Summer Straw Sippers!

There's no better way to combat the summer heat than by sippin' on a delicious ice-cold beverage-- and with these Summer Straw Sippers, you can turn an ordinary drink into an exquisite refreshment in a matter of minutes!

Simply freeze the Sippers ahead of time following the directions laid out in this Instructable, and when you're in the mood for a liquid treat, mix a Sipper into your drink for instant flavor and chill!

In the below steps, I will outline recipes for three different flavors: a Minty Lemonade Sipper, a Chocolate Milk Sipper, and a Fruity Patriotic Sipper. Feel free to pick your favorite or try all three!

A little about my inspiration:

These Sippers were inspired by single-serve hot chocolate sticks; I wanted to experiment with using this single-serve concept in some of my favorite cold drinks. By using straws in place of wooden sticks, there is an added layer of functionality that allows you to go directly from stirring to sipping! Plus, I found that the reusable silicone straws were more sturdy than thin wooden skewers.

Straw Holder:

• ice tray
• cardboard
• box cutter
• pen
• ruler/straightedge
• (4x) reusable silicone straws

Minty Lemonade Sipper:

• 5 lemons (for zesting & juicing)
• 1 cup water
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges
• 3-4 springs of fresh mint
• 8oz iced tea, water, or other beverage of your choice!

• zester
• small pot & lid
• stir spoon
• knife
• (optional) tongs
• small mixing bowl
• strainer

Chocolate Milk Sipper:

• ~4 tablespoons rainbow sprinkles
• ~2 teaspoons butter
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 6 tablespoons sugar
• 2 cups milk (any kind)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 8oz milk

• whisk
• small mixing bowl
• small pot

Fruity Patriotic Sipper:

• 3/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 cups coconut water (or regular water)
• 1/2 cup strawberries, sliced
• 1/4 cup blueberries
• 6oz sparkling water or prosecco

• small pot
• stir spoon
• small mixing bowl

Before we can start making the Sipper themselves, we need to create a template to hold the straws upright while the mixtures are freezing.

This piece can be made quickly and inexpensively using a piece of cardboard. First, cut the cardboard roughly to the size of the ice tray. Then, mark the pattern of the tray onto the cardboard. Use a ruler to extend these markings. You should end up with an approximation of the tray indents marked onto your piece of cardboard.

Next, mark the center of each indent section. This does not need to be exact; I eyeballed it for my template but you could use a ruler if you'd like.

At each center marking, use your box cutter to score an "X" shape about 1/4" wide. Then, press your straws through these cutouts. The resulting template will keep your straws oriented upright while your Sippers are freezing.

The first step for making your Minty Lemonade Sippers is to create a sugar & water mixture called "simple syrup".

Start by zesting your lemons. I prefer a tart taste to my lemonade, so I used two lemons. For a sweeter Sipper, you can stick with one lemon.

Then mix 1 cup water with 3/4 cup sugar in a small pot over medium-high heat, stirring regularly. Once the sugar is entirely dissolved, add in your lemon zest and continue to stir over medium heat until the liquid is bubbling.

Remove the pot from the heat and cover, allowing your lemon simple syrup to cool.

While the simple syrup is cooling, squeeze 3/4 cup of juice from your lemons. For this amount, I used 5 lemons.

There are many ways to juice your lemons depending on what kind of tools you have around the kitchen. Here is my process, which only requires a knife and (optionally) a set of tongs:

1. Roll out the lemon on a cutting board or another flat surface to loosen up the interior of the fruit.
2. Slice the lemon long-ways.
3. Using your hands (or a pair of tongs), squeeze the lemon halves into a container.
4. Repeat until you have 3/4 cups of juice.

Here are some alternative ways to juice a lemon.

Place a strainer over a small mixing bowl and pour your fresh-squeezed lemon juice through it to filter out the seeds and larger chunks of pulp. Then pour your cooled simple syrup through the strainer to filter out the chunks of lemon zest. Give this mixture a quick stir to bring the two liquids together.

Now you're ready to assemble your Sippers! Start by placing 2-3 lemon wedges in each compartment of the tray. Next, add a couple of mint leaves to each compartment.

Then fill the tray with the liquid mixture, leaving about a 1/8" gap to the top of the tray (this will accommodate for the liquid expanding as it freezes).

Place your straw holder in the tray and allow the Sippers to freeze for at least 4 hours (or overnight).

Then, simply remove the Sippers from the tray and mix one into 8oz of your drink of choice! I chose to mix mine into iced tea; it would also work to spritz up a plain glass of water!

I think of chocolate milk as a fun, decadent treat, and I wanted my Chocolate Milk Sipper to reflect that feeling. So I garnished the outside of my Sipper with rainbow sprinkles!

The process I used to do this was simple:

1. Spread a thin layer of butter around the edges of your tray compartments. I used a knife, then spread the butter around more evenly with my finger.
2. Add a couple of pinches of sprinkles to each compartment until the edges are covered.
3. Place the tray in the freezer to let the butter-sprinkle layer set.

To make your chocolate mixture, start by whisking together 1/2 cup cocoa powder with 6 tablespoons of sugar.

Then, heat 2 cups of milk over the stove in a small pot. You can use whatever kind of milk you'd like; for mine, I used unflavored soy milk.

Once the milk has heated, whisk in the cocoa powder-sugar mixture in three segments. Continue whisking until the mixture is homogenous. Then, add a dash (about 1/2 teaspoon) of salt and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. Whisk again, then remove the pot from heat. Allow the mixture to cool, then add 1 teaspoon of vanilla*.

*If you add the vanilla while the mixture is still hot, you will lose some of the flavor to evaporation.

Remove your garnished tray from the freezer, then fill each compartment with your chocolate mixture. Leave about 1/8" from the top of the tray to accommodate for expansion of the liquid while freezing.

Place your straw holder in the tray and allow the Sippers to freeze for at least 4 hours (or overnight).

Then remove the Sippers from the tray and mix one into 8oz of milk for a chocolatey treat!

Just like with your Minty Lemonade Sippers, the first step for making your Fruity Patriotic Sippers is to create a simple syrup.

For these Sippers, you will mix 3/4 cup water with 1/2 cup sugar in a small pot over medium-high heat. Stir regularly until the sugar is entirely dissolved, then remove from heat to let the mixture cool.

Complete the liquid mixture for your Fruity Patriotic Sippers by adding 2 cups of coconut water to the simple syrup. If you don't like coconut, you can use regular water or a juice of your choice.

Now you're ready to assemble your Sippers! Start by placing 2-3 strawberry slices in each compartment of the tray. Next, add a couple of blueberries to each compartment.

Then fill the tray with the liquid mixture, leaving about a 1/8" gap to the top of the tray (this will accommodate for the liquid expanding as it freezes).

Place your straw holder in the tray and allow the Sippers to freeze for at least 4 hours (or overnight).

Then, simply remove the Sippers from the tray and mix one into 6oz of your drink of choice! I chose to mix mine into sparkling water; for an adult alternative try a glass of prosecco!

I hope you've enjoyed reading about how to make your own Summer Straw Sippers! I've had a lot of fun adding these to my drinks for a little something extra on a hot day.

I wanted to add a little fun fact I discovered during the process of experimenting with these recipes: by taking the time to combine your sugar and water into simple syrup over the stove (rather than mixing them cold), your Sippers actually melt faster into your drink than plain frozen water! Science!

If you have any questions about this Instructable, feel free to reach out. And if you make your own Sippers I would love to see how they turn out!

Stay cool!