As the weather heats up, cool off with these refreshing summer drinks.
There’s no bad season for a great cocktail! That said, there’s no denying that there’s something extra special about summer sips; after all, we all talk about “the drink of the summer” not “the drink of the fall.” Not only is it an ideal time of year to have something cold and refreshing in hand, summer is also a season that seems to give you permission to follow your heart, be that with an easy-breezy three-ingredient concoction that you can stir up in seconds, a light, low-ABV option that you can keep drinking all day, or an all-around technicolor blowout using all the most fun liqueurs in your bar cart and freshest fruit in your fridge. Summer is the time to be your truest home-bartending self, and to get you started we’ve rounded up some of the most delectable summer cocktail recipes to enjoy all season long.
Peach Botanical Spritz
Ingredients
1.5 oz Ketel One Botanical Peach & Orange Blossom
.5 oz Orange Juice
.3 oz Peach Liqueur
.3 oz Lemon Juice
3 oz Soda water or Sparkling Wine
Instructions
Fill a white wine glass with good quality ice cubes. Add all ingredients, stir gently, and garnish with a peach or orange slice.
Absolut Elderflower Collins
Ingredients
1.5 oz Absolut Vodka
1 oz Lemon Juice
.5 oz Elderflower Cordial
5 oz Soda Water
2 Wheels Lemon
Instructions
Fill a highball glass with ice cubes. Add all ingredients. Garnish with two lemon wheels.
Strawberry Basil Smash
Ingredients
1.5 oz Aberfeldy 12 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky
3-5 strawberries
3 basil leaves
.75 oz lemon juice
.5 oz simple syrup
Instructions
Shake all ingredients, pour over fresh ice and rock glass. Garnish with a strawberry and basil leaf.
Cointreau Matcha Margarita
Ingredients
1 oz Cointreau
2 oz Blanco Tequila
.75 oz Fresh Lime Juice
.5 bar spoon Matcha Green Tea Powder
Instructions
Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Add ice and shake until well-chilled
Strain into a chilled Old Fashioned glass. Garnish with a lime slice.
Watermelon Sangria
Ingredients
4 cups cubed watermelon
1 750-ml bottle moscato
1 cup rum
Juice of 4 limes
Zest of 2 limes
1 tbsp sugar
Lime slices, for garnish
Instructions
In a blender combine watermelon, moscato, rum, lime juice and zest, and sugar and blend until smooth. Refrigerate until chilled.
Garnish glasses with lime slices and serve.
Bellevue
Ingredients
1.5 oz Elijah Craig Bourbon
.75 oz lemon juice
.5 oz Ferrand Dry Curacao
.25 oz Crème de Pêche
Mint sprig
Instructions
Add ingredients to a mixing glass with pebble ice. Whip by moving a bar spoon around the liquid in a back and forth motion as opposed to stirring it. Strain into a rocks glass with new pebble ice and garnish with a mint sprig.
CRUcomber
Ingredients
2 oz Zubrowka Bison Grass Vodka
1 oz fresh cucumber puree
.75 oz fresh lemon juice
.75 oz sesame simple syrup*
1 lemon balm leaf
*Sesame simple syrup is made by toasting sesame seeds until golden brown then added to equal parts sugar and hot water. Strain to remove all seeds before serving.
Instructions
Slap lemon balm to release essence. Add cucumber puree, lemon and sesame syrup to cocktail shaker. Add vodka and shake vigorously. Strain into a coupe glass and garnish with fresh cucumber.
Hendrick’s Gin Julep
Ingredients
2.5 oz Hendrick’s Gin
.75 oz syrup
4-6 Mint Leaves
Instructions
Express & add mint leaves to a glass. Top with Crushed ice and add liquid ingredients. Churn together well and top with more ice. Garnish with Mint Sprig & cucumber slices.
Blackberry Mint Julep
Ingredients
2 oz Bulleit Bourbon
.5 oz Chambord
.75 oz fresh lime juice
.5 oz demerara syrup
5 muddled blackberries
6 mint leaves
Instructions
Mix all ingredients in a shaker and pour over crushed ice. Garnish with a sprig of mint and a blackberry.
Tequila Mockingbird
Ingredients
2 oz Don Julio Blanco tequila
.5 oz Aperol
.5 oz St. Germain
1.5 oz grapefruit juice
Instructions
Muddle 4 basil leaves in a shaker with St. Germain. Add ice, tequila, and grapefruit juice. Shake ingredients with ice, strain, and pour into a martini glass. Add the Aperol as a float on top, and garnish with a basil leaf.
By Lauren Hubbard, Town & Country Magazine, June 12, 2024