It's an
agonizing conundrum, to be certain.
The more astute among those of us in toasty climates have found that the addition of a simple coaster can make all the difference; yielding merely a moist coaster instead of a puddle of water atop one's desk.
My personal preference is to use absorbent coasters...ones stolen from local pubs seem to work well. Resist the temptation to slip an AOL disc under your sweating cup or glass...it will only pospone the inevitable.
Investing in an insulated mug of significant volume may also curtail these problems. As the insulation keeps your beverage chilly, it also provides a buffer between the frosty drink and the warmer surrounding air, preventing the dreaded drink sweats.
The second hurdle to overcome is moisture transferred from the cup's outer surface by your own hands. A dampened keyboard is almost as bad as a puddle on your desktop. I recommend an insulated mug with a handle, allowing you to drink without touching the surface of the cup itself.
Last, any rogue droplets which have managed to condense on the cup are best dealt with by either judicious application of a handy kerchief or paper towel-like product. A quick swipe before moving the cup away from the coaster-patrolled DMZ can avert stray liquid finding a home on your desktop, lap, or shirt. Should this process strike you as too involved or even neurotic, the simple addition of a straw to your refreshing drink will allow you to keep the cup fully upright, thus retaining any wily droplets in their proper (if wobbly) location on the underside of the cup. Once the cup has been set back down on aforementioned absorbent coaster, any loose water will be appropriately contained.
That being said, I find that simply sitting in a pool or filled bathtub while drinking my summer refreshment is the most efficient method, but can be difficult to accomplish on a standard work schedule.