Cheap summer drinks – 5 easy ones on a student budget

With summer in full swing, and after a particularly hot and humid week, I thought I’d share 5 easy and cheap summer drinks to try. They taste so good and are perfect on a student budget. I wish I could share these with my younger self and save a lot of money over the years on summer drinks!

Summer drink #1: Iced milk tea (my favourite)

This is my favourite cheap summer drink. I love milk tea / boba but not the price. I have to substitute for oat milk, which I’m grateful is an option, but it costs extra. So a large milk tea ends up costing me around $10. Absolute insanity, especially since I know I’ll want it more than once during the summer season.

I’m so glad I’ve found a cheap at-home alternative that hits the spot every time, and I can have it whenever I want. It’s also a little healthier since there’s a lot less sugar. I’ve made this drink for the last couple times I visited my parents, who live about 2 hours away. Nothing better than a nice cold drink on a long summer drive with the windows down and the music turned up.

Ingredients:

1. Tea of choice (I’m currently using Time Hortons Orange Pekoe)
2. Milk of choice (I like Silk Soy milk)
3. *Sugar (optional)

Steps:

1. Add 2-3 teabags to a tall glass (sometimes I’ll use 4 if I want it stronger)
2. Add a little bit of boiling water, just enough to submerge the teabags
3. Cover the glass and let steep for 10-15 minutes
4. When done, remove the teabags. The concentrate should be a rich, brown colour
5. Add sugar to taste (I find Soy milk is sweet enough so I don’t add any)
6. Fill the glass with milk (I add about 200-250 mL) and add ice

Summer drink #2: Iced coffee

I actually dislike coffee. I’ve always hated the smell too. But my brother made this for me, and I realized that I can do iced coffee. It’s a good alternative if I’ve run out of tea, and even easier to make than the iced milk tea.

Ingredients:

1. Nescafe Gold Espresso
2. Milk of choice (I like Silk Soy milk)
3. Sugar

Steps:

1. Add 1 Tsp coffee to a tall glass (more if you want it stronger)
2. Add a very small amount of boiling water, just enough to dissolve the coffee. Stir well
3. Add sugar to taste and mix well (I add about 1/2 to 1 Tsp brown sugar)
4. Fill the glass with milk (I add 200-250 mL) and add ice

Summer drink #3: Peach-mango smoothie

I absolutely love this smoothie, it’s probably my favourite. It has this tangy but sweet taste and it’s so refreshing. My mouth is watering as I think about it. It’s far more flavourful than the drink I tried a few weeks ago on my summer food adventures.

The key here is to use ripe, juicy peaches. Let them sit for a few days. You’ll know the peaches are ready when their smell fills the room. And when you peel them, the juice should be dripping everywhere.

Ingredients:

1. Ripe yellow peaches (nectarines also work)
2. Frozen mango
3. Orange juice

Steps:

1. Peel 1-2 peaches and add to a blender
2. Add equal parts frozen mango
3. Start with 1/3 cup orange juice, add more if needed
4. Blend

Summer drink #4: Mixed berry smoothie

If you’re not a peach person, try this smoothie instead. It’s also very refreshing, and so easy to make.

Ingredients:

1. 4-berry blend frozen berries
2. Orange juice

Steps:

1. Add 1 cup frozen berries to the blender
2. Start with 2/3 cup orange juice, add more if needed
3. Blend

Summer drink #5: Cranberry-gingerale mocktail

Out of all the cheap summer drinks, this is my husband’s favourite. We love this drink after a nice (aka slightly fancier than usual) meal. I also find it’s a nice alternative to the Starbucks Refreshers, which can get really expensive.

And it’s perfect for a summer party, while being easy on the wallet. Everyone I’ve made it for has loved it. I had this drink run out a party and my husband’s friends requested I make more lol. Good thing it’s so easy to make.

Ingredients:

1. Cranberry juice (my favourite is Ocean Spray Cran-Mango Juice but I recently discovered their Cran-Tropical which is a close second)
2. Gingerale
3. Frozen berries
4. *Optional – mint leaves

Steps:

1. Fill half a glass with cranberry juice (I use a short juice glass)
2. Fill the rest with Gingerale
3. Add a few frozen berries (I like raspberries and blueberries or blackberries – just not strawberries since they’re too big. The berries are mostly for aesthetics)
4. Garnish with a few mint leaves

You can scale this drink as needed for a party. Just use equal parts of the cranberry juice and Gingerale. Although, I prefer to use slightly more of the cranberry juice. I think I do about 55% juice, 45% Gingerale. Feel free to play around with the ratio.

Let me know below which cheap summer drinks you try!

What are your go-to drinks on a student budget?

-M

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