If you own a Hamilton Beach Commercial beverage blender, you already know it easily creates perfectly creamy smoothies. But
have you ever thought about all the other blended drinks you could be making?
Don’t let your high-performance blender sit idly on the bar or counter. Put its power to work! We have 7 ideas for some non-smoothie blended drinks to add to your menu.
1. Blended Aguas Frescas
Fruit. Water. Sweetener. That’s pretty much all you need to make a delicious agua fresca, a cool blended drink that’s a staple in Mexico. You can also add herbs, infused syrups, and other flavorings, resulting in endless combinations. Food & Wine suggests watermelon, lime and mint; jalapeno and pineapple; or peach and rosewater. Blend, strain, and serve over ice.
2. Blended Dragonfruit Drink
This treat melds sweet and tart flavors. Experiment with flavors like mango juice and dragonfruit pieces to create something unique for your customers. It’s lighter than a smoothie but more substantial than juice, thanks to the addition of creamy coconut. Best of all, it’s an irresistible shade of magenta!
3. Blended Neer Mor
What is neer mor? Translated from Tamil, it means “watery buttermilk.” But it’s much more complex than that: neer mor often includes lemon, cilantro, mint, chilis and spices. It’s served with tadka: mustard seeds, curry leaves and hing (asafoetida) toasted in oil.
Serious Eats calls it “the South Indian food coma cure-all… savory, spicy, and tangy, with a verve that's vaguely medicinal, it's everything you need to counteract the carbfest that got you here in the first place.”
Blogger Sharmilee Jayaprakash offers a great traditional recipe for neer mor, as well as similar drinks such as taak, a Maharashtrian buttermilk drink, and sambaram, the Kerala version. Traditionally made with a wooden whisk, these summertime coolers take to blending as well.
4. Blended Matcha Latte
Matcha’s global popularity continues to rise as more consumers seek out drinks that promote wellness. But does matcha — a specially grown powdered green tea — really as healthy as it sounds? Yes and no. It is high in antioxidants and L-theanine. However, when matcha drinks contain large amounts of sugar and cream “it really counteracts the health benefits,” said Dr. Frank Hu, chair of the department of nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. If you have a health-conscious customer base, try offering matcha blended with almond milk and minimal sweetener.
5. Blended Bone Broth
While sipping hot broth has been part of many cultural traditions for thousands of years, it went mainstream in the mid 2010s with the rise of the paleo diet. Bone broth, with amino acids, minerals and collagen extracted from simmering bones, continues to be popular for its health benefits and as a comforting cold-weather pick-me-up.
Blended bone broth drinks have more flavor than broth alone. Blending emulsifies fats for a heartier, more savory taste. You can make broth richer by blending with cream and/or butter. If you’re using powdered broth instead of fresh, blending is the best way to incorporate the powder for smooth results. You can even blend in veggies, such as carrot, celery, onion and mushroom, for a satisfying, drinkable soup.
6. Blended Hot Chocolate
Hot cocoa is delicious no matter how you make it, but blending adds new dimensions of creaminess and froth. Blending works especially well for:
- No-sugar/vegan hot chocolate that includes cocoa powder, dates, cashews or other ingredients you can’t easily stir in
- Hot chocolate with peanut butter or other nut butter
- Hot chocolate made with chocolate chips or grated chocolate
- Frozen hot chocolate
7. Blended Almond Milk
Blended almond milk boasts “incredible creaminess, mellow milky flavor, and all-around superiority” compared to the packaged kind, according to The Kitchn. For this reason, coffee shops and cafés may want to give it a whirl.
The process is easy:
- Soak almonds in water for 12-48 hours. Longer soaking makes a creamier milk.
- Drain and rinse.
- Blend with fresh water in a high-performance blender.
- Strain out the almond meal and sweeten, if desired.
We haven’t even started to talk about alcoholic blended drinks. If you want to add a little chill to your cocktail program, we have six fabulous frozen dessert cocktails, seven ways to shake up the classic piña colada, and eight frozen cocktails for the winter months. All you need is some ice, some imagination, and a Hamilton Beach Commercial high-performance blender.
Explore all of our foodservice and beverage solutions for smoothie shops, coffee and tea shops, bars and cafés.
