It's May, and we're dreaming of swimming pools, iced lemonades and sorbets to take us through this searing heat. Climate change is real, as is heat stress, and it's vital to stay cool – internally as much as externally. Make sure you're drinking enough water – 2.5 to 3 litres every day. Add local seasonal foods with a higher water content (muskmelon, watermelon, bitter gourd and cold soups) to your diet, as well as cooling drinks such as coconut water, nimboo pani, aam panna, kanji, and sugarcane juice. 

For the times you need something more elevated, up the ante with a cool summer spritzer. We turned to the country's buzziest new restaurants and brands to ask them for their go-to recipes to beat the summer heat. 

The Banana Soda at Ekaa

Mumbai’s new ingredient-first restaurant Ekaa has a thoughtfully curated beverages menu, highlights of which include the Virgin G&T, made in-house from dried spices and flowers, as well as a refreshing Banana Soda that aims to use the fruit more inventively than simply blending it into a milkshake. For the OG, you’ll need to head to the Kitab Mahal fine-dine, but here’s the recipe for the homemade version.

500g banana 1 litre of water Sugar syrup, to taste Lime juice, to taste 2-3 slivers of dehydrated lime 2-3 fresh mint leaves for garnish Muslin cloth Coffee filter

The Rasbhari, Ginger, Gondhoraj Lemon Kefir at Noon

Noon has been rewriting the beverages playbook with its array of housemade infusions, kefirs and kombuchas. Here Vanika Choudhary, chef and founder of Noon and Sequel, tells us how to make a water kefir drink that’s ideal for summer. A water kefir Choudhary says, is “a fermented fruit-infused water that’s full of healthy probiotics. And easy to make at home, even if you are new to fermentation…All you need is a pack of kefir grains – you can certified organic ones online.” Choudhary also notes you can replace the rasbharis (in season for the next few weeks) with mulberries. Noon currently has a batch of mulberry kefir brewing – deliciously sweet, slightly tart, and rich in antioxidants.

Makes 1 jar 1 litre water 60g raw sugar (organic, unsulphured) 1 tablespoon water kefir grains For the second fermentation 400g black raspberries* 40g ginger 1 Gondhoraj lemon*

*Choudhary first discovered local black raspberries called ‘rasbhari’ when she went to Mahabaleshwar for a wellness retreat in Jan 2021. “They’re indigenous to the forests in Mahabaleshwar,” she says. These can be sourced from Swapnil at +91 82757 68497. “I’ve used them in different recipes from brownies, berry crumble, Kombucha to kefir….Gondhoraj lemon is undoubtedly the king of lemons, another ingredient I discovered when I visited the Offerings Farms for the first time. It’s scarce in juice but not in fragrance."

In your fermentation vessel, add water, raw sugar and the kefir grains. Use a wooden spatula to give it a good stir. Cover this with a muslin cloth and let it ferment for 3 days. You should see some activity (bubbles) after the first 24-48 hours. After 3 days, your basic water kefir is ready.

You could drink it as it is, but it tastes incredible when it goes through a secondary fermentation and is flavoured with seasonal fruits. Strain the kefir grains, using a muslin cloth and repeat the entire process to make another batch of basic water kefir. These grains will last you a lifetime.

For the second fermentation, you will need 400 grams black raspberries, 40 grams ginger and a Gondhoraj lemon. Use a mortar pestle to crush the berries. Alternatively, you could blend the berries in a Vitamix for just 5-10 seconds, mince the ginger and slice the gondhoraj lemon.

Add all this to your basic water kefir. Mix it well, using a wooden spatula. Add this to a new fermentation vessel, put the lid on and let this ferment for 3 days. After 3 days, strain the kefir. Immediately transfer it to glass carafes and refrigerate it, this helps in carbonation. Chaudhary also recommends “burping the bottles every day to ensure that you don’t have an accident, where the carafes end up bursting. The fruit mixture can be used to make fruit leather, and shouldn’t be thrown away.”

A trending drink at coffee shops the world over, the refreshing kick of the lemonade blends well with the bitter rich flavours of coffee. Jatin Waingankar, Svami's Brand Ambassador tells us how to make this fizzy drink. 

60ml double shot espresso or Cold Brew  150ml Svami Lemonade Lots of ice Garnish - lemon wedge

Pour the lemonade and espresso into a glass, add ice and stir. Garnish with a lime wedge. 

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