Creative ice cubes: How fruits, herbs, and more spice up your summer drinks

Many Germans don't drink enough, even though this is especially important in summer to keep the body running. However, the taste of plain water can quickly become bland. That's why people often turn to infused water . This means that water is flavored, often with lemon or cucumber slices.

And in the summer, we top it off with ice-cold flavor: aromatic ice cubes. These release their flavor bit by bit. Boredom in a glass is a thing of the past. They can spice up more than just water. They also work wonderfully with lemonade, sparkling wine, or iced coffee – all without diluting it.

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Not to mention that the pretty look will surely make you reach for the glass, carafe or drinking bottle more often.

You can't go wrong with fruit. Bananas, however, are more of a matter of taste in fresh water. Instead, opt for fresher fruits with a less creamy consistency. Berries, citrus fruits, melons, and tropical fruits are particularly good.

You'll achieve the best results with fresh fruits and herbs, as these impart the most flavor. For the same reason, fruits should ideally be cut and not placed whole in the ice cube tray.

When choosing your ingredients, keep in mind which drinks you'll be cooling with the ice cubes. Ice cubes with banana and cream work much better with a milkshake than with water.

For your inspiration, we have created a whole list of ingredients that are suitable for ice cubes.

The basic rule is: Anything that tastes good is allowed. To find particularly suitable combinations, focus on either similarities or contrasting flavors and appearance. A quick tip: You can never go wrong with lemon and mint.

If you want particularly exciting creations, think in three steps: main component, base, and extra. The main component is the fruit or fruits that make up the majority of the ice cube. The base is usually water. However, you can also use tea, coffee, milk, or other liquids. The extra is the icing on the cake and is usually found in the herbal section.

Quick, easy, and delicious, try blueberries and mint, strawberries and basil, or the supposed beauty-boosting combination of cucumber and mint. Experiment to find your favorite combinations.

• Citrus fruits : lemon, lime, orange, mint for extra freshness
• Very Berry : Raspberry, blueberry, strawberry, cranberries (on request) for a slightly more tart taste
• Tropical with a twist : pineapple, mango, passion fruit, grated ginger (on request), topped up with coconut water
• Apple blossom : apple, honeydew melon, marigold blossoms
• Melon Medley : Watermelon, Honeydew Melon, Cantaloupe Melon, Mint
• Sweet and sour : strawberry, blueberry, lemon
• Lady in Red : Strawberry, Cherry, Raspberry, Pomegranate Seeds
• Apple compote : apple, rosemary, grated ginger, cinnamon
• Fruity and tart : grapefruit, cranberry, thyme
• Herb garden : lavender, mint, rosemary, grated ginger
• Inner peace : coconut milk, marigold blossoms, black tea
• Fruit on the Beach : Watermelon, basil, coconut water
• Iced Coffee Extravaganza : Milk, coffee, caramel syrup, vanilla pulp or vanilla sugar

If you're using fruit with the peel, organic products are the best choice, as the peel is preservative-free. If you're using canned fruit, that's no problem either; you can also use the juice. Ideally, however, there's no added sugar, otherwise your drinks will almost unnoticeably turn into little calorie bombs. The same applies when infusing them with smoothies or lemonades.

If you want to truly impress at your next garden party, pay attention not only to the contents of the ice cubes, but also to their arrangement. For example, you can artistically twist orange, lemon, or cucumber slices into them. Zest or grated peel make excellent decorations. Edible glitter powder or gold leaf are also acceptable. Using filtered or boiled water will make the ice cubes particularly clear.

These creative ice cube creations shouldn't stay in the freezer until next summer. While the fruit is frozen, it loses flavor and firmness the longer it stays frozen. For best freshness and flavor, the ice cubes should be consumed within a week; if stored airtight, they can be kept in the freezer for about three months.