Imagine this: you’re chilling at a beach with your toes buried beneath the sand as you watch your buddies toss a Frisbee back and forth. While you’re enjoying the warmth of the sun on your face, one of your friends asks you to toss them a drink.
As you open the cooler and reach in, your hand finds the closest drink. But, the question is whether or not you’re up to date with new trending drinks that should be in your cooler this summer as you relax out in the sun.
Every season, drinks are made tailored to the weather with varying flavors and types of drinks that add to the environment. So, here are 4 summer drinks to pack in your cooler this summer!
1. Capriccio Bubbly Sangria
Currently making headlines everywhere, Capriccio Bubbly Sangria has been dubbed the “Four Loko of sangria.” For people unfamiliar with Four Loko, it’s an alcoholic beverage that was originally branded as an alcoholic energy drink but has since changed its recipe to not include caffeine due to dangers.
Now, what made Four Loko popular is making the Capriccio Sangria a sensation: having a high alcohol content. Containing 13.9 percent alcohol by volume (ABV), the sangria is “made from an excellent recipe with premium grape wine, real fruit juices (pineapple, orange and grape) and 100 [percent] natural fruit flavors such as pomegranate.”
Due to the high alcohol content, Capriccio has surpassed other popular sangria brands that don’t reach double-digit ABVs such as Eppa.
But be warned, many have reported that this drink is no joke and even had people trashed before they finished one bottle. On Twitter, users like RaYnEbOwLuV have posted reviews after they have tried the sangria that confirms the intensity of the drink. While people give caution towards the sangria, the fruity concoction is definitely a drink to have in your cooler this summer.
2. Hard Seltzer
Another drink trend that is picking up this summer is hard seltzers. While a common downfall of drinking has been the calories, there have been many light beers created to make people feel less guilty. Unfortunately, not everyone likes beer. So, people now have the choice to drink a low-calorie alcoholic drink with natural fruit flavors and no artificial sweeteners.
Over the past few years, bubbly drinks like LaCroix, a sparkling water company, have swept the nation with people’s desire to drink healthy. In a similar way, the popularity of drinking healthy that is currently happening among millennials is prevalent with alcoholic drinks.
Also, some of the brands of hard seltzer are gluten-free adding on to the trend of healthy/alternative living. But, be sure to check the label to clarify because not all brands are.
Ultimately, hard seltzers are three words millennials can get behind: boozy, bubbly and low calorie. So, for people who are health-conscious alcoholic drinkers, hard seltzer offers a refreshing change of choice with fewer calories and significantly fewer carbs than beer.
3. Hard Sparkling Water
Along the same lines of hard seltzer, hard sparkling water is another drink that caters to the mindset of drinking healthy. Now, if you’re like me, your first thought in regard to seltzer and sparkling water was “aren’t they that same thing?”
But, the difference between the two has to do with the source of carbonation. For example, the carbonation in sparkling water is naturally occurring whereas the carbonation found in seltzer is that same as soda, meaning it’s artificially made.
Due to the difference, this makes the hard-sparkling water taste different and therefore warrants separation from hard seltzers. Ultimately, both drinks allow people comparable experiences of guiltless drinking.
Another aspect of the drinks that separates hard sparkling water from hard seltzer is that they contain fewer calories. As stated before, hard seltzers are within the 100-calorie range and hard sparkling water is typically 90 calories or below. So, live guilt-free while getting your drink on at the beach or during your backyard barbeque.
4. Pink Gin
Every summer for the past few years, Rosé wine (aka pink wine) has been a popular go-to drink, but this summer you should try pink gin. Yes, you heard that right, pink gin! While it has been around for years, it has mainly been used for cocktail mixes. But, this year major brands are producing their own style of pink gin.
Over the past few years, gin’s popularity has risen and a trend for summer is rosé anything, from wine to ciders and now it’s entering the realm of spirits. In the alcohol industry, spirits are liquors that have 20 percent ABV or above. Also, pink gin gives people with a yeast allergy the chance to try something rosé since wine and beer are not an option.
While the thought of gin may not be appealing to some, not all gins taste the same and the pink-rosé based gin brings a new taste to the field. Usually, gin is infused with the usual botanicals such as juniper berries, coriander and cardamom and so does pink gin.
At the core of it, the difference lies in the fact that pink gin is also mixed with fruit extracts. According to Will Holt, co-founder of Pinkster which is the first company to produce a pink gin, “raspberries produced the best flavor” and color.
Although gin may not be at the top of people’s drink list, this summer you have to add pink gin to your list of summer drinks. If you don’t like the taste of it straight, pink gin can also be used in cocktails.
In addition to the drinks mentioned above, if you’re planning on drinking a lot, don’t forget to pack pedialyte as a great new hangover cure. So, if you decide the bubbly sangria is the way to go, pedialyte is something to seriously consider. All in all, if you’re tasked with bringing the drinks for an outdoor summer party or casual get together, pick up any or all of the drinks above.
