Celebrate the salubrious season of sunshine by mixing up one of these scrumptious summer cocktails, says Brooke Theis
Mimosa Margaritas
delish.com
Why choose just one? This recipe is everything you love about both drinks together.
You can slice up some limes and oranges thin for a pretty garnish, or just leave it as is. If you want to serve it in glasses with salted rims, cut the end off of an orange (leaving enough orange on the end that you get some of the fruit). Turn the glass upside-down and then squeeze the orange around the rim, turning it as you go. Then dip it in some salt. The stickiness of the orange juice will hold the salt perfectly.
Ingredients (serves 4-6)
- 1/4 cup triple sec
- 1 cup tequila
- 2 TBSPs freshly squeezed lime juice (about two limes)
- 1 bottle of champagne, chilled
- 3 cups orange juice
- 2 limes sliced thin (optional)
- 2 oranges sliced thin (optional)
Directions
- Combine all the ingredients in a large pitcher and serve in salt rimmed glasses.
Raspberry Gin Rickey
sheknows.com
Ingredients (serves 8)
- 1 cup sugar
- 1½ cups raspberries
- 1 cup fresh lime juice
- 12 oz. gin
- Ice
- 1 qt. Seltzer
- 2 limes
Directions
- In a medium pot over high heat, bring sugar and 1/2 cup water to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Set aside to cool, about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, muddle 2 raspberries in the bottom of each glass. Add 2 tablespoons lime juice, 2 tablespoons reserved simple syrup, and 3 tablespoons gin to each glass. Fill each with 1 cup ice and top with 1/2 cup seltzer. Garnish with lime slices and more raspberries.
Strawberry Frosé
delish.com
The it drink of the Summer.
Ingredients (serves 4-6)
- 1 750-mL bottle rosé, chilled
- 2 cups chopped strawberries
- 1/4 cup vodka
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- ice
Directions
- In a blender, combine about half the bottle of rosé, 1 cup strawberries, half the vodka, and half the lemon juice. Add about 2 cups of ice and blend until slushy. If the mixture is too watery, add more ice and blend again.
- Repeat with remaining ingredients.
- Serve immediately and garnish with fresh strawberries.
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Pina Coladas
thespruce.com
If you like Pina Coladas and getting caught in the rain. - wait, not the second part. These are definitely meant to be sipped in the sun and are a classic summer winner.
Ingredients
- 6-7 chunks of pineapple
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon coconut cream
- 50ml Bacardi Carta Blanco
- 50ml fresh pineapple juice
- Ice
- To garnish: A pineapple triangle
Directions
- Place all your ingredients into the blender (apart from the garnish!) and blend until a smooth consistency
- Pour into a chilled (or even better, frozen) glass, then add your garnish and serve
Cuba Libre
drinkoftheweek.com
Add lime juice to a good old fashioned rum and coke, and you've got yourself a Cuba Libre!
Ingredients (serves 2)
- 3 oz. spiced rum
- 1 can cola
- Juice of 1 lime
- 2 lime wedges, for garnish
Directions
- To a large liquid measuring cup, add spiced rum, cola, and lime juice and stir. Pour over 2 ice-filled glasses.
- Garnish each glass with lime wedge.
Blueberry Lemonade Sangria
momadvice.com
Ingredients (serves 8)
- 1 750-ml bottle dry white wine
- 1 c. Simply Lemonade with Blueberry
- 1/4 cup tequila
- 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
- 1 lemon, thinly sliced
- 1 cup cold seltzer
Directions
- In a pitcher, combine wine, lemonade, and tequila and stir until combined.
- Add fruit and top off with seltzer and serve.
Sorrel
caribbeanpot.com
Although this drink screams 'Christmas' in the Caribbean, Christmas is about 27 degrees over there. This is a very simple recipe and all it really takes is patience!
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb sorrel flowers (trimmed)
- 8 cups water1 cinnamon stick
- 2 pieces of dried orange peel
- 4 cloves
- thick slice of ginger
- sugar to sweeten
* Note: If you like your sorrel drink stronger, be sure to double up on the amount of sorrel petals you use. Also note that if you’re using dried sorrel petals, 1 lb will give you a much stronger brew than freshly picked leaves.
Directions
- Remove the core out of the sorrel flowers and discard, then place all the ingredients in a large pot, cover with the water and bring to a boil.
- Reduce to a gentle simmer and let it go for about 30 minutes.
- Then remove off the heat, cover and let it steep for a few hours.
- Chill and sweeten to your liking. Traditionally brown sugar cane sugar is used in sweetening sorrel, but you can use whatever sweetener you prefer.
- Add some crushed ice and sliced limes or lemons when serving and you can certainly spike things up with a dash or two of rum and Angostura bitters.
Rum Sunset
delish.com
Simple and sultry, this rum-ified Tequila Sunrise is your new favourite summer tipple.
Ingredients (serves 2)
- 12 oz. orange juice
- 3 oz. light rum
- 2 tbsp. grenadine
- lime slices, for garnish
Directions
- Combine orange juice and rum. Set aside 1/3 of the mixture.
- Pour 2/3 of the orange juice mixture into 2 ice-filled glasses. Set aside.
- Mix reserved orange juice and rum with 2 tbsp. grenadine. Slowly pour into each glass so it settles on the bottom, creating an ombré effect.
- Garnish with lime slices.
Mango Cocktails
firstlookthencook.com
Ingredients (serves 6)
- ¾ c. vodka (preferably Grey Goose)
- ⅓ c. Cointreau
- 2 c. mango puree (see Tips & Techniques)
- ¼ c. lime juice
- Fresh mango wedges
Directions
- In a large glass pitcher, combine all ingredients; refrigerate until cold. Serve chilled, in cocktail glasses, garnished with fresh mango wedges.
Sweet Tea Sangria
thewickednoodle.com
Ingredients (serves 6)
- 1 750-ml. bottle white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
- 4 c. sweet tea
- 1/4 c. triple sec
- 2 c. sliced frozen peaches
- 2 c. raspberries
- Fresh mint, for garnish
Directions
- In a pitcher, combine wine, sweet tea, triple sec, frozen peaches and raspberries and stir until combined. Refrigerate until chilled.
- Serve garnished with mint.
Apple, Elderflower & Gin
blog.next.co.uk
Ingredients
Directions
- Mix gin with cordial.
- When ready to serve, divide the mixture between 8 glasses, top up with apple juice, apple slices and ice.
Cranberry Basil Spritzer
Andrew Purcell
Ingredients (serves 8)
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup basil leaves
- 2 cups unsweetened cranberry juice
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice
- 1 L chilled club soda
- 4 slice lime
- 1 cup fresh cranberries
- ½ cup basil leaves
Directions
- In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, bring water and sugar to a boil. Stir to dissolve sugar. Add 1/2 cup basil leaves, remove pan from heat, and let steep for 20 minutes.
- Strain syrup and let cool for at least 1 hour. In a large pitcher, combine syrup, unsweetened cranberry juice, and fresh lime juice.
- Fill pitcher with chilled club soda, then add lime slices, fresh cranberries, and 1/2 cup basil leaves. To serve, pour spritzers over ice, top each with a splash more club soda, and garnish with basil.
Rooftop Lemonade
theculturetrip.com
Ingredients (serves 1)
- 2 oz. vodka, preferably Belvedere
- 3 oz. fresh squeezed lemonade
- Cucumber slices
- Lemon wedges, for garnish
Directions
- Shake vodka and lemonade. Toss with cucumber slices. Pour into a glass and garnish with lemon wedges.
Raspberry Limoncello Prosecco
damndelicious.net
Wonderfully refreshing and sweet with all that bubbly goodness. You can toss in some frozen raspberries or strawberries for that elegant touch.
Ingredients (serves 6)
- 3 cups prosecco, chilled
- 1 cup limoncello liqueur, chilled
- 1 cup frozen raspberries
- 6 sprigs fresh mint
Directions
- In a large pitcher, whisk together prosecco and limoncello.
- Serve over raspberries, garnished with mint, if desired.
Peach Cooler
whiteonricecouple.com
Ingredients
- 1 oz. (2 tbsp.) of peach puree
- 1 oz. (2 tbsp.) of peach vodka, such as absolut
- 1 tsp. lime juice
- splash of club soda
- 1 bunch of mint
- extra limes
Directions
- Wash and pit your peaches. Leave the skin on.
- To make the puree, chop up your peaches and pour them into a large pot. Add the sugar, water, and the juice of 2 limes. Simmer over medium heat until the fruit is soft and broken down. This should take about about 20 minutes.
- Transfer to a food processor or blender and puree until smooth.
- If you want a smooth puree, strain the mixture. This step is optional. Set aside to cool.
- Fill a large glass with ice. Stir in your peach puree and vodka. Add a splash of club soda and lime juice, and give it a taste. Adjust to your liking. Garnish with mint and extra lime.
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