19 Flavorful Ways To Liven Up Your Summer Ice Cubes

Rather than worrying what kind of drinks you're serving at your next dinner party, maybe you should be thinking about what sort of fancy ice cubes you want to make. You'll feel refreshed just looking at these.

1. Vanilla Bean Ice Cubes

Via ohmyveggies.com

Get the full instructions at OhMyVeggies.com.

2. Iced Tea Ice Cubes

ohafternoonsnacks.com

3. Add Herbs or Fruit to Your Ice Cubes

sassychicagobrides.com

Some ideas: blueberries, strawberries, lemon slices, fennel, and mint.

4. Make a Pupsicle

microdrylovespets.genuinemicrodry.com

Freeze dog toys and treats in a cake mold.

5. (Alcoholic) Ice Candy

oggi-icandothat.blogspot.com

This recipe comes from Oggi:

Watermelon Lambanog Cocktail Ice Candy

-a quarter of a watermelon, cubed

-2 tablespoons lime juice

-sugar, to taste

-lambanog or watermelon vodka, to taste

Puree watermelon in a blender. Place a strainer lined with a coffee filter over a measuring cup. Pour the pureed watermelon and leave for 20 minutes. Discard the pulp and coffee filter. Stir in lime juice and sugar and lambanog to taste. Fill bag one at a time, twist the top of the bag and make a knot to seal. Place filled bags in an upright position in a container if desired, otherwise lay them flat on a smooth surface, and let freeze for several hours.

Check out Oggi for more ice candy ideas.

6. Pure Fruit Ice Cubes

ohparty.net

Crush up a fruit of your choice (watermelon, raspberries, etc.), mix with lemonade, and freeze.

7. Chocolate Ice Cubes in Milk (or Coffee)

sandrakavital.blogspot.com

- 200ml milk

- 50ml water

- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

- 1 teaspoon sugar

- 1 tablespoon instant coffee (optional)

- 70g dark chocolate (66%)

Finely chop chocolate and place in a heatproof bowl.

Pour milk and water in a saucepan, add sugar, cocoa and instant coffee and mix carefully to avoid lumps. Bring to a boil over medium heat then remove from heat.

Pour mixture over the chocolate, melt 5 minutes then mix gently with a wooden spoon to get a cream smooth and creamy.

Cool and pour into an ice cube tray and freeze.

This recipe courtesy of Sandra Kavital's blog.

8. Ice Shotglasses

intimateweddings.com

Click here for the full tutorial on how to make these.

9. Edible Wildflower Ice Cubes

blogger.com

Freeze edible flowers in your ice cubes.

10. Freeze Lemon Juice for Iced Tea

thekitchn.com

11. Striped Ice Cubes

marthastewartweddings.com

- 8 tablespoons pink lemonade

- 8 tablespoons diluted pomegranate juice

- 4 tablespoon diluted black currant juice

- 8 tablespoons pink lemonade

Prepare all liquids. For each flavor of ice cube, alternately layer the aperitif or lemonade with the fruit juice or nectar in ice cube trays, allowing the liquid to freeze completely before pouring on another layer, about 1 hour. Serve in seltzer.

Recipe courtesy of Martha Stewart Weddings, click here for the alcoholic Campari version.

12. Make an Ice Cozy for a Bottle of Liquor

sassychicagobrides.com

Place a bottle of liquor into an empty 2-liter plastic bottle with the top cut off. Fill the sides with water and fruit, and freeze.

13. Freeze Your Leftover Coffee into Ice Cubes

marthastewart.com

Keep your iced coffee from getting watered down by serving it with coffee ice cubes. Or add milk to make latte ice cubes.

14. Rainbow Ice Cubes

alcademics.typepad.com

Just add food coloring to your ice cube tray.

15. Lime and Mint Ice Cubes for Mojitos

food.sndimg.com

- 1 1/2 cups fresh lime juice (lemon,orange.. can be used)

- 1/4 cup sugar (optional)

- 1 cup water

- 24 lime wedges

- 24 mint leaves

Mix lime juice and sugar till dissolved. Add water mix and pour into 2 ice cube trays. Place 1 lime wedge and 1 mint leaf in each section. Top with additional water if need. Freeze til solid.

Recipe from Rita on Food.com.

16. Turn Frozen Grapes into "Ice Cubes" for Red Wine

improvisedlife.com

According to The Improvised Life red wine is best enjoyed between 55 and 65 degrees or cellar temperature — which none of us actually do. Get there with these frozen grapes.

17. Kool-Aid Ice Cubes in Sprite

mrshappyhomemaker.com

18. Hibiscus Tea Cubes

bonappetit.com

Hibiscus tea makes for such prettily colored ice cubes. Place in a glass of iced green tea.

19. Piña Colada Cubes

blog.justinablakeney.com

Use a large ice cube tray and alternated layers of pineapple juice and coconut milk. It works best if you do thin layers and fully let each layer freeze before adding the next. Add your beautifully striped cubes to fresh muddled pineapple, coconut milk and rum for the most delicious summer treat.

This recipe comes from Justina Blakeney's blog..