Nothing beats a refreshingly fruity, herbal, or frozen beverage in the summer! Summer Cocktails come in a wide range of tastes, including sweet watermelon and luscious peaches, fresh mint and basil, and vibrant berries. Even better, ice summer drinks are the ideal way to cool down. Find your fave cocktails in this article!

Summer cocktails that are both easy to create and refreshing are the finest. But, to be clear, these quick summer cocktails recipes don’t skimp on flavor. If you’re looking for a spritz sangria, try this one with luscious summer peaches. Do you want to improve your daiquiri for the summer? Find those frozen rhubarb stalks from last spring and make this vibrant, fresh version. While you’re at it, read more on the secret ingredient we hope you’ll start including in all of your cocktails. Now, here is our list of the 35 Essential Summer Cocktails that you must try!

Spanish Gin & Tonic

This Gin & Tonic variant is more about the zesty bubbles than the liquor. While gin is more botanical and booze-forward, vodka blends seamlessly with tonic water. It’s a pleasant drink where you might not be able to detect any alcohol (so be careful!).

• 1.5 oz Spring 44 gin
• 5 oz Fever-Tree tonic
• Lime and lemon wheels

Pour the gin over a wine glass filled with ice. Top with tonic water and stir. Garnish with lemon and lime wheels.

Strawberry Daiquiri

It’s difficult to resist a strawberry daiquiri, the one of the ultimate summer cocktails! This classic rum drink is usually a hit, whether blended or shaken. While frozen berries could be used, on a hot summer day, nothing beats a daiquiri made with fresh strawberries.

This refreshing strawberry daiquiri is the ideal summer cocktail! This homemade recipe is far superior to store-bought daiquiri mixes! Even better, the garnish is a lime daiquiri layer, making it look even more festive.

• 6 cups ice
• ½ cup white sugar
• 4 ounces frozen strawberries
• ⅛ cup lime juice
• ½ cup lemon juice
• ¾ cup rum
• ¼ cup lemon-lime flavored carbonated beverage

In a blender, combine ice, sugar, and strawberries. Pour in lime juice, lemon juice, rum, and lemon-lime soda. Blend until smooth. Pour into glasses and serve.

Americano

The Americano is one of the summertime favorite cocktails. It is the Negroni’s originator and, in our opinion, tastes much better. At the same time, it’s bitter, complex, and effervescent! It’s elegant while also being lighthearted, thanks to Campari and vermouth.

• 1 1/2 ounces Campari
• 1 1/2 ounces sweet vermouth
• Soda water, chilled, to top
• Garnish: orange twist

Fill a highball glass with ice, then add the Campari and sweet vermouth. Then, top with the soda water and stir gently to combine. Lastly, garnish with an orange twist.

The Americano is a famous cocktail that served as the inspiration for the negroni. Because you mix Campari (from Milan) with sweet vermouth in this drink, it’s also known as a Milano-Torino (from Turin). It’s quite simple to create, and you’ll never pass up the opportunity to make it.

Frozen Margarita

Who could say no to a frozen margarita? Meet your new summer entertaining trick: it’s tart, sweet, and tastes exactly like the original cocktails. Garnish the glass with pink sea salt for a festive touch.

• 50ml tequila
• 25ml triple sec 
• 25ml lime juice
• 15ml sugar syrup 
• large handful of ice
• wedge of lime, to garnish

Put all the ingredients except the lime wedge in a blender and blitz until smooth. Tip into a cocktail, margarita, or rocks glass, garnish and serve.

Margaritas are a favorite summer beverage, but they melt quickly when served over ice in the heat. Making it into a frozen margarita will keep it cooler for longer and allow you to consume it all afternoon.

Gin Rickey

It’s tall, bubbly, and one of the most straightforward cocktails to create. Gin Rickey is a must-try! This renowned cocktail first appeared in the 1880s and has been popular ever since. It’s acidic, fizzy, and irresistibly tasty, and for good reason.

• 2 ounces gin
• 1/2 ounce lime juice, freshly squeezed
• Club soda, to top
• Garnish: lime wheels

Fill a highball glass with ice and add the gin and lime juice. Next, top with club soda. Lastly, garnish with 2 lime wheels.

A gin rickey is made by combining gin, lime juice, and club soda.

When creating this drink, you can add a little extra sugar to give it a bit more sweetness. The secret is to wait until just before serving to add the sweetener, as it will settle at the bottom if left for too long. This type of cocktails takes less than five minutes to prepare, and having some on hand in the fridge for a light drink is always a smart idea.

Ranch Water

Ranchers used to make their own concoctions while out on the range, and this legendary drink was born. It’s finest served with some Texas Topo Chico to add some bubbly mixer and lighten the mood.

• Tequila
• Lime juice
• Topo Chico mineral water

Ranch Water, a tequila highball prepared with lime juice and Topo Chico, is the unofficial cocktail of West Texas. One of our closest friends, a Texan, suggested we try this cocktail, and it blew us away after just one sip! It’s like a frothy, lighter version of the original margarita, but with less sugar and alcohol.

Best Frosé

What’s a summer cocktail list without frosé? Frosé is a combination of frozen cocktails and the classic summer pink wine. The majority of frozen recipes are sickeningly sugary. However, this one is just sweet enough and has a strong rose flavor. The most effective technique to beat the heat!

• Dry rose wine
• Frozen whole strawberries
• Sugar
• Ice

Blend Rosé with frozen strawberries. Then, strain. Lastly, add ice And blend again

The rose is the perfect wine to drink on a hot summer day because it is light and almost floral in flavor. On a cold day, instead of drinking a liquid, freeze your rose to make a wonderful summer beverage called a frosé.

This drink will keep you cold regardless of the temperature, and you can make large amounts and store them for when a guest requests seconds.

Sea Breeze

Looking for refreshing vodka cocktails? Sea Breeze is a must-try! This chilled cranberry grapefruit drink is light, tangy, and refreshing. It tastes exactly like its name suggests: light, breezy, and uncomplicated. It’s also really simple to prepare: only three ingredients are required.

• 1 1/2 ounces vodka
• 3 ounces cranberry juice
• 1 1/2 ounces grapefruit juice, freshly squeezed
• Garnish: lime wheel

Add the vodka, cranberry juice, and grapefruit juice into a highball glass with ice and stir. Lastly, garnish with a lime wheel.

The sea breeze is a close relative of the bay breeze, with a somewhat more tropical flavor. To make your favorite type of summer cocktails, add some cranberry juice or orange juice.

Classic Piña Colada

Do you want to try one of the best summer cocktails recipe? For years, the piña colada has satisfied people because of its frozen consistency, which makes it one of the most pleasant summer drinks.

Coconut cream, pineapple juice, and rum are used to make the piña colada.
Piña Coladas are the best when consumed in the sun while on vacation. Recreate our perfect recipe at home to transport yourself to the tropics.

• 1 ½ cup frozen pineapple
• 1 ½ cups ice
• 5 ounces (½ cup plus 2 tablespoons) aged rum
• 2 ounces (4 tablespoons) cream of coconut 
• 4 ounces (½ cup) pineapple juice
• 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) lime juice
• For the garnish: cocktail cherry

Blend pineapple and ice until chunky. Add the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth. Serve garnished with a cocktail cherry and drink umbrellas.

Vodka Spritzer

This delicious and fizzy Vodka Spritzer is one of the perfect summer cocktails! It’s just sweet enough, with a hint of berry flavor: tart, refreshing, and sparkling all at the same time. Cranberry juice is bright red in color, but because it is 100 percent juice, it tastes tart and crisp rather than sweet. It’s the most gratifying party drink you’ll never want to stop drinking!

• 1 lemon
• 1 cup sliced strawberries
• 12 ounces (1 ½ cups) vodka
• 3 ounces (6 tablespoons) simple syrup
• 3 ounces (6 tablespoons) unsweetened 100% cranberry juice
• Soda water, for serving
• Ice, for serving
• For the garnish: 1 handful of fresh mint leaves

Slice the lemon into rounds. Thinly slice the strawberries. Then, place the lemons and strawberries in a pitcher with vodka, simple syrup, and cranberry juice. Marinate for at least 30 minutes (or up to 4 hours).

To serve, pour 3 ounces (6 tablespoons) of the vodka mix over ice and top with a splash of soda water to taste. Garnish with the fruit from the pitcher and sprigs of fresh mint leaves.

A spritzer is a drink with bubbles, similar to sparkling water, that is highly pleasant on a hot day. It also means that this drink has a lower alcohol concentration, which is ideal for the summer.

Watermelon Sangria

Sangria is another popular summer beverage. A delicious glass of traditional red sangria is hard to beat. Sangria can readily be ruined in the United States by adding too much sugar or ginger ale. However, the traditional Spanish method emphasizes subtle flavor. It’s strong, fruity, and just the right amount of dry and sweet.

• 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

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.

Sangria may not appear to be the ideal summer drink due to its high alcohol content, but when mixed with lemonade and fruit, it becomes a delicious and refreshing summer beverage.

Aperol Spritz

The Aperol spritz is a traditional summer sipper, bubbly, lemony, herbal, mildly bitter, and gently sweet. This drink is well-known throughout the world, peaking in popularity in the 2000s. But did you know that it’s actually one of the 1950s classic cocktails? For years, this Italian cocktail has captivated audiences. And the hype is well justified.

• 3 ounces prosecco
• 2 ounces Aperol
• 1-ounce club soda
• Garnish: orange slice

Add the prosecco, Aperol, and club soda to a wine glass filled with ice and stir. Lastly, garnish with an orange slice.

Tequila Honey Bee

Tequila is a versatile spirit that can be sipped straight, mixed with liqueurs, shaken with citrus, or used to create a variety of tasty cocktails. Look no farther than the Tequila Honey Bee, a twist on the classic Bee’s Knees cocktail (gin, lemon juice, honey). Fans of the gin-based classic as well as Margarita lovers seeking something a little more unusual than their normal three-part favorite should like the agave-forward drink, which contains sweet and tart ingredients.

• 2 oz Espolon reposado tequila
• 1 oz honey syrup
• .75 lemon juice
• 2 dashes of Angostura bitters
• 1 lemon peel

Shake ingredients well with ice. Pour into glass. Add 2 dashes of bitters on top of the drink. Garnish with lemon peel.

Equal portions of each will suffice, but you can play with the amount of honey flavor in your syrup. The thicker the syrup and the richer the flavor, the more honey you need.

Strawberry Vodka Lemonade

The strawberry vodka lemonade recipe makes for an incredibly easy and delicious cocktail. It’s basically a spiked lemonade with fresh fruit in it, making it a wonderful summer cocktail.

• 4 medium strawberries, sliced
• 1 1/2 ounces vodka
• 3 ounces lemonade
• Sliced Strawberry, for garnish

Muddle the strawberries in the bottom of a tumbler or old-fashioned glass. Next is to add ice, followed by the vodka. Then, top with the lemonade. Lastly, garnish with strawberry slices laid out in a fan. Serve and enjoy.

This cocktail recipe enhances the flavor of fresh strawberries with a simple vodka-spiked lemonade. It’s a tasty recipe that comes together quickly with only three ingredients. It’s perfect for a summertime patio drink, and you’ll want to make it again and again.

Cuba Libre

A Cuba Libre is a rum and coke cocktail with lime. But it’s the lime that makes the difference.

• 2 oz. rum (gold rum is best)
• 1 lime
• Coca-Cola

In a Collins glass, squeeze a lime. Add 2 or 3 ice cubes to the mix. Pour the rum in. Fill the glass with cold Coca-Cola and one of the used lime shells. Stir quickly.

The Cuba Libre is superior because the citrus acts as a buffer between the cola’s sweetness and the rum’s sourness. The sharpness of the wasted lime shell is added as well as visual interest—it makes it seem like a true cocktail. But the drink also comes with a lot of history and a fighting spirit. If you’re going to manufacture your own Cuba Libre, you should know everything there is to know about it.

Caipirinha

The Caipirinha, Brazil’s national cocktail, is created with cachaça, rum’s funkier Brazilian cousin. It’s a win in any case.

• 2 oz. cachaça
• 1/2 lime
• 2 tsp. sugar

Slice the lime into 1/2-inch rounds, cube them, and muddle them in an Old-Fashioned glass with the sugar. Add a couple of ice cubes. Pour in the cachaça. Serve with a stirring rod.

Cachaça is becoming increasingly popular in America, where bars and liquor stores are stocking bottles from Brazil, where it originated, thanks to improved economic relations between the two countries.

Tequila Sunrise

This morning-after classic will help you shake off those cheesy ’70s cocktail feelings.

• 1 1/2 oz. tequila
• 3 oz. freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1 tsp. grenadine

With cracked ice, vigorously shake the tequila and orange juice, then strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Add the grenadine and mix gently, only long enough to create layers of oranges and reds. Serve with a maraschino cherry on top.

This classic mix of tequila, orange juice, and grenadine is both cheesy and delicious. Its OJ-to-tequila ratio qualifies it as a morning-to-night cocktail that’s not too wild—but more adventurous than a Screwdriver—and the vibrant color-blocking presentation elicits oohs and aahs. On an especially lovely morning, the sun rises over the Gulf of Mexico.

Whiskey Smash

The actual definition of the smash, like many other cocktails, is a matter of semantics. The smash is an open-ended drink that can be made in any season. There must be ice, though it can be strained out if desired. Fruit should be in season, but you can only use it as a garnish.

• 3 lemon wedges
• 2 ounces bourbon
• 3/4 ounce simple syrup
• 4 mint leaves
• Garnish: mint sprig

Muddle the lemon wedges in a shaker. Add bourbon, simple syrup, mint leaves, and ice, and shake until well-chilled. Double-strain into a rock glass over fresh ice. Garnish with a mint sprig.

Clear spirits––gin, vodka, tequila––are often associated with summer beverages, but brown spirits can be just as delicious. Consider the classic bourbon, lemon, and mint cocktail. It’s tangy, sweet enough, and flavorful like a whiskey cocktail should be. Just because you want to sleep all day doesn’t imply your taste senses do, too.

Blackberry Wine Slushy

This blender drink can keep you cool when it’s too hot for a glass of red wine. After a whir, the vodka, blackberries, orange juice, and wine are sweetened with agave and garnished with more blackberries. Because, during this season, it’s all about the berries.

• 4 ounces of red wine
• 1 1/2 ounces vodka
• 5 blackberries
• 1-ounce orange juice, freshly squeezed
• 1 tsp agave nectar
• Garnish: 2 blackberries

Add all the ingredients with 1 1/2 cups of ice into a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a stemless wine glass. Garnish with 2 blackberries.

Golden Gate Spritz

This easy three-ingredient spritz rendition, the better version of a summer hymn, is perfect for lazy summer days. To make this spritz, combine amaro and grapefruit juice in a glass with sparkling wine, garnish with a grapefruit peel, and serve.

• 1 1/2 ounces Lo-Fi gentian amaro
• 1/2 ounce grapefruit juice, freshly squeezed
• 2 ounces sparkling wine, chilled
• Garnish: grapefruit twist

In a coupe glass, combine the amaro and grapefruit juice. Pour the sparkling wine on top. Serve with a grapefruit twist on top.

Vida Paloma

The Paloma is a light tequila cocktail with lime juice and grapefruit soda. It’s uncertain when and where it originated, although most reports place it around the 1950s in Mexico.

• 2 ounces Del Maguey Vida mezcal
• 3 ounces grapefruit juice, freshly squeezed
• 1/2 ounce simple syrup
• 1/4 ounce lime juice, freshly squeezed
• 2 ounces club soda, chilled, to top
• Garnish: chile piquin, to rim glass, cilantro sprig, grapefruit quarter-wheel, jalapeño round

Wet a rocks glass and rim half the glass with chile piquin. Add the mezcal, grapefruit juice, simple syrup, and lime juice into a shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled. Strain into the prepared glass over fresh ice. Top with the club soda. Garnish with a cilantro sprig, grapefruit quarter wheel, and jalapeño round.

To give the fruity cocktail a smokey touch, Fat Baby Tacos in Chicago utilizes mezcal instead of tequila in this spin on a typical Paloma. The conventional grapefruit soda is replaced with fresh grapefruit juice, simple syrup, and club soda, and the chile-piquin-rimmed glass adds a layer of heat.

Por Mi Amante

In this summer beverage from bartender Will Thompson, strawberry-infused rum is a requirement.

• 1 3/4 ounces strawberry-infused Rhum Barbancourt
• 3/4 ounce lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 1/2 ounce strawberry demerara syrup*
• 2 dashes Tabasco

Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled. Strain into a cocktail glass.

Strawberry-infused rum is summer in a glass on its own, but it’s even more so when combined with lemon juice and an easy-to-make fresh strawberry-demerara syrup. To keep it alive, a couple of dashes of Tabasco are added.

Cucumber, Basil & Lime Gimlet

The Gimlet is a traditional cocktail made of gin, lime juice, and simple syrup that was likely created by British seamen in the late 1800s to prevent scurvy, a sickness caused by a vitamin C deficiency. The Gimlet has saved lives and filled thirsts since its creation. It’s also spawned a slew of variations, ranging from simple versions like the Vodka Gimlet to more complicated concoctions with fruits, liqueurs, and herbs.

• 2 slices cucumber (1/4-inch slices)
• 1 1/2 fresh basil leaves (large)
• 1 1/2 ounces vodka
• 1-ounce lemonade
• 1/4 ounce lime juice, freshly squeezed
• Garnish: basil leaf

Muddle the cucumber and basil in a shaker. Add the vodka, lemonade, lime juice, and ice, and shake until well-chilled. Strain into a rock glass over fresh ice. Garnish with a basil leaf.

This ultra-refreshing Gimlet has all the great parts listed in the name, so you know what to expect: hydrating cucumber, fragrant basil, and lime. Plus, there’s vodka and lemonade in case your thirst needs to be satisfied even more. In a glass, pure sunshine.

Land of Happy

Don’t be put off by the homemade shrub created from honeydew, basil, and white balsamic vinegar. It’s as simple as combining ingredients and letting them simmer on the burner. What are you going to do with all those summer melon rinds? Throw them out? Making the drink is as simple as one, two, or three once the shrub is made.

• 1 1/2 oz Fords gin
• 1 1/2 oz Honeydew-basil-white balsamic shrub
• Prosecco, to float
• Lemon wedge, to rim glass
• Basil salt (chopped fresh basil combined with coarse salt), to rim glass

Rub the lemon wedge on half of the outside of a coupe glass, coat with the basil salt mixture, and set aside. Add the gin and syrup to a cocktail shaker with ice and shake until chilled. Double-strain into the prepared coupe glass. Float the chilled prosecco on top.

Watermelon Vodka Spritzer

Watermelon is a popular summer fruit, and vodka is a popular liquor, so it’s only logical that the two combine for the ultimate summer spritzer. Rather than muddling the watermelon, this recipe blends the entire cocktail, giving it a lovely, smooth texture. Blend some ice in a blender for a refreshing frozen treat.

• 1 cup diced, seedless watermelon
• 1 shot vodka
• juice of 1/2 a lime
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup seltzer water
• Optional: mint for garnish

Combine the watermelon, vodka, lime juice, and salt in a blender. Puree until smooth. Add seltzer water. Garnish with mint (or blend the mint directly into the drink)

Skinny Summer Cocktail

Getting ready for the beach? Then try this light but tasty cocktail made with vodka, pineapple, and mineral water. This drink has only six grams of carbohydrates and 3.3 grams of sugar and is sweetened with stevia. To amp up the flavor, use flavored vodka.

• Liter Pellegrino Sparkling Mineral Water
• 2 Lemons
• 2 squeezes of liquid Stevia
• Ice
• Organic blueberries
• Organic strawberries cut into wedges
• 1–2 ounces of your favorite vodka
• Optional: 1 Mint leaf
• Optional: 1 peach (sliced)

In a glass, combine the mineral water and vodka. In a glass, squeeze lemons and stevia. Take a quick taste to make sure everything is in balance. Add the blueberries and strawberries after that. Cut peaches into small wedges and toss with the blueberries and strawberries for added taste. A single mint leaf can be added for extra flavor. Serve chilled.

Cucumber Cooler

Isn’t it true that soaking vegetables in alcohol counts as a serving of vegetables? Perfect because this mojito-inspired gin and tonic include cucumber, bringing spa vibes directly to your glass. Swap the gin for cucumber-infused vodka for even more cucumber freshness.

• 1 1/2 oz gin (1 1/2 oz equals 3 Tbsp)
• 4-6 slices of cucumber
• 1/4 medium lime (sliced)
• 4 oz tonic water
• 6 mint leaves
• 1 Tbsp sugar (optional)

Add mint, lime, gin, and sugar to the shaker and muddle. Add cucumber slices to the shaker and shake vigorously. Pour mixture over a glass filled with ice and top with tonic water. Stir, let set for a few minutes for the flavors to enhance and enjoy.

Bootleg

Minnesota’s signature cocktail, the Bootleg, is ideal for fans of both clear and dark liquor. A Bootleg can be made using gin, vodka, or even bourbon! Combine your favorite booze and the homemade mint-infused sour mix. For the ideal Minnesota experience, drink it while listening to Prince.

• ½ cup fresh lemon juice (about 3 large lemons, juiced)
• ¼ cup fresh lime juice (about 1 large or 2 medium limes, juiced) or additional lemon juice
• ¼ cup light agave nectar or cane sugar or honey
• 2 packed tablespoons fresh mint leaves

Juice the lemons and limes into a liquid measuring cup to produce the bootleg mix. Sweeten to taste. In a blender, combine the juice and sweetener. 2 teaspoons fresh mint leaves, firmly packed Blend until the mint is broken down into teeny-tiny pieces.

Frozen Sweet and Salty Dog

What better way to cool the summer heat than with dessert-inspired cocktails? The Sweet and Salty Dog is a frozen version of the gin and grapefruit cocktail, however, vodka works just as well. To send your taste senses on a trip, blend it thoroughly and pour it into a glass with a salted rim.

• 1 ½ ounce gin or vodka
• 3 ounces grapefruit juice or vodka
• 1 ounces grenadine
• 1 ½- 2 cups of ice

Add all the ingredients to a blender and blend well! Salt the rim of a rock’s glass and serve.

The Siesta

This stronger version of a Paloma will wake you up. The Campari and grapefruit juice overshadow the tequila flavor, giving it a deeper, redder hue and more flavor than a Paloma.

• 2 oz silver tequila
• 1/2 oz Campari
• 1/2 oz fresh lime juice
• 3/4 oz fresh grapefruit juice
• 1/2 oz simple syrup
• Garnish: a slice of grapefruit peel

Add all ingredients to a shaker filled with ice. Shake well and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a  slice of grapefruit peel.

Fishbowl

Make your own fishbowl punch to relive your college days. For the uninitiated, this unique rum punch is served in a gallon fishbowl, complete with floating Swedish fish! Obviously, this is a cocktail to be shared with family and friends. Just don’t be caught by the RA.

• 2 cups silver rum
• 2 cups of good vodka
• ¾ cup blue curaçao
• 1 ½ cup sweet and sour
• 3 cups pineapple juice
• 3 cups lemon-lime soda
• Ice
• Swedish fish candies
• Citrus fruit slices

Fill your fishbowl 1/3 full with ice. If you can find it, get the little pellet ice cubes (like they sell at Sonic). Pour in the rum, vodka, and blue curaçao. Give everything a little stir. Pour in the sweet and sour, pineapple juice, and lemon-lime soda. Add more ice as needed to fill the bowl and create a good layer on top to hold the fish. Place a handful of straws in the fishbowl and top with a few Swedish fish. 

Painkiller

If you have a headache, stick to Advil, but this combination can help you feel better emotionally. A painkiller is similar to a pia colada, but it contains dark rum, orange juice, and nutmeg. A frozen painkiller, while commonly served on the rocks, has been clinically demonstrated to be even better.

• 2 parts Pusser’s Dark Rum
• 4 parts pineapple juice
• 1 part orange juice
• 1 part cream of coconut
• Pinch of ground nutmeg
• Orange and/or pineapple wedge and a maraschino cherry

In a cocktail shaker with ice, combine the rum, pineapple juice, orange juice, and coconut cream. Cover and shake gently before straining into an ice-filled glass. Garnish with an orange and/or pineapple wedge and a maraschino cherry and a sprinkling of nutmeg.

Hurricane

On Bourbon Street, this category-five drink is a must-try. This one will hit you hard with four ounces of rum per drink. The eye of the storm is passionfruit juice, which gives it a distinct sweet flavor that will keep you wanting more.

• 2 ounces of white rum
• 2 ounces dark rum
• Passion fruit juice 2 ounces 
• 1-ounce orange juice
• half an ounce grenadine
• 1/2 ounce simple syrup
• 1/2 medium lime, juiced
• slice of orange and maraschino cherry, for garnish

In a shaker, combine all of the ingredients. Shake and strain into a hurricane glass loaded with ice. Serve with orange and cherry garnishes.

Cosmopolitan Cocktail

Unsweetened cranberry juice is used in this refined version of the classic cosmo, giving the drink a deeper, more brilliant pink tint. Who wouldn’t want to look lovely in pink? Plus, because the juice is unsweetened, you can use as much or as little sweetness as you choose. If you don’t have any citron, lemon juice can be used instead.

• 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) vodka or citron vodka
• 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) 100% cranberry juice (do not use sweetened!)
• ½ ounce (1 tablespoon) Cointreau
• ½ ounce (1 tablespoon) lemon juice
• 1 lime wedge
• 1 teaspoon simple syrup or maple syrup
• For the garnish: lime wheel

In a cocktails shaker with ice, combine the vodka, cranberry juice, Cointreau, lemon juice, and syrup. Shake for 15 seconds or until chilled. Fill a martini glass halfway with the liquid. Serve with a lime wedge for squeezing and a lime wheel for garnishing, if desired.

Electric Iced Tea Cocktail

This Long Island iced tea will have you up and dancing to the electric slide in no time. The electric blue tint of this drink, which substitutes blue curaçao for triple sec and Sprite for Coke, makes it just as spectacular to look at as it is to drink.

• Gin 1/2 ounce 
• Light Rum 1/2 ounce 
• Tequila 1/2 ounce 
• Vodka 1/2 ounce 
• 1/2 ounce blue curaçao liqueur
• 1-ounce sour mix
• 1-ounce lemon-lime soda

Build the gin, light rum, tequila, vodka, blue curacao, and sour mix in a collins glass. Add ice and stir well. Top with lemon-lime soda.

And, there you have it! A complete list of your favorite summer cocktails. Don’t forget to share this list with your friends and make sure to try these cocktails with them! Happy Drinking!