The Refreshing Summer Cocktails to Sip All Season Long

These are the best summer tipples to whip up at home.

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By Morgan Halberg
collage of three cocktails

Summer is *finally* here, which means it’s time to say hello to warm weather and sunny days. And what better way to usher in the official start of the best time of the year than with a refreshing summer cocktail? Whether you’re lounging poolside, enjoying a long meal or hosting a sunset party, make the most of these balmy summer days and nights by adding a lovely cocktail to the equation.

There are plenty of summer drink options for every palette, whether you’re into a fruity beverage, an herb-focused libation or a crisp wine-centered apéritif. We’ve found all the best summer cocktail recipes to make at home this season, and don’t be discouraged if you’re not sure about your mixology skills, because not only are these incredibly refreshing drinks absolutely delicious, but they’re also so easy to whip up, too. Whether you’re craving a classic cocktail, a fizzy citrusy tipple or a summery frozen drink on a hot day, we’ve got you covered. Below, see the best and most refreshing cocktails to make for summertime.

The Easy Summer Cocktail Drink Recipes to Make All Season Long 

Summer Lemonade

  • Ingredients:
  • 2 oz Belvedere Vodka
  • 3/4 oz lemon juice
  • 3/4 oz simple syrup
  • 5 raspberries
  • Ginger beer

Directions:
Place all ingredients, except for ginger beer, into a shaker; shake with ice. Pour straight over a glass with fresh ice. Top off with ginger beer and garnish with fresh mint leaves and raspberry.

Summer Lemonade. Belvedere Vodka

Hugo Spritz

  • Ingredients:
  • 1.5 oz Empress 1908 Cucumber Lemon Gin 
  • 3/4 oz fresh lemon juice
  • 3/4 oz elderflower liqueur 
  • 1/4 oz simple syrup
  • 6 mint leaves
  • Sparkling wine
  • Soda water
  • Edible flowers and mint leaves, for garnish

Directions:
Shake ingredients except for prosecco and soda water in a shaker with ice. Fine-strain into a wine goblet filled with fresh ice. Top with prosecco and a splash of soda water. Garnish with mint leaves and edible flowers

Hugo Spritz. Hugo Spritz

Mango Daiquiri

  • Ingredients:
  • 2 parts Diplomatico Planas
  • 1 part fresh lime juice
  • .75 parts mango syrup
  • Mango slice, for garnish

Directions:
Add white rum, lime juice and mango syrup into a shaker. Fill with ice, shake and then strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with a mango slice.

Mango Daiquiri. Diplomatico

Teremana Spritz

  • Ingredients:
  • 2 oz lemonade
  • 2 oz Teremana Blanco
  • 1/4 tsp grenadine
  • 2 oz soda water

Directions:
Add lemonade, tequila and soda water to a glass. Top with grenadine.

Teremana Spritz. Teremana Spritz

The Orange High Ball 

  • Ingredients:
  • 2 oz Glenmorangie Original
  • 1/2 orange
  • 2 oz tonic water
  • 2 oz soda water
  • Orange wedges, for garnish

Directions:
Juice half an orange. Fill highball glass with ice cubes and thick orange wedges. Pour orange juice, tonic water
 and soda water over the top.

The Orange High Ball. Glenmorangie

Doce Hibiscus Dream

  • Ingredients:
  • 3 oz hibiscus tea
  • 1 tsp honey
  • 1 oz grapefruit juice
  • Juice of 1/2 lime
  • 1 tsp grated ginger
  • 1.5 oz Doce Mezcal

Directions:
Steep hibiscus tea. Add three ounces of tea and honey to a cocktail shaker; stir to dissolve honey. Add grapefruit juice, fresh lime juice, grated ginger and mezcal to the shaker; shake to combine. Pour into a glass filled with large ice cubes.

Doce Hibiscus Dream. Doce Mezcal

Lillet Rosé Spritz

  • Ingredients:
  • 3 parts Lillet Rosé
  • 3 parts soda water
  • Orange and grapefruit slices, for garnish

Directions:
Shake Lillet Rosé and soda water with ice. Strain into a white wine glass filled with ice. Garnish with grapefruit and orange slices.

Lillet Rosé Spritz. Lillet

Betty Buzz Sparkling Margarita 

Directions:
Add ice, tequila, agave and Betty Buzz Sparkling Lemon Lime to a lowball glass. Stir together and garnish with a lime wheel.

Betty Buzz. Betty Buzz

Martini Fiero Spritz

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a glass over ice; stir. Garnish with citrus of choice (lemon, grapefruit or orange peel).

Martini Fiero Spritz. Martini & Rossi

Swaggy P Watermelon Margarita

  • Ingredients:
  • 1.5 parts Avion Reserva 44 Tequila
  • 1 part watermelon juice
  • 3/4 part lime juice
  • 1/2 part honey syrup
  • Salt, to taste

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake thoroughly; strain into a rocks or margarita glass over fresh ice. Garnish with watermelon slice.

Swaggy P Watermelon Margarita. Heather Leah Kennedy

Hendrick’s Cucumber Lemonade

  • Ingredients: 
  • 1 1/2 parts Hendrick’s Gin
  • 1/2 part lemon juice
  • 1/2 part simple syrup
  • Soda water
  • Cucumber slices and lemon wheel, for garnish

Directions:
Combine all ingredients into a highball glass filled with cubed ice. Lightly stir. Garnish with three thinly sliced rounds of cucumber and lemon wheel.

Hendrick’s Cucumber Lemonade. Hendrick’s Gin


Negroni

  • Ingredients: 
  • 1 oz Glendalough Wild Botanical Gin
  • 1 oz Campari
  • 1 oz sweet vermouth
  • Fresh orange peel, for garnish

Directions:
Add the gin, Campari and vermouth to a mixing glass filled with ice. Stir until chilled. Slowly strain slowly into a glass with fresh, large ice cubes. Garnish with orange peel.

Negroni. Glendalough

The Americano

  • Ingredients: 
  • 1 oz Campari
  • 1 oz Cinzano 1757 Rosso Vermouth di Torino
  • Soda water

Directions:
Pour all ingredients, except soda water, into an old fashioned glass filled with ice cubes. Add a splash of soda water and garnish with orange slice and lemon peel.

The Americano. The Americano

Mango Chile Mojito

  • Ingredients: 
  • 1.5 oz Bacardi Mango Chile
  • .75 oz lime juice
  • .5 oz simple syrup
  • 1.5 oz soda water
  • 8-10 mint leaves

Directions:
Pour lime juice and simple syrup into a tall glass. Add mint; use a bar spoon or muddler to press the mint leaves. Pour in crushed ice and rum; and stir. Top with soda water and garnish.

Mango Chile Mojito. Bacardi

Mumm Sparkling Spring Fizz

Directions:
Add ingredients to a glass. Stir. Garnish with cinnamon stick and lemon wheel.

Mumm Sparkling Spring Fizz.

JAJA Sparkling Passion

  • Ingredients:
  • 1.5 oz JAJA Blanco
  • 1.5 oz passionfruit juice
  • Sparkling wine

Directions:
Combine tequila and passionfruit juice into a stemless wine glass filled with ice. Top with bubbly sparkling wine. Garnish with frozen green grapes.

JAJA Sparkling Passion. JAJA

Swedish Riviera

  • Ingredients:
  • 3 parts Absolut Elyx
  • 3 parts coconut water
  • 1 part lemon
  • 1 part honey
  • 3 parts Prosecco
  • Cinnamon sticks
  • Orange slices

Directions:
Add vodka, coconut water, lemon and honey into a copper balloon cup filled with ice. Top with Prosecco; stir gently to combine. Garnish with cinnamon and orange slices.

Swedish Riviera. Swedish Riviera.

Spicy Cucumber Margarita

  • Ingredients:
  • 2 oz LALO Tequila
  • 2 oz fresh lime juice
  • 1.5 oz pineapple juice
  • Small cucumber
  • 2 to 4 jalapeño slices
  • 1 to 2 tbsp honey or agave syrup

Directions:
Rim the edge of a glass with a lime wedge and dip in Tajin or salt. Add ingredients to blender; strain when smooth. In a cocktail shaker, muddle slices of jalapeño, ice and cocktail mix; shake until chilled. Strain into a glass. Serve with extra lime wedges and garnish with jalapeño slices.

Spicy Cucumber Margarita. Spicy Cucumber Margarita.

Teeling and Ginger

Directions:
Fill a Collins glass with crushed ice. Add all ingredients; mix well. Garnish with mint leaves.

Telling & Ginger. Teeling

The Bees Knees

  • Ingredients:
  • 50 ml Renais Gin
  • 20 ml fresh lemon juice
  • 20 ml acacia honey syrup
  • 5 ml find sherry

Directions:
Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker. Fill with large chunks of ice; shake vigorously for 20 seconds. Fine strain into a chilled coupe glass.

The Bees Knees. Renais Gin

Stranahan’s Summertime Sangria

  • Ingredients:
  • 1.5 oz Stranahan’s Blue Peak 
  • .75 oz amber vermouth
  • .25 oz guava puree
  • Sparkling apple cider
  • Orange slices

Directions: 
Combine whiskey, vermouth and guava puree in goblet glass over ice. Top with sparkling apple cider; garnish with orange half slices.

Stranahan’s Summertime Sangria. Kyle Ford

Raspberry and Mint Gin and Tonic

  • Ingredients:
  • 1.5 oz Bombay Sapphire
  • 3 oz tonic water
  • 3 fresh raspberries
  • 3 medium-sized mint leaves and a mint sprig

Directions: 
Place raspberries and mint leaves into a balloon glass. Add gin; swirl to infuse. Fill the glass with cubed ice and top with tonic water. Gently stir to combine and garnish with mint spring.

Raspberry and Mint Gin and Tonic. Bombay Sapphire

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