Now, I do love my adult beverages. A nice pitcher of sangria makes any party better. And an ice cold beer is great after a run or working outside all day in the heat.

But, moderation in everything is key.

As the days get hotter, it's important to stay well-hydrated. I have to admit though, that drinking plain old water bores me pretty quickly. (Yes, I realize how privileged it is to say that when so much of the world's population suffers from a lack of the clean, fresh water that I find boring.) So, how do I shake things up?

One of the new artisan crazes is the shrub, a vinegar and fruit based liquid that makes club soda or sparkling water a very refreshing treat. You may be able to find these are farm stands, farmers' markets, or in some specialty food stores. (I found some great ones at a distillery, of all places!)

I like to make herbal iced tea. It's just different enough from regular tea to appeal to my bored taste buds. And because it doesn't have any caffeine, I can drink it any time of day or night! Plus, it's fun to play with combinations of the various flavors.

Finally, you can make that plain water more fun by cutting up some fresh fruit, putting it in a pitcher, and filling the pitcher with filtered water. Leave it in the fridge for a few hours and the water will be subtly flavored by the fresh fruit. My pitcher is only half a gallon, so I can usually fill it three times using the same fruit. I like to experiment with fruit combinations: mixed berries, citrus, cucumber and melon. It's also a great use for fruit that's coming to the end of its useful life.

What's in your fridge?