Refresher Course

Crafted with care, cool drinks make it easy to sip and stroll the summer away

Freddo Cappuccino

“Anna, ya gotta do these freddo cappos. It’s the biggest thing here!” said one of Anna Papadopoulos’s cousins from Greece. At the Nutty Greek Bake Shop, co-owner Papadopoulos pours espresso, made with Francesco’s beans, over ice; it’s topped with a dense milk foam with the highest head ever (courtesy of their milkshake machine). $3.50. Nutty Greek Bake Shop, 490 Rochester St.

Lime Soda

Move over, 7Up — Bec’s lime soda from Montreal is here to stay! The soda is for “people who like pop but don’t want to ruin their health,” says co-founder Olivier Dionne. “We worked with chemists to come up with non-synthetic flavourings.” This lime pop is sweetened with maple syrup. $3. SuzyQ, 969 Wellington St. W.

Chè Ba Mau

This Vietnamese delicacy looks like a parfait, yet you drink it through a straw. And although it’s called Three Colour Drink, owner/chef Huong Nguyen at Huong’s insists she sees four! Count the sweet housemade layers: red adzuki beans, yellow mung beans, green agar-agar jelly, and white coconut milk. $4. Huong’s Vietnamese Bistro, 359 Booth St.

Mango Granita

You can’t beat pure fruit — in this case, a gorgeous mango granita from gelateria Mantovani 1946. The drink is made by blending crushed ice with handmade sorbetto. The sorbetto recipe — fruit and sugar, but not sweetened too much — comes all the way from the original Mantovani 1946 in Naples. So lush! $6. Mantovani 1946, 87 Murray St.

Strawberry Iced Tea

Nectar of the gods! Brilliant red, this strawberry iced tea comes from chocolatier Cylie. Organic strawberry white tea has been cold-steeped — long and slow. Then, along with ByWard Market strawberries, a subtle made-in-house vanillabean syrup is added. Plus, the ice cubes are made from the tea. Such rarified balance! $4.50. Cylie Artisans Chocolatiers, 204 Dalhousie St.