In our opinion, the summer before senior year should be filled with the most fun and adventure, especially with the nice, warm weather that comes with it. To celebrate our last summer as high school students, we explored the signature summer drinks of locally-owned coffee shops in Prosper and Celina. From creamy coffee-based drinks to tangy fruit-based drinks, we tasted and rated these four drinks based on flavor, level of refreshment and creativity. Which summer drink would you like to try? Read further to find out which drinks we liked the best.

Boundaries Coffee – Yuzu Cream Soda

1410 W. Frontier Parkway, Prosper

Rating: 4/10

We were intrigued by this drink when we first noticed it on the specials menu because of its unconventional pairing of vanilla sweet cream with citrus-flavored yuzu soda – so, we decided to order it. Unfortunately, these flavors clashed severely and were unpleasant to taste, especially when we decided to mix the drink a little. Not only that, we felt this drink was a little too heavy and rich, and not refreshing enough to be “classified” as summer menu item. However, the vanilla sweet cream foam on its own tasted delicious.

1418 Coffee – Iced Smoked Honey Orange Blossom Latte

102 E. Broadway St., Prosper

Rating: 5/10

This drink was pretty underwhelming in terms of the flavor since we were expecting the flavors smoked honey and orange to come through more strongly. However, the coffee itself was creamy and had a bold flavor with a slight aftertaste of orange. If we visit 1418 Coffee again, we will opt for a more refreshing drink while still keeping their classic coffee-base.

Summer Moon Coffee – Raspberry Moon Drop

306 W. Walnut St., Celina

Rating: 7/10

Although this drink also utilized odd flavor pairings, Summer Moon Coffee made it work with their signature “Moon Milk,” which is house-made sweet cream, and slightly sweet raspberry syrup mixed with a frozen lemonade base. The coffee shop pulls this combination off by mixing two ingredients known to go well together with their fan-favorite sweet cream. This drink has a strong tart flavor in the first few sips, but the more we drank it, the more we enjoyed the tanginess that came from the raspberry syrup and lemonade. However, our one big complaint was that this drink was not as refreshing as we would have liked it to be.

Six Sips Coffee Co – Cherry Lemonade

2770 W. First St. Suite 15, Prosper

Rating: 9/10

When we think of classic summer drinks, lemonade is the first thing that comes to mind, and this coffee shop’s version exceeded our expectations. The cherry flavoring complimented the naturally tart lemonade nicely, making each sip a perfect balance between sweet and sour. Normally, standard cherry syrups taste very artificial to us, but that wasn’t the case this time, as the syrup they use is not overly sugary. The cherry lemonade should be a go-to item in the menu if you are looking for a satisfying refreshment under the hot Texas sun.