5 Korean Drinks to Enjoy in the Summer

A beautiful sunny day isn’t quite complete without a refreshing drink to sip! Delicious Korean beverages are the perfect way to quench your thirst in hot summer weather. We have selected some of our favourite ones to try; recipes you can create at home or store-bought drinks, alcoholic or soft, there is a beverage in our list to satisfy all taste buds!

Omija Tea - Five Flavour Berry Tea

A much-loved drink in Korea, Omija Tea is a delicious drink which, as you may have guessed, is created from omija berries. Some may consider the diverse and robust combination of flavours as an acquired taste! Omija (which translates to five flavour berries) offers a compelling mix of the below flavours: • Sweet • Sour • Salty • Pungent • Bitter Omija can be bought and used to infuse tea as well as fruit punch! You may also find it is referenced as Schisandra or magnolia berry too. It is popular due to its health benefits and is often an ingredient included in oriental medicine.

What You Will Need

• 10g dried omija berries • 1l of water To sweeten the taste, you may also want to include a bit of sugar or honey. Another lovely aesthetic addition is a peeled and carved Asian pear in the shape of a flower!

What to Do

Take the dried omija berries and leave to soak in the litre of cold water the night before you need them. The next day, drain the liquid of the berries off into a container and throw away the berries, and you are good to go! For extra refreshment, keep it in the fridge.

Subak Hwachae - Korean Watermelon Punch

Hwachae can be created from a variety of ingredients. It is drunk mainly in the summer season and also serves as a Korean dessert. A traditional Hwachae drink is created from water and sweeteners such as sugar or honey. However, you may find that it is now more frequently made from soft fizzy drinks like lemonade (Sprite is often recommended), milk or juice.

What You Will Need

You will need to create balls or cubes of the following: • Watermelon Optional additions include: • Melon • Blueberries • Pineapple • Lemon Variations of the liquid include: • Three tbsp of watermelon juice and two cups of lemonade (Sprite). • Three tbsp of watermelon juice, 1.5 cups of lemonade and 0.5 cups of milk. • Three tbsp of watermelon juice and two cups of strawberry-flavoured milk. Make sure to add ice cubes too!

What to Do

Nice and simple, all you need now is a large bowl. Fill it with the watermelon and any extra fruit you desire and pour in the liquid base. For presentation, add some fresh mint leaves.

Honey Citron Sparkling Iced Tea

If you like your summer drinks nice and sweet, you will enjoy honey citron sparkling iced tea; it is a summer twist on the popular Korean winter drink Yujacha which is usually served hot.

What You Will Need

• Ice cubes, • Two cups of sparkling water, • Five tbsp of honey citron marmalade. Then just stir all together and serve in the sun!

Banana Uyu - Korean Banana Milk

This tasty drink can be made at home but is also a favoured store-bought beverage and has been on the shelves since 1974 by the company Binggrae. The ingredients may vary and depend on the country from which the product is transported. However, the drink usually consists of around 80% milk with just a slight banana flavouring. It is a soft and smooth drink which is very comforting, especially when chilled on a sunny day.

Soju Mojito

Soju is a Korean-based alcohol which dates back to 13th century. It is created from rice, barley or wheat, but more recently produced from sweet potatoes and potatoes. It can vary in alcohol percentage from 16.8% to 53%. It is a great addition to cocktails, and below is a suggestion to try. Find out more about this traditional alcoholic drink with our guide; What is Soju?

What You Will Need

To add a fresh Korean spin on this classic summer cocktail, you will need (per cocktail): • Around 10 fresh mint leaves • Lemonade or soda water • One lime • Crushed ice • One tsp sugar syrup • Two shots of Soju

What to Do

Begin by crushing the mint leaves with the lime and sugar in a glass. Next, add the ice into the glass with the two Soju shots. Finally, add the lemonade or soda water! Hopefully, we have inspired you to create and try some delicious Korean-inspired refreshments this summer. What are your favourite Korean drinks? Why not let us know on our social media channels? We would love to hear from you! If you would like to try and make some of these Korean summer drinks for yourself at home, take a look at our selection of ingredients for both Korean drinks and Korean food online!

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