As the sun continues to dominate the sky, Chennaiites find comfort in homegrown, age-old recipes — spiced buttermilk ladled from clay pots, rose milk at street corners, and nannari sharbat passed around in paper cups. These traditional summer drinks are often made in batches, stored and shared freely among family members and neighbours, fostering a sense of community. They still continue to refresh the parched souls, offering a cool respite from the midday heatwaves and after.
These easy-to-prepare, delicious summer drinks keep individuals hydrated. Additionally, they carry memories, traditions, and shared stories of a season. Here are a few drinks to keep you energised this season.
Mango Mint Kombucha
Kombucha has its ancient roots in China, but in India, it quietly thrived for decades in underground circles of yoga practitioners, ashrams, and home brewers. Surya, a brewmaster from Heaven’s Elix Kombucha, says, “Long before it hit café menus or store shelves, it was being brewed in glass jars tucked away in kitchen corners — from health-conscious homes in Kerala and Auroville to spiritual retreats that valued its probiotic benefits.”
From his brewery, he shares a Mango Mint recipe that brings the tropics to your bottle — fresh, smooth, and unapologetically real.
Benefits
Supports gut health with natural probiotics from live cultures
Aids digestion: Mint helps soothe your system while kombucha balances it
Boosts hydration with a refreshing, low-sugar alternative to sodas
Natural energy lift from B-vitamins and organic acids
Ingredients
(for one 500ml bottle)
Ripe mango: ½ medium
Fresh mint leaves: A small handful
Sugar: ½ tbsp
Heaven’s Elix Kombucha (unflavored): 425 ml
Mango-mint purée: 75 ml
For Mango-mint purée
Peel and chop the mango. zdd these pieces and a handful of fresh mint leaves in a blender.
Blend into a fine paste. Then, strain the purée through a fine sieve or muslin cloth to extract 75 ml of smooth juice.
Add ½ tbsp sugar to a clean 500 ml flip-top glass bottle. (This gives your kombucha the fuel it needs to carbonate.)
Pour in 75 ml of mango-mint purée. Top up with 425 ml of Heaven’s Elix Kombucha, leaving 1 inch of headspace at the top and seal the bottle tightly.
Second Fermentation
Store in a dark, warm place for 2-3 days. (This is where the fizz and flavour magic happens.)
Chill the bottle in the fridge on the last day.
On a mission to revive Anglo-Indian cuisine and make it part of regular household dishes, Bridget White Kumar, an independent food consultant and trainer in colonial Anglo-Indian cuisine, shares some of the summer coolers that she grew up sipping
Apple, mint and cucumber blend
Cucumbers are a very good source of vitamins A, C, and folic acid. The hard skin is rich in fiber and a variety of minerals including magnesium, silica, molybdenum, and potassium. Apples are a nutritious fruit packed with fiber, vitamin C, and antioxidants. They are a rich source of fibre, which aids digestion, and are made up of almost 85% water and therefore is a good hydrating agent. Mint and honey offer a combination of potential health benefits, including aiding digestion, boosting the immune system.
Ingredients
Apples either red or green, with the skin (chopped): 2 cups
Cucumber with the skin (chopped): 2 cups
Fresh mint (chopped): 3 tbsp
Black pepper powder: ½ tsp
Honey: 2 tbsp
A pinch of salt
Juice of one lime
Method
Blend all the above together till smooth with a little water in a blender
Remove to a jug and add 2 glasses of water. Mix well
Leave in the fridge till required. Add more water for a thinner consistency.
Pour into glasses and serve cold.
Serve with or without ice.
Pomegranate and orange juice cooler
Pomegranates are superfruits. They contain many nutrients and are a good source of vitamins B6, C and K. Its juice may benefit people with inflammatory conditions and diabetes. They contain vitamin E which is an antioxidant, vitamin K, which is essential for blood clotting and vitamin B6, a water-soluble vitamin essential for numerous bodily functions. Oranges’ juicy, segmented flesh — sweet and tangy — is a rich source of vitamin C that helps the body fight off infections and illnesses. They are low in calories, but rich in folates, fibre and antioxidants that help protect cells from damage and boost Immunity.
Ingredients
Pomegranate arils or jewels: 4 cups
Oranges (large): 6
Sugar (optional): 2 tbsp
Water: 4 cups
A few mint leaves
Method
Halve the oranges. Squeeze out all the juice using a citrus press. Keep aside.
Place the pomegranate arils in a juicer and blend till all they are crushed but the seeds are whole.
Strain the juice to remove sediments and seeds.
Combine both the juices together in a large pitcher and stir in sugar.
Add more water if the juice is too thick
Leave in the fridge to cool till required.
Serve with ice cubes in tall glasses decorated with mint leaves.
Mint lemon cooler
Passed down through oral tradition to Lathika by her grandmother, Mint Lemon extract is a yearly ritual at her house. Taking in note the easy availability of lemons and mint during the season, Lathika stores bottles of this extract and sips it soon after reaching home after travelling.
Ingredients
Fresh mint leaves: 1 cup (washed)
Lemon: 2 large (or 4 small)
Sugar: 4 to 5 tbsp (adjust to taste)
Black salt: ¼ teaspoon
Roasted cumin powder: ¼ teaspoon
Water: 4 cups (medium)
Method
In a saucepan, add water, two cup mint leaves, sugar, black salt, and cumin powder.
Boil the ingredients together. Once the flavours from the mint are extracted and it becomes soggy, turn off the flame.
Strain the water and squeeze in the lemon juice.
Add the remaining water and mix well. Store in a refrigerator. Mix the extract with water and serve.
Serve chilled with ice cubes, garnished with mint leaves or lemon slices.
Palm Nectar with Ice Apple by Gnanasingh Arputhadas, food critic
Locally known as pathaneer with nungu, this is a time-honoured summer drink cherished across rural Tamil Nadu. Drawn from the palmyra palm and enriched with tender ice apple pulp, this drink is a naturally sweet, cooling, and nourishing refreshment.
History & Tradition
This drink dates back centuries and is closely tied to the livelihoods of Tamil Nadu’s panayakkarar (palm climbers), who skillfully tap pathaneer — the unfermented sap of the palmyra tree — at dawn. The sap is enjoyed fresh or paired with nungu (ice apple), the translucent fruit of the same tree, to beat the searing heat. Often served at roadside stalls, village gatherings, and temple fairs, it is as much a cultural emblem as a seasonal remedy.
Health Benefits
Natural coolant that regulates body temperature
Rich in electrolytes, making it ideal for hydration
Boosts digestion and eases fatigue
Low in calories, yet filling and rejuvenating
Ingredients
Fresh pathaneer (Palm Nectar): 1 glass
Ice apples (Nungu): 3-5, peeled
Method
Pour fresh pathaneer into a glass. Add peeled ice apples chunks. Stir gently and serve immediately.
Tip: Sourcing freshly-tapped pathaneer before noon ensures the drink retains its sweetness and doesn’t ferment.