Summer Detox Drinks (Printable)

Three cooling, low-sugar summer beverages featuring cucumber, watermelon-basil, and ginger-lemon green tea.

# What You'll Need:

→ Citrus-Cucumber Detox Water

01 - 4 cups cold water
02 - 1 medium cucumber, thinly sliced
03 - 1 lemon, thinly sliced
04 - 10 fresh mint leaves

→ Watermelon Basil Cooler

05 - 2 cups watermelon, cubed and chilled
06 - Juice of 1 lime
07 - 6 fresh basil leaves
08 - 1 cup cold water

→ Ginger-Lemon Green Tea

09 - 2 green tea bags
10 - 2 cups boiling water
11 - 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, thinly sliced
12 - Juice of 1 lemon
13 - 1 teaspoon honey or agave (optional)

# How To Make:

01 - Combine the sliced cucumber, lemon rounds, and mint leaves in a large pitcher filled with 4 cups of cold water. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to infuse. Serve poured over ice.
02 - Add the chilled watermelon cubes, lime juice, basil leaves, and 1 cup of cold water to a blender. Blend on high until completely smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve if a smoother texture is desired, then pour into ice-filled glasses.
03 - Steep the green tea bags and sliced ginger in 2 cups of boiling water for 3 to 4 minutes. Discard the tea bags and ginger pieces. Stir in the lemon juice and honey or agave if using. Allow to cool, then refrigerate until chilled. Serve over ice.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • These three drinks come together in ten minutes with zero cooking and maximum refreshment.
  • Each one doubles as a gentle reset for your body after too many backyard barbecue indulgences.
02 -
  • The detox water tastes best within twenty four hours and gets bitter after that so make only what you will drink.
  • Oversteeping green tea past five minutes releases tannins that make the drink unpleasantly astringent no matter how much honey you add.
03 -
  • Freeze watermelon cubes ahead of time and skip the ice entirely for a thicker richer cooler that never gets diluted.
  • Roll the lemon and lime on the counter pressing firmly with your palm before juicing to get nearly twice as much liquid out of each one.

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