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6 Summer Cocktail Recipes

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Let’s face it, nothing quite cools off a hot summer day like a fresh, tasty cocktail. We’ve rounded up some refreshing drinks that go beyond your basic beer to add a splash of color – and healthy summer ingredients – to your next get-together or evening on the patio. Get ready to impress the neighbors with these summer cocktail recipes!

1. The Firecracker

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Perfect for the Fourth – or, frankly, any day – this cocktail is like a pop of summer in your mouth. With refreshing and hydrating watermelon and cucumber, zesty lime and a splash of vodka, this drink is sure to be a thirst-quenching, yet exciting, hit. I can definitely see this one becoming one of my go-to drinks this season. The recipe calls for cucumber vodka, but you can always use plain vodka and muddle some fresh cucumber into it. Talk about fresh! Garnish it with the classic lime, or get fancy and include a skewer with lime, cucumber and watermelon.

Get the complete recipe from Creative Culinary.

2. The Green Acres Cocktail

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I’m sure this one is going to sound a bit strange to a lot of people, but I think it’s an amazing idea. Crunching on some crisp, fresh snap peas is something that’s just so summery. Why not get that sensation in a cocktail? The Green Acres Cocktail is made with gin, lemon juice and a snap pea simple syrup. Weird? Maybe. But I prefer to see it as a stroke of pure genius. The work of mixologist Charlie Zeiler, you can get the full instructions at The Food Hunter’s Guide to Cuisine. Other cocktails will be pea-green with envy!

3. Mezcal Blackberry Smash

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We’ve got the watermelon, we’ve got the peas, how about some berries? But let’s not be boring and ordinary with something like a strawberry daiquiri. Let’s get our drink on with something dark and mysterious – and ain’t no berry as dark and mysterious as the blackberry. Muddle up some of those black beauties in a glass and watch them ooze their intoxicating ambrosia.

And speaking of intoxicating, we’re going to step up our liquor game. An ordinary alcohol won’t do for these extraordinary berries. Continuing with our dark and mysterious theme, we’re going to need mezcal, tequila’s smoky cousin that’ll make people say, “Who is this tall, dark, oh-so-charming stranger?”

Lastly, for that perfect duet of sweet and sour, we’ll need agave nectar and lime juice – because when lime goes over to tequila’s place, he’s family.

Go on and get your drink on like you mean it. Get the recipe from The Drink Blog.

4. Lavender Martini

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Let’s saunter on over to the soft and girly side for a moment, shall we? Get in touch with your sweeter side with this charmingly floral take on the martini. Swap out the basic vodka for a delightfully sweet vanilla vodka and mix it with a bit of fresh lemon juice and a lavender syrup. That’s right – lavender. Get ready for relaxation mode and sip on this lovely lady.

Go to Making Lemonade for the recipe.

5. Kentucky Buck

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Alright, ladies, it’s time to put away the tea and crumpets and buck up with this bourbon-based cocktail. Wait, bourbon? In summer? You bet your boots! We’re spicing things up with bourbon, ginger beer and a couple dashes of Angostura bitters, plus some lemon juice and simple syrup. And just to keep that summer feeling going, we’ll need our piece-de-resistance: a muddled strawberry. Voila! Clear my calendar because I’m heading to Kentucky!

Check out the magazine Saveur for this recipe.

6. Ginger Lime Hibiscus Cocktail

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Feeling crafty? This vibrant cocktail is going to take a few steps, but if you complete them all, you’ll look awful fancy and be labeled the neighborhood drink master. Maybe your neighbors will be so impressed they’ll start mowing your lawn for you. Maybe.

First, you’ll need to mix up a batch of hibiscus vodka. It’s kind of like making tea, except you get drunk.

You’ll also need to make some lime simple syrup, but don’t worry, as its name implies, it’s pretty simple. Combine 1 cup sugar, a half a cup of fresh lime juice and about a tablespoon of lime zest. Cook it over medium heat and stir until you get nice sticky syrup. This should make about one and half cups.

When you’ve got the hibiscus vodka and the lime simple syrup ready, mix ’em up with some ginger ale, a little extra lime juice and a touch of Grand Marnier. Then garnish the heck out of this pretty pink thing. We’re talking limes AND umbrellas.

Get the full details from Seitan Beats your Meat (don’t worry, I promise there’s neither seitan nor meat in this drink).

 

Do summer right. Have a seat, and take a sip!

Want more tasty drinks? Check out our iced tea post.

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