Refreshing Summer Drink: Pink Lemonade

The last couple of days here in Nova Scotia have been above thirty degrees where I live and that means water just isn't cutting it as my refreshing drink. In the Summer I try and drink my recommend eight glasses of water per day but sometimes other drinks slip in - I'm looking at you Coca Cola! Pink Lemonade also just happens to be one of those this summer.

I'm not about to go out and hand squeeze lemons and spend hours making the perfect Pink Lemonade, though. This would be absolutely delicious and well worth it but for my budget conscious self, I'd rather opt for something more affordable and just as good. Instead, I venture down to my local grocery story and I purchase some of the frozen juice mixes. While some of these can be high in sugars and other additives there are some great healthier options. Over the years, I've tried dozen of these but by far the 'No Name' brand - which can be purchased at places like Shoppers Drug Mart and Real Canadian Superstore through Canada - is my absolute favorite. They have some really delicious flavor including Pink Lemonade!

Since water consumption is vital for me in the Summer time I don't follow the instructions on these frozen juice packages. In general, they require you to add two - four cans of water to the frozen mixture. In this case, I actually added six and I probably could have added seven or eight without diluting the flavor of the juice that much. This Pink Lemonade has a very strong lemon taste to it and is quite sour but the more water you add the more this flavor settles and becomes more management. For me, I don't mind the sour taste so adding six cups of water was the perfect amount for me.

When filling your glass don't forget to use lots of ice cubes to keep your drink cool on the hottest of days and let's be honest, it just looks pretty. To finish this refreshing drink off, I always add a colorful straw. This actually causes me to drink more of the juice because I find it easier for carrying around or sitting on my desk and sipping at it.

But I want to know, what is your favorite Summer drink? 

Do you find yourself reaching for plain old water or spicing it up with some infused fruit or flavor shots? Or maybe it's Coca Cola that gets your attention! Let me know in the comments below so that I can try some of your suggestions!