There’s something especially refreshing about a cool drink on a hot summer afternoon—especially when you made it yourself! Here in the Texas Hill Country, we’re right in the middle of those long, sunny summer days when even stepping outside for a few minutes makes you appreciate a tall glass of something cold—Homemade Summer Drinks!
Homemade beverages are not only delicious, but many traditional drinks have been enjoyed for generations because they were nourishing as well. Some help replenish electrolytes after working outdoors. Others are naturally fermented and rich in probiotics to support gut health. And every one of them is made with simple ingredients you can prepare right in your own kitchen.
In this blog post, I introduce you to three homemade drinks you’ll enjoy making this summer. I’m also excited to announce the first lesson experience for The Modern Pioneer Celebrates America Curriculum, which includes a historical homemade drink!
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Table of Contents
- Homemade Summer Drink Recipes
- Make an Early American Drink While Learning History
- A Little Story About My First Batch of Kvass
- Masontops Mason Jar Fermentation Kit Discount Coupon
- Redmond Real Salt
- Cultures for Health
- Farmhouse Teas (and Herbs!)
- The Modern Pioneer Cookbook
- The Modern Pioneer Pantry
- Start Your Traditional Foods Journey
- Download Your Free 36-Page Pantry List
- Join the Traditional Foods Kitchen Academy
- Kitchen Academy Videos
- Shop for My Favorite Items
Homemade Summer Drink Recipes
Here are three of my favorite homemade summer beverages I’m sure you’ll enjoy!
Homemade Electrolyte Drink
When you’re working in the garden, spending time outdoors, or simply trying to stay hydrated during these hot summer months, this homemade electrolyte drink is a wonderful alternative to many store-bought sports drinks.
Traditional Rye Bread Kvass
Kvass is one of the most fascinating traditional beverages I’ve ever learned to make. It’s an old-world fermented drink made from rye bread that’s naturally rich in probiotics and has been enjoyed for generations throughout Eastern Europe.
Homemade Tepache
This lightly fermented pineapple drink is refreshing, slightly fizzy, and a wonderful way to use every bit of a fresh pineapple. Tepache is one of my favorite examples of how traditional cultures practiced “no-waste” cooking long before it became fashionable.
Make an Early American Drink While Learning History
One of the greatest joys of creating the free Modern Pioneer Celebrates America Curriculum for our country’s 250th anniversary has been seeing families make these traditional recipes together.
This week, my sweet friend Jamie O’Hara shares her family’s experience as she and her children experienced Lesson #1, making a Strawberry Shrub—one of the homemade beverages featured in the curriculum. (Jamie worked with me to create The Modern Pioneer Cookbook Curriculum and The Modern Pioneer Celebrates America Curriculum—both free and available on my website.)
It’s such a delight to see children discovering that some of the most refreshing drinks don’t come from a bottle or can—but can be made right at home with simple ingredients and a little patience.
A Little Story About My First Batch of Kvass
Do you remember Yahoo Groups?
That little corner of the internet was where I first discovered traditional kvass—long before Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube. It was a cozy online gathering place where people from around the world shared recipes, traditions, and encouragement with one another.
I became friends with several wonderful ladies from Eastern Europe who introduced me to a drink they simply called kvass. They explained that it was made with stale rye bread, naturally fermented, rich in probiotics, and treasured by their families for generations.
No-Waste Philosophy
What I loved immediately was their no-waste philosophy. Nothing was wasted—not even yesterday’s rye bread. Every family seemed to have its own treasured recipe, and each one was just a little different. Some added raisins. Others preferred herbs or fruit.
There wasn’t just one “right” way to make kvass, and I found that absolutely delightful. Like so many traditional foods, it was wonderfully flexible and made with whatever was available.
Well, I gathered my ingredients and eagerly made my very first batch.
Then…I waited.
Thirty long days!
When fermentation was finally complete, I carefully strained out the rye bread, poured myself a nice big glass, and took a couple of enthusiastic swigs.
OH…MY!!
To my completely inexperienced palate, it tasted exactly how I imagined straight bourbon would taste!
I thought, “Did I do something terribly wrong? Is this really how traditional cultures boosted immunity and kept colds and flu away?”
Well…not exactly. 😂
How to Enjoy Kvass
My sweet Eastern European friends had quite a laugh when I told them what I’d done.
They gently explained that yes, traditional kvass does have a robust flavor. Yes, it has long been enjoyed during cold and flu season. But no…you’re not supposed to gulp it down like a sweet soda!
It’s really meant to be enjoyed slowly—a few sips at a time. Many people even dilute it with a little water or sparkling water, much the way someone today might enjoy a splash of fire cider mixed into sparkling water.
Once I learned the proper way to enjoy it, I absolutely fell in love with homemade kvass.
To this day, it remains one of my favorite traditional beverages to enjoy throughout the summer, especially when I want to add more traditionally fermented foods to my diet.
One More Tip
If drinking kvass isn’t quite your cup of tea, don’t overlook it in the kitchen. It makes a wonderful substitute for vinegar in homemade salad dressings, adding a lovely depth of flavor that’s both unique and delicious.
Sometimes our biggest kitchen adventures begin with one funny mistake—and I’m so grateful my friends were kind enough to laugh with me instead of at me! 😊
Masontops Mason Jar Fermentation Kit Discount Coupon
Although you don’t need any special equipment to start making ferments, the Masontops kit can help you simplify the process and enable you to create your ferment successfully. In my Masontops unboxing video, I show you my Masontops Complete Mason Jar Fermentation Kit and go over everything the kit includes.
- Use promo code MARYSNST for a one-time 15% off Masontops and Breadsmart products on Amazon.com. (This is not a sponsored post. Masontops provided me with a special discount code for my viewers. I like their products, and I think you will too.)
Redmond Real Salt
When it comes to using salt in my recipes, I always like to use a real salt that has not been processed and does not contain any extra added chemicals or anti-caking agents. Redmond real salt is perfect!
- Redmond Real Life – For Real Salt and other products, use this link and discount code MARYSNEST for 15% off your purchase. (Discount will show at checkout.)
Cultures for Health
If you’re looking for starter cultures from Milk Kefir to Cheese, see the products that Cultures for Health offers for making homemade cultured and fermented foods. And if you order from their website, be sure to use my MARYSNEST discount code for 15% off your purchase.
- Cultures for Health – Make Real Cultured Foods at Home and use discount code MARYSNEST for 15% off your purchase on the Cultures for Health website.
Farmhouse Teas (and Herbs!)
If you are looking for an excellent source for dry herbs, look no further than Farmhouse Teas. And even better, they are offering my sweet friends a 10% discount off their wide selection of herbal tea blends and individual dry herbs.
Limited Time: If you’re looking for a refreshing summer drink or to stock up on dry herbs, check out Farmhouse Teas and take advantage of special savings. For a limited time, you can shop their anniversary sale: 12% whole order with code SITEWIDE12 + code FREESHIPPING on all orders in the United States.
You can also use my discount code and links below to get the ingredients to make the following natural remedies that I’ve shown you how to make in earlier recipe videos.
- Anti-Inflammatory Drinks
- Herbal Acne Salve
- Star Anise Tincture
- Herbal Elixir
Order YOUR COPY Now!
The Modern Pioneer Cookbook
Seasonal ingredients, traditional techniques, and nourishing recipes. Over 85 traditional, from-scratch recipes! Discover for yourself how you can use simple ingredients and traditional techniques to cook the modern pioneer way.
Order YOUR COPY Now!
The Modern Pioneer Pantry
Simple ingredients, timeless techniques, and a well-stocked pantry. Discover over 100 nourishing recipes to preserve food and turn pantry staples into homemade meals. Build a wholesome, traditional pantry—just like a modern pioneer!
Start Your Traditional Foods Journey
Sharing my passion for traditional cooking goes beyond my YouTube cooking school—it also comes to life in the pages of my cookbooks. Both of my books, The Modern Pioneer Cookbook and The Modern Pioneer Pantry, are proudly published by Penguin Random House.
The first is filled with time-honored recipes to help you create a traditional foods kitchen, while the second is your complete guide to home food preservation. Order both books today to start or continue your traditional foods journey.
Download Your Free 36-Page Pantry List
For an extensive list of the traditional foods you can make and purchase to stock your pantry, be sure to download my free 36-page Traditional Foods Pantry List. This comprehensive eBook is full of links to recipe videos, helpful articles, and more!
Join the Traditional Foods Kitchen Academy
Are you looking for more traditional foods videos? If so, I invite you to join the Traditional Foods Kitchen Academy. Members of this optional paid YouTube community get access to exclusive videos and other members-only perks. Plus, your YouTube comments include a special members-only badge.
Kitchen Academy Videos
Baking Questions Answered with Ted and Me!
Join me and my husband Ted for a Q&A filled with practical kitchen tips, helpful techniques, and answers to your baking questions.
Baking with Whole Grains: The Maslin Method, Grain Mills, and America’s Bread Basket
Explore whole grain baking with The Maslin Method, fresh-milled flour, grain mills, heritage wheats, and more.
A Sweet Season of Celebration and New Beginnings with The Maslin Method Baking School Series
Celebrate the close of a heartfelt book tour and the exciting launch of The Maslin Method Baking School for traditional baking.
Stay in Touch with Mary’s Nest
- Subscribe to My YouTube Channel for Traditional Foods Videos (Free) - When you subscribe, be sure to click on the notification bell that will let you know each time I upload a new video.
- Subscribe to Mary’s Traditional Foods Newsletter (Free) - Get a free 36-page eBook for signing up: How to Stock Your Essential Traditional Foods Four-Corners Pantry.
- Join the Traditional Foods Kitchen Academy - For more detailed videos and exclusive members-only perks, join my YouTube membership community.
- Order The Modern Pioneer Cookbook - Get a hardcover book of Mary's nourishing recipes from a Traditional Foods Kitchen. This bestselling cookbook is published by Penguin Random House with their DK imprint.
- Order The Modern Pioneer Pantry - Get Mary's latest hardcover cookbook about preserving food and making delicious meals from your Four Corners Pantry. Mary's second cookbook is also published by Penguin Random House.
I look forward to having you join me in my Texas Hill Country Kitchen!
Shop for My Favorite Items
Favorite Kitchen Supplies
- Favorite Aprons
- Spice Grinder
- Countertop Burner (On my kitchen island in many recipe videos.)
- Handheld Vacuum Sealing System
- Vacuum Lids
- Whisk
- Silica Gel Packets (Helps keep moisture from building up in your mix)
- Cast Iron Dutch Oven
- 8-Quart Slow-Cooker
- Fat Separator (Clever kitchen device to help you decant bone broth)
- Flour Sack Towels
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