Summer Drinks for When it’s Hot in St. Petersburg

Marina

As the heat goes haywire in St. Pete, I once again get addicted to iced drinks. Coffee, teas, or fruity lemonades, if it only has ice cubes, count me in. My go-to drink of June (and probably summer of ‘22, too) is Thai iced coffee from TSEKH 85 – a nice coffee with a pump of cream and condensed milk that brings the so-desired freshness even on a +30-something day in the city. I’m not that certain on how much “Thainess” it actually has to it, besides its name, but if it is actually authentic, then it turns out I've been making Thai coffee my whole life (crazy!) without even knowing it. Strong and sweet, this cool drink has saved my life more than once on my way to work but if I ever feel an urgent need to mix up my commute routine, I add a bit of citrus flavor by ordering Fruttochino at the same bakery. 

Catherine

One of my favorite summer beverages is bumble, which is an iced coffee drink based on an espresso with, conventionally, orange juice and a splash of caramel syrup (you can usually tell the barista to skip this added sweetener). It’s refreshing, it’s energizing, it’s delicious, and it lasts a little longer than a regular cup of coffee thanks to the ice. Variations of bumble with other juices, such as mango (3/10, do not recommend) or pineapple (the one I tried was in Moscow and was a solid 9!) can also be found at coffee shops around the city. Recently, my eyes have also been opened to the delicious homemade lemonade from Bolshe Coffee, which somehow turns sea buckthorn, something that screams “warming winter tea” for me, into a wonderfully refreshing drink. This will be my go-to at times when coffee isn’t an option.

Kseniia

This year’s discovery for me – homemade strawberry lemonade. Might’ve just been a sugar rush, but I definitely felt much more alive after drinking it when the heat was over +30°C. I dissolved several tablespoons of sugar in one glass of hot water, added one sliced lemon, blended strawberries (around 200g), mixed it all together, and then added one liter of ice-cold sparkling water. Works well with fresh mint or basil leaves too.

Maryam

One of my favorite summer drinks is bubble tea and it seems to be gaining popularity in St. Petersburg. A popular and reasonably-priced location is Wahaha, just a short walk from Moscow Railway Station. There is a wide variety of options there. You can also choose the temperature of the tea, the amount of added sugar, and which toppings/bubbles you’d like to include. They also have loads of fun lemonades. Tapiera Tea is also a great spot, with two locations, near Vladimirskaya and Sadovaya metro stations. Recently, a new place also opened on Lomonosova street called Double Bubble Tea. It has a cute atmosphere and lots of delicious teas to choose from to cool you right down. 

Anna

This summer, I had to pore over a cold drinks menu at a coffee shop by our campus: from black currant lemonade to blue matcha latte to my new favorite, bumble, an espresso topped with orange juice, the list was impressive and delicious. But I have to admit that my ultimate favorite summer drink is still kvas, a lightly fermented rye drink that packs a punch of carbs, sugar, and fizz. 

Dating back to over a thousand years to the times of Vladimir, a medieval prince, it comes in a variety of versions but I prefer the hearty flavored Никола (Nikola) and Лидский (Lidsky) straight from the fridge. 

Subhrajit

Growing up in India was tough. Scorching summers escorted with heavy perspiration were a part and parcel of my life. Nevertheless, it gave me an opportunity to enjoy a plethora of refreshing summer drinks like coconut water and aam panna (a sour and spicy raw mango drink). However, my favorite has to be lassi (a traditional yogurt-based Indian drink). You can get it in several flavors, mainly fruity ones like strawberry and mango. In recent times, flavors like caramel are also gaining popularity. 

If you are in St. Petersburg and want to try out this famous Indian drink, head over to Oh! Mumbai located on the embankment of the Moika River, 62/2.