Toast your good health: Four recipes for naturally delicious summer drinks

These long, icy drinks with beautiful summery flavours come packed full of the goodness of natural ingredients to give you a spring in your step.

Not only delicious, they come with health benefits too.

And if you are in a party mood, add a dash of gin or vodka.

GINGER ALE

This is a good alternative to sugar-laden ginger ale. The fresh ginger in this drink has the added benefits of helping to reduce inflammation and aid digestion, and would be a helpful tonic to counter nausea or morning sickness.

Makes: 1 litre

Ingredients:

1 x 10cm piece fresh ginger, unpeeled and chopped

1 medium lemon, peeled

30ml (2 tbsp) pure maple syrup (or use a quality local honey)

1 litre (4 cups) well chilled sparkling mineral or soda water

Method:

1. Push the ginger and lemon through a juice extractor into a jug. If you don’t have an extractor, use a blender or food processor. This should give you about 60ml (4 tbsp) of juice.
2. Combine the juice and maple syrup or honey in a large jug; stir in mineral water. Serve over ice cubes.

Cook's tip: The ginger and lemon juice can be made up to two days ahead. Store in a sealed glass jar in the fridge.

CUCUMBER, LIME AND COCONUT WATER

This drink is great thirst-quencher. Cucumber hydrates, coconut water contains electrolytes that help to maintain the correct amount of fluid in the body, and lime is an alkaliser, providing numerous health benefits.

Makes: 1 litre

Ingredients:

1 x 130g Lebanese cucumber or half an English cucumber, chopped coarsely

750ml (3 cups) pure unsweetened coconut water

30ml (2 tbsp) fresh lime juice

Mint springs

Method:

1. Push the cucumber through a juice extractor into a jug. If you don’t have an extractor, use a blender.
2. Stir in coconut water and lime juice.
3. Serve topped with crushed ice and mint sprigs.

Cook's tip: You can use fresh coconut juice from a young coconut instead of the coconut water if you like.

STRAWBERRY AND BASIL SUNSHINE ICED TEA

This drink can be made with white tea or rooibos.

White tea is a true tea, the first of the camellia sinensis leaves and buds picked before they open, hence the name. It is one of the least processed of all teas and like rooibos tea is contains a wealth of antioxidants.

Strawberries are rich in immune-boosting vitamin C and also contain ellagic acid, which has been found to help prevent collagen damage.

Makes: 1.25 litres

Ingredients:

1 litre (4 cups) water

3 white tea bags or rooibos tea bags

125ml (½ cup) loosely packed fresh basil leaves

250g ripe strawberries

10ml (2 tsp) stevia granules or other cane sugar replacement

30ml (2 tbsp) fresh lemon juice

Ice cubes

2 sprigs fresh basil, extra

10 strawberries, extra, halved

Method:

1. Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan; remove from the heat. Add the tea bags and basil; allow to stand for 5 minutes. Discard the tea bags and basil. Refrigerate the tea until chilled.
2. Blend the strawberries, stevia and ¼ cup of the chilled tea until smooth. Strain through a fine sieve to remove the strawberry seeds.
3. Add the strawberry purée and lemon juice to remaining chilled tea; stir to combine.
4. Half-fill a large jug with ice; add the extra basil and extra strawberries. Pour in the tea mixture; stir to combine.

ORANGE AND VANILLA COCONUT WATER

This fragrant drink contains coconut water, which contains electrolytes to aid rehydration. It can also be made with antioxidant-rich rooibos tea.

Oranges and grapefruit are high in vitamin C. 

Makes: 1 litre

Method:

1 small orange or rose grapefruit

1 litre (4 cups) pure unsweetened coconut water or cold rooibos tea

1 vanilla bean, split lengthways

Method:

1. Using a vegetable peeler, peel the rind from orange into long, wide strips, avoiding any white pith. Squeeze the juice.
2. Place the orange rind and juice in a large jug with the coconut water and vanilla bean; stir to combine.
3. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until chilled.

Cook's tip: This drink can be stored in the fridge for up to 24 hours.