Discover the best Asian inspired cold drinks to keep you refreshed throughout summer! Swap your classic lemonade for Vietnamese limeade or try a Thai inspired iced coffee recipe. We have put together a great selection for you to enjoy an Asian inspired drink for each working day of the week, casual get-togethers with family and friends, BBQs or lazy summer afternoons.
Thai Iced Coffee (Thai)
Most people know Thailand to be renowned for its tea but the country is also big on coffee too. In fact, iced coffee is widely available across street food vendors and with the year-round scorching heat, this beverage is a popular option for people who want to keep cool while enjoying their daily dose of coffee. Traditional Thai coffee calls for ‘oliang’ which is a coffee blend that combines ground coffee, corn, soybean, rice, cardamom and sesame seeds. This coffee blend gives the iced coffee a truly authentic Thai taste, however, other ground coffees make for a delicious Thai iced coffee recipe combining sweet condensed milk and evaporated milk. Check out the recipe below:
Ingredients:
Method:
- Add the coffee into a heatproof jug and stir in the hot water to dissolve the ground coffee.
- Allow the coffee to cool down to room temperature for roughly 20 minutes.
- Next, add ice to your desired drinking cup, (glass cups and mugs are great for aesthetics).
- Follow by adding the sweet condensed and evaporated milk into the ice cup.
- Finally, pour the cool coffee mixture into the drinking mug, stir all the ingredients together with a tall spoon or straw and enjoy!
Thai Pink Milk (Thai)
Another popular iced drink from Thailand is Nom Yen (Nom meaning milk and Yen meaning iced) or more commonly known as Thai Pink Milk. This beverage gets its blush pink colour from the famous Thai sala syrup from popular brands such as Hale’s Blue Boy. Thai pink milk can be likened to being a version of strawberry milk/milkshake but with a sweeter and more floral taste. Nom Yen is a delicious drink to refresh and cool down, check out our recipe and video below!
Ingredients:
Method:
- Add ice ¾ of the way into a drinking glass or mug
- Follow by adding the sala syrup and sweet condensed milk
- Stir the ice, syrup and condensed milk together to combine slightly
- Then, add more ice to fill the glass and add whole milk until full (you can optionally froth the milk)
- Stir the drink together and enjoy!
Vietnamese Limeade (Vietnam)
It seems that every summer there’s always a new twist on lemonade from pink, cloudy to various fruity flavours. We understand the hype with lemonade because sometimes the most refreshing drinks in the heat are the simplest. That’s why we think Vietnamese limeade is the perfect swap or must-try for any lemonade lovers. Vietnamese limeade is a simple blend of fresh limes and lime juice, sugar and water (much like lemonade). However, what makes Vietnamese limeade special is how the limes are traditionally salted and pickled to give the drink a unique flavour. In Vietnam, these pickled limes are called ‘chanh muoi’ and as such, Vietnamese limeade can also be referred to as ‘Nuoc Chanh Muoi’.
- Dissolve the sugar in the water in a pan over a medium-low heat. Allow to cool for 20-30 minutes.
- Next, add the lime juice into a large pouring jug and follow with the cool water mixture
- Finally, you can either add ice to the large jug and serve into glasses. Or add ice into your desired drinking glass, follow by pouring in the limeade and garnishing with the mint leaves.
This wouldn’t be a complete list of Asian inspired summer drinks if we didn’t include something infused with matcha and of course, iced matcha lattes are the go-to drink for summer; even if you’re not a matcha addict. Making the perfect matcha latte from scratch can be a little challenging when it comes to getting a consistent flavour every time, not to mention that premium grade matcha can be quite pricey. That’s why we love the Instant Matcha Latte from Goldkili. They make a delicious, creamy drink that can be served chilled with ice for an iced matcha latte!
Last but definitely not least, brown sugar bubble tea is another Asian inspired drink to enjoy and cool down in summer. Bubble tea in general is widely popular and famous in the world of beverages. Many people often go to bubble tea stores to get their fix of this delicious drink but why not make an equally delicious cold bubble tea drink at home. Much like the matcha latte, we love the ease and convenience of J Way’s Taiwanese Bubble Tea kit for making this and better yet, you get 6 servings per box. That works out a little cheaper than most bubble tea shops.
Leave a comment