Nice ices to salute summer
Today marks the 2018 autumn equinox here in the southern hemisphere, marking the first official day of… autumn.
And while crisp mornings and cool dark nights are soon to be upon us, there’s still plenty of warmth around in the Garden City, which prompted us to take a look at some of our favourite iced drinks to enjoy while we still can. Cheers to that.
Kakigo¯ ri At Kadett
371 St Asaph St
Kadett’s kakigo¯ ri, a Japanese shaved ice treat, is a delicious and instant whole-body cool-down. It’s sublimely refreshing – not just in its icy makeup, but as an innovative addition to the cold drinks landscape in the city.
Made with a Kadett-crafted matcha syrup poured over a glass of chipped ice with a drizzle of condensed milk, the kakigo¯ ri is a rejuvenating and interesting pickme-up on hot days.
Pair it with something from Kadett’s majestic menu (kimchi toastie, perhaps?) and you’ll be well and truly satisfied.
Iced Chocolate At The Anchorage
4 Walker St
The Anchorage’s iced chocolate is icy, creamy, chocolatey simplicity at its best.
Going hand-in-hand in a basil-and-tomato or gin-and-tonic kind of fashion, Happy Cow milk and Whittaker’s chocolate are combined to make something quite special.
Served over a chunky ice cube with a dusting of grated chocolate, this is the kind of iced chocolate you’d crave even in the depths of winter due to its creamy, comfort factor.
But for now, sitting in the sun in the Garden City, this will do just perfectly.
Peach Iced Tea At Gentle Giant
158 Ferry Rd, Waltham Gentle Giant’s iced tea is the real deal. No fake pre-mixed, brightly coloured liquids here – just a beautiful fruity fusion of black tea, delicious Teasme Peach Fruit Tea, a dash of sugar syrup, and a enough ice to keep you cool until the sun goes down. Served in a tall, iced-filled glass atop a stylish wooden board, the tea is garnished with a slice of lemon and a sprinkling of the peach tea: dried peach, hibiscus and papaya, to name a few.
The iced tea is available in flavours including plum, citrus, berry and honey ginger, so you can keep those taste buds nicely entertained.
Mimosa At Little Poms
294 Kilmore St
Prosecco, orange juice, a generous scoop of ice, and a sprinkle of fresh blueberries make Little Pom’s Mimosa so hard to look past. Particularly relevant in the summer heat but perhaps equally as necessary in the depths of winter, the mimosa hits the booze-to-juice ratio perfectly and is a nice summer mood-lifter (due to the vitamin C, of course).
Iced Chai at Hello Sunday Cafe
6 Elgin St, Sydenham
The whole home-made-tastes-better thing might seem like a broken-record sentiment these days, but Hello Sunday’s iced chai is a fresh reminder of how this really does ring true. Concocted from a house-made chai tea containing a perfect blend of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cardamom, black pepper and cloves with black tea, coconut milk and a hint of sweetness, the iced chai is served in a tall glass filled to the brim with ice, making each sip a refreshing, lightly spiced delight that is bound to cool anyone down.
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