1. Stir the drinks to distribute the syrup, pineapple juice, and seltzer evenly. Garnish each cup with 2 mint leaves, if desired.  

Why Non-Alcoholic Drinks? 

Non-alcoholic drink recipes are alternatives for people who either do not like to drink, experience adverse reactions to alcohol, or are recovering from alcoholism. With numerous addiction treatment centers nationwide, Banyan understands how even something as simple as non-alcohol summer drink recipes can help someone stay sober.  

Non-alcoholic drinks are great alternatives that allow you to partake in social events without feeling pressured to drink alcohol. Additionally, if you have a loved one who has not mastered how to say no when offered alcohol, these recipes can also be served at family events so everyone can enjoy them without tempting the individual.  

Staying sober is about making small adjustments like changing drink recipes so you can enjoy life and not feel deprived of the little things.  

Need Help for Alcohol Abuse? 

If you or someone you care about has a drinking problem, our Banyan drug rehab centers can help. Our addiction facilities offer alcohol detox and addiction treatment to help clients safely withdraw and recover from heavy drinking in a safe, comfortable, and medically-led environment.  

While medical detox addresses the physical challenges of early recovery, our alcohol addiction treatment program addresses the underlying factors that led the individual to start drinking in the first place. No matter how long this problem has persisted, we are here to help.  

Call Banyan Treatment Centers today at 888-280-4763 for more information about our substance abuse services.  

Related Reading:   

Does Alcohol Make You Depressed? 

Alcoholism in the Military: Drinking During Deployment