Iced drink recipes to beat the heat

I've had varying relationships with ice over the years, from the penny-pinching American determined to get her money's worth at 7-11 (just a little ice!) to feeling incredulous upon my move to Britain that asking for ice might earn me a single cube in a pint of soda. Nowadays I don't mess around; I want all of the ice. Clear out your freezer and give me every last cube.

Here's a roundup of iced drink recipes I've posted over the years, from coffee and tea bases to fruit and teeth-shatteringly sweet refreshments.

Lapsang souchong & bitter orange soda

Imagine the flavour of drinking orange juice next to a campfire and you've already conjured the flavour of this lapsang souchong & bitter orange soda.

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large glass full of ice with a layer of yellow/orange liquid on the bottom, and dark tea on top. On a background of red and beige starburst.

Corn milk with vegan cheese foam

Corn milk is a refreshing, creamy drink enjoyed in at least a few ESEA countries. Try it yourself with this easy vegan corn milk recipe, with an additional recipe for vegan cheese foam.

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dark background with slightly curved glass filled ⅚ of the way with beige-yellow liquid (corn milk), topped with a creamy cheese foam (white). The foam is messily dripping down the side of the glass.

Salted plum americano soda

Salted plums feature a robust saltiness and natural acidity that pairs surprisingly well with coffee. Give it a shot!

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starting with the background: top ⅘ is black. bottom ⅕ is light wood, on which a glass of liquid sits. The glass is full to the brim with ice. The bottom ⅓ of the glass is amber coloured (salted plum), while the remaining space in the glass is clear soda water. Some bubbles are formed on the inside of the glass and drops of moisture on the outside.

Salted plum soda

Salted plum soda is a refreshing salty-sweet iced beverage perfect for hefty sweat days.

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Pineapple americano

Some of Thailand's most popular coffee drinks involve espresso or cold brew with juice. Some work better than others, but the pineapple americano is one of my favourites.

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16 ounce glass filled ⅔ with pineapple juice, topped off with a layer of espresso

Lemongrass Juice / Drink (น้ำตะไคร้)

This iced lemongrass drink not only serves as a refreshing midday cooler, but it also helps soothe the burn from a spicy meal.

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Mexican-Thai Fusion Horchata

This unusual horchata recipe is complemented by nutty pandan and sweet fermented rice.

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Brown sugar caramel matcha latte

The vegetal qualities of matcha combined with the buttery molasses notes in brown sugar, further amplified by caramelisation, make for a totes nice drink when blended with soy or oat milk.

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Vegan pink milk with coffee (nom yen gaafae – นมเย็นกาแฟแวิแกน)

This beverage features the national treasure that is Hale's Blue Boy brand sweet snakefruit (sala) syrup blended with soy milk and espresso over ice.

Check out this recipe