Vibrant Fruit Refresher Drinks (Print version)

Thirst-quenching drinks blending real fruit purees and sparkling water for a fresh, vibrant taste.

# What you'll need:

→ Fruit Purees

01 - 1 cup hulled strawberries (or substitute with mango, pineapple, or mixed berries)
02 - 1/2 cup pineapple chunks (fresh or frozen)
03 - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar or honey (optional, adjust to taste)
04 - 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice

→ Liquid Base

05 - 3 cups chilled sparkling water (plain or lightly flavored)
06 - Ice cubes, as needed

→ Garnish (Optional)

07 - Fresh mint leaves
08 - Extra fruit slices (strawberry, lemon, lime, etc.)

# Directions:

01 - In a blender, combine chosen fruits, sugar or honey if using, and lemon or lime juice. Blend until completely smooth.
02 - Strain the puree through a fine-mesh sieve into a pitcher to remove seeds and pulp if desired.
03 - Add chilled sparkling water to the fruit puree and stir gently to combine.
04 - Fill glasses with ice cubes and pour the fruit refresher mixture over the ice.
05 - Garnish with fresh mint leaves and extra fruit slices if desired. Serve immediately.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It tastes like summer in a glass without any artificial flavors or mystery ingredients lurking in the label.
  • You can make a pitcher in ten minutes flat, which means refreshment whenever thirst strikes without the guilt of store-bought drinks.
  • It's endlessly adaptable—swap the fruit, skip the sugar, add tea—and it's still going to be delicious.
02 -
  • If you skip the straining step, the drink becomes thicker and more pulpy—which isn't wrong, just different, and some people actually prefer the texture.
  • The sparkling water needs to be genuinely cold, or the drink will taste tepid no matter how much ice you add, learned this the hard way on day one.
  • Taste your fruit puree before adding the sparkling water; this way you control the sweetness precisely rather than wishing you'd adjusted it after mixing.
03 -
  • Freeze some of the puree in ice cube trays; drop them into sparkling water or even plain juice for an instant refresher without dilution as they melt.
  • If you're serving a crowd, prep the puree earlier in the day and add sparkling water right before serving to keep maximum fizz alive.
  • Fresh fruit is wonderful, but frozen fruit works just as well and sometimes tastes more concentrated because it's picked at peak ripeness.
Go back