What’s a Cool Drink?

In 2021, we reported on cool summer drinks. What remains from that? When it gets warm, a good drink doesn’t need a big show. It needs fruit, ice, a clean balance, and a reason to refill your glass.

Watermelon is the Safe Bet

The original post made no secret of it: On hot days, the body needs fluids, but water eventually gets boring. Watermelon lemonade was therefore the go-to choice. One watermelon, two limes or lemons, optionally three tablespoons of brown sugar, 500 milliliters of mineral water, and six ice cubes. That’s all it takes.

Preparation is simple. Cut watermelon into large pieces, remove the flesh from the rind, place in a bowl, squeeze the limes, blend everything finely, add sugar, stir, and strain through a fine sieve. Then pour in mineral water and ice cubes, top with the juice. The result isn’t a complicated mocktail-it’s a clear summer choice.

Balance is key. Watermelon delivers water and sweetness, lime or lemon adds the edge, mineral water brings freshness. The optional sugar is exactly that: optional. Those who get ripe melon often need less. The old post called it the Fruit of the Year. You can say it simply: It does its job.

A good summer drink quenches more than thirst. It makes that first sip linger.

Dalgona Coffee Remains Dessert in the Glass

Dalgona Coffee went viral the previous year from South Korea via TikTok and other platforms. The post explained the simple formula: instant coffee, sugar, and boiling water in a 1:1:1 ratio. For two servings, three tablespoons of instant coffee powder, three tablespoons of sugar, 400 milliliters of milk, and three tablespoons of hot water were recommended.

Instant coffee, sugar, and hot water are whipped with a whisk or hand mixer into a stable, glossy mixture. Pour milk into the glass, add the coffee foam on top, and optionally ice cubes. Then snap a photo, stir, and drink. The final step sounds silly, but it captures the drink’s appeal: Dalgona Coffee is half caffeine, half performance.

The post also notes that plant-based milk works. This is practical because the coffee dominates on top, while the milk below provides body and coolness. Those who prefer it less sweet have to live with the recipe or adjust it deliberately. Dalgona isn’t a sober espresso-it’s a small dessert disguised as a drink.

Kiwi Smoothie is the Quick Counterpoint

The third drink in the archive is the Kiwi Smoothie. 100 grams of green, seedless grapes, one banana, one kiwi, and 100 milliliters of grape juice. Cut banana and kiwi into rough pieces, add everything with the juice to the blender, blend finely, and optionally pour over ice cubes. This is the most straightforward version in the text.

The smoothie works because it doesn’t pretend to be a cocktail. It’s fruit in a glass-slightly thicker, slightly softer, with banana as the textural base and kiwi as the acidity point. The grapes and grape juice round it out. Those who aren’t in the mood for a big breakfast get something here that doesn’t just taste like sugary water.

That’s why all three recipes remain useful: lemonade for the table, Dalgona for the moment, smoothie for quick fruit. Summer doesn’t need constant new favorite drinks. It needs two or three reliable glasses you can whip up without thinking.

This is how the recipe reads today

The three drinks represent three different situations. The watermelon lemonade is meant for a table where several people are seated. It can be prepared in larger quantities, diluted with mineral water, and served over ice. The Dalgona Coffee, by contrast, is a solo moment or a small dessert after a meal. It requires a mixer, foam, and a taste for sweetness. The kiwi smoothie is quick kitchen: cut the fruit, add juice, blend, done.

The original post still had this social media impulse: take a photo, stir, enjoy. With Dalgona Coffee, this almost belongs to the recipe because the look of milk and coffee foam is half the fun. Still, one shouldn’t make it only for the picture. A good Dalgona stands or falls with its consistency. The mixture must become stable and glossy, otherwise it will sink tiredly into the glass.

For the watermelon lemonade, using a sieve is worth it. It seems like a minor extra step, but it makes the drink finer. Without the sieve, more fruit pulp remains, which isn’t wrong, but makes it look more like a smoothie. With the sieve, it becomes clearer, lighter, and closer to a lemonade. It’s exactly these little touches that distinguish a quick drink from a glass you place in front of guests without explanation.

The kiwi smoothie, finally, is not a show drink. It’s green, fruity, and direct. That makes it the perfect counterpart to the other two recipes.

You can also read the recipes as a small dramaturgy for a warm day. In the afternoon, the watermelon lemonade when you need something light. Later, the kiwi smoothie when fruit and a bit of substance feel good. The Dalgona Coffee then, when it’s more about indulgence than thirst. Three drinks, three tempos. Precisely because of this, the old post works better than a loose collection of recipes.

The ingredient lists also show that good summer drinks don’t have to be expensive. Watermelon, citrus fruits, instant coffee, sugar, milk, kiwi, banana, grapes, and juice are all available without a specialty store. This fits the tone of the article. It doesn’t aim to replace a bar. It wants to save the moment when water gets boring and the fridge still has something to offer.

More in the same vein: Anna Wintour’s Nike collaboration remains a fashion statement and MBFW 2018 showed how fashion becomes public.

Also important: All three drinks leave room for adjustment without having to invent new facts. More acidity in the lemonade, a different milk in the Dalgona, more ice in the smoothie. The base stays the same. Summer should remain light.