3 Retro inspired Iced Drinks You Can Make at Home
Published: May 8, 2026From Tang and Strawberry Shortcake to Kool - Aid! Three Fun retro iced drinks to try this summer.
Strawberry, Orange and Cherry 
If you grew up old school with Kool-Aid in the fridge, Tang in the cupboard, and the occasional soda shop treat, these drinks we had as kids are going to feel like a throwback in the best way.
This roundup blog brings back fun drink recipes something you’d sip through a straw while sitting at a kitchen table on a summer afternoon.
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3 Easy Summer Drinks - 🍓 Simple Ingredients, No Fuss
These drinks use things you likely already have or can grab easily like Kool-Aid, soda, and limeade. No complicated steps, no special equipment, just quick mixing and you’re done.
🍒 Kool-Aid Cherry Limeade
A bright, fizzy retro drink made with cherry Kool-Aid syrup, fresh lime, and a creamy soda fountain finish.
⏱️ Recipe Details
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 1 drink (plus extra syrup)
Era: Vintage-Inspired
Category: Retro Drinks & Sodas
✨ Ingredients
Cherry Kool-Aid Syrup
1 packet cherry Kool-Aid
1 cup sugar
2 cups water
Drink
Ice
Maraschino cherries
Fresh lime slices
Newman’s Own Limeade (or similar)
Cherry Kool-Aid syrup
Whipped cream (for topping)
🥤 Instructions
Step 1: Make the Cherry Kool-Aid Syrup
In a pitcher, combine the cherry Kool-Aid packet, sugar, and water.
Stir well until the sugar is fully dissolved.
Set aside.
Step 2: Build the Drink
Fill an 8–12 oz glass with ice.
Add a few maraschino cherries and lime slices.
Pour in the limeade, leaving about ¼ of the glass empty at the top.
Slowly pour in the cherry Kool-Aid syrup to fill the glass.
Step 3: Finish
Top with a swirl of whipped cream and serve immediately.
🍸 Vintage Serving Tip
For that true soda fountain feel, serve with a straw and long spoon, and don’t skip the whipped cream it gives it that creamy, old-school float vibe.
📝 Kitchen Notes
You’ll have extra Kool-Aid syrup store it in the fridge and use for more drinks, sodas, or even over shaved ice.
Adjust sweetness by adding more or less syrup to taste.
For a fizzy version, swap part of the limeade with sparkling water or club soda.
🍓 Strawberry Shortcake Fizz
A sweet, creamy soda fountain style drink that tastes just like strawberry shortcake in a glass.
⏱️ Recipe Details
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 1 drink
Category: Retro Drinks & Sodas
✨ Ingredients
Ice
Strawberry soda
Vanilla creamer
🥤 Instructions
Step 1: Fill the Glass
Fill an 8–12 oz glass with ice.
Step 2: Add the Soda
Pour in the strawberry soda, filling most of the glass.
Step 3: Cream It Up
Add a splash of vanilla creamer and gently stir.
Step 4: Finish
Drizzle caramel syrup over the top.
Serve immediately and enjoy!
🍰 Flavor Note
This one leans sweet and creamy like sipping on a strawberry shortcake dessert with a fizzy twist.
🍊 Orange Tang Fizzy Soda Recipe
🧾 Ingredients
2 cups chilled 7 Up
Ice
2 tablespoons Tang
1 tablespoon French vanilla creamer
Whipped cream
Maraschino cherry
Orange slice (for garnish)
Optional: pinch of dry Tang for garnish
🥄 Instructions
In a separate 2-cup glass or pitcher, stir the Tang directly into the 7-Up until dissolved. (It will get fizzy watch closely as it may overflow.)
Fill an 8 oz glass with ice, then pour the Tang mixture over the ice until full.
Add 1 tablespoon of French vanilla creamer and lightly stir.
Top generously with whipped cream.
Sprinkle a tiny pinch of dry Tang over the whipped cream for a fun retro finish.
Garnish with an orange slice on the rim and a cherry on top.
✨ Kitchen Notes
Stir gently when combining Tang and soda to keep as much fizz as possible.
The French vanilla creamer adds a soft creamsicle flavor without needing ice cream.
For a stronger orange flavor, add a small splash of fresh orange juice.
Best served immediately while cold and bubbly.
(Print Tip: Be sure to select the exact page you want to print — otherwise it may print the whole post!)
Did You Know?
Kool-Aid was invented by Edwin Perkins in Hastings, Nebraska, where his early experiments took place in his mother’s kitchen.
Before it became Kool-Aid, the drink began as a liquid concentrate called Fruit Smack.
In 1927, Perkins found a way to remove the liquid from Fruit Smack, turning it into a lighter powder that was easier and cheaper to ship. That powdered drink mix became Kool-Aid.
Perkins later moved production to Chicago in 1931, and Kool-Aid was sold to General Foods in 1953.
Historical details compiled from vintage publications, food history references, and original advertising ephemera.
Fun vintage serving tips:
🍧 Turn into popsicles
Pour any of these drinks into popsicle molds and freeze for a fun, old-fashioned treat.
The cherry Kool-Aid limeade freezes bright and tangy.
It’s an easy way to turn a simple drink into something that feels straight out of a summer afternoon.
🛒 Retro Shopping
Available on Amazon: Aquarius Snoopy Beagle Scouts Fun Box - Sturdy Tin Storage Box with Plastic Handle & Embossed Front Cover
Available on Amazon:
Kool-Aid Jammers Drink, 30 Pouches, for School Lunches and On-the-Go Hydration, Artificially Flavored Tropical Punch, Grape and Cherry Flavors, 6 fl oz
📌Looking for more great retro drinks… or two?
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These drinks feel like the kind of thing you’d sip through a paper straw while sitting at a kitchen table on a hot afternoon or for a summer outing.
Sometimes the simplest recipes are the ones that stick with us, and these retro-inspired drinks bring back a little bit of that old-fashioned fun one glass at a time.
If you’re ready to keep the nostalgia going, don’t forget to join my Retro Recipe Club for more mid-century favorites!
💌 Theses recipes are part of the Vintage by the Bite collection where 1940s–1960s recipes live on in today’s kitchens. From fizzy drinks to Sunday suppers, we’re preserving the past one bite at a time.
Recipe Source: Original Recipes
Photo Credit: Vintage by the bite/Shelly O. photography
Strawberry, Cherry and Orange Retro Iced Drinks
