If I had to pick just one favorite summer drink, it would be watermelon juice. Just fresh watermelon and nothing (or little) else. Served over ice, chilled or even at room temperature, watermelon juice is clean and reviving, summer at its best.

Both locations of Num Pang make an excellent and reliable version. Pureed watermelon, served cold from the fridge, no ice. They blend it just so that it's not completely smooth but still retains small bits that can be easily sucked up through the straw.

There's a similar version over at Bouley Studio, but up north at Coppelia, the iced watermelon juice (pictured above) is perfectly smooth, as if the juice was strained to create a clean, clear concoction.

If you want an extra kick in your juice, head to Lafayette Espresso Bar and Marketplace where the pureed watermelon is blended with basil to create a complex and peppery twist on the original.

Num Pang

21 East 12th Street, New York NY 10003 (map)

Bouley Studio

130 W Broadway, New York NY 10013 (map)

Coppelia

207 West 14th Street, New York NY 10011 (map)

Lafayette Espresso Bar and Marketplace

189 Lafayette Street, New York NY 10013 (map)