4 Fun and Exciting Picnic Drinks for a Unique Family Outing

Looking for a new spin on picnic drinks? Why not leave the sugary sodas at the store and have a go at making your own delicious, yet healthy, non-alcoholic picnic drinks?

We’ve chosen 4 picnic drinks ideas that are surprisingly easy to make and are sure to go down a treat with the whole family. They can mostly be prepared in advance and easily tweaked to suit any palate. Best of all, these 0 alcohol drinks are bursting with fresh flavours while remaining healthy.

1. Ginger Beer With Fresh Lime And Mint

If you’ve ever tried a Moscow mule, a cocktail of vodka, fresh lime juice, and fiery ginger beer, you’ll know just how well these vibrant flavours pair. In this version, we’ll cut out the vodka, and stir in fresh mint leaves for a refreshing kick. Served over ice, it’s one of our favourite drinks to take on a picnic.

The Recipe

1 bottle of ginger beer
Fresh mint leaves
The juice of half a lime per glass

The easiest way to make this thirst-quencher is to buy a bottle of ginger beer. Smack the fresh mint leaves against your palm to release the flavour, then add into a glass with ice. Pour in your favourite ginger beer and the lime juice. Stir and serve for a fiery yet refreshing summer sipper.

Tip: Save time and mess by squeezing your limes in advance. Store the juice in a swing-top bottle, keep cool, and add to taste.

2. Elderflower Lemonade

This traditional elderflower lemonade recipe hails from Eastern Europe. Every summer, scores of people gather these fragrant blooms to make this gorgeously simple lemonade. The flowers have naturally occurring yeast on them, which allows them to ferment the honey just a tiny bit, creating a natural fizz. Don’t worry though, this is still an alcohol-free picnic drink that kids and adults alike will love.

The Recipe

4 unwaxed lemons
20 bunches of elderflower
300 grams (⅞ cup) of honey (acacia is great)
7 litres (1.9 gallons) of water

Wash the lemons well, remove the top and tail, and squeeze the juice. Save the spent halves and place them in a large jar. Add in the water, lemon juice, honey, and elderflowers. Mix well, then, simply let it sit in a sunny spot for two days, mixing occasionally. Don’t tighten the lid, as you want the excess gas to escape!

Strain the liquid into swing-top bottles and refrigerate for up to two weeks. The lemonade is good as it is, or it can be added to prosecco for a tasty treat.

Tip: Add in a handful of basil leaves for a more fragrant beverage.

3. Peach Iced-Tea

This naturally sweet iced tea is a great choice if you’ve got a glut of ripe peaches, though you can also use frozen ones. Preparation is fairly quick and simple, and best of all, you can do it in advance.

The Recipe

For the peach syrup

250 ml water (1 cup)
200 grams (1 cup) of granulated sugar
2 very ripe peaches, thinly sliced

For the iced tea

10 bags of green or black tea
1.5 (6 cups) litres of water

To make the syrup, add all the ingredients to a saucepan. Heat the mixture on a low light until the sugar dissolves, then mash up the peach with a fork or potato masher. Bring everything to a boil for 2 minutes, then take it off the heat and let it cool. Strain the mix through cheesecloth to remove the solids and bottle. The peach syrup can be kept refrigerated for around a week.

On the day of the picnic, steep your tea for around 5 minutes in boiled water. Add ice to a large pitcher with a lid and pour the tea over, removing the bags. Add in the peach syrup to taste, stir well, and package in a cool box. Serve the mix over ice and a slice of peach, and enjoy!

Tip: If your kids are fussy about tea, you can always add the peach syrup to sparkling water or lemonade.

4. Homemade Strawberry Lemonade

This twist on the classic homemade lemonade is a superb recipe to make with the kids and one of the best summer picnic drinks. It’s also a great way to use up a surplus of juicy strawberries and it’s a doddle to make.

The Recipe

175 grams (⅞ cup) of sugar
1 litre (4 cups) of water
400 grams (2 cups) of fresh, dehusked, and quartered strawberries
200 ml of fresh lemon juice (around 4 to 5 lemons)

First of all, dissolve the sugar in the water by blitzing it in a blender. Pour the sugar water into a separate pitcher then blitz the strawberries to a puree in the blender.

Strain through cheesecloth to remove the seeds, then add the strawberry puree to the sugar water. Add in the lemon juice). Stir everything up, add to a bottle, and package it away in a cool box. Serve over ice, with a slice of lemon and a whole strawberry.

Tip: You can easily swap out the strawberries for raspberries if that’s what you’ve got on hand, it’ll work just as well!

Picnic Drinks: FAQs

With these picnic drinks recipes, your next picnic will be a blast! If you’re looking for a little extra information though, check out these FAQs.

What Is the Most Refreshing Drink?

This is a rather subjective topic, although some taste sensations are universal. The most thirst-quenching picnic drinks often balance a tangy sourness with a pleasant sweetness. That’s why lemonades are so popular!

What Is a Nice Non-alcoholic Drink?

For us, ginger beer is a superb replacement for alcoholic beverages. It balances subtle sweetness with a fiery bite and can be mixed with a host of other ingredients to add new dimensions.

What Is the Healthiest Drink Besides Water?

Green tea is bursting with health benefits and is one of the healthiest beverages out there. Many people swear by it, and while there is a small amount of caffeine (theine) in green tea, it is released much more slowly and consistently than in coffee.

What Can I Replace Coke With?

There are many tasty drinks you can try. The 4 picnic drink ideas that we’ve listed above will make a superb, healthier replacement for coke and other sugary sodas!