Summer is for fun in the sun! These summer cocktails are designed to keep you cool when it gets too hot.
The perfect summer drink should make you feel like you've jumped into a cool lake. Drinks like the Piña Colada and the Mojito are loaded with ice, so you won't even break a sweat before you take your first sip. Let's not forget an icy Margarita; tequila never tasted this good!
We've created this super cool list of the best summertime cocktails you can make right at home. If you're having a BBQ or a pool party, these refreshing cocktails will keep your friends cool and impressed.
Is vodka the best base for summer cocktails?
If you need a versatile alcoholic base for refreshing summer cocktail recipes, vodka could be your best bet. Its neutral flavor and colorless appearance mean it can be blended with anything, from citrus juice to a soda, and still deliver refreshment.
Vodka is also very strong. You'll get the thirst-quenching and cooling properties of any vodka-based drink but also the punch that tells you you're drinking something with alcohol. Many of the cocktail recipes with vodka are easy to make and use simple ingredients.
Whether you keep it simple and mix vodka with lemonade or get adventurous with a Long Island Iced Tea, vodka is great for all kinds of concoctions. Transform your vodka into a punch, a popsicle, or how about a vodka-infused ice cream sundae?
Take advantage of vodka's adaptability and taste this summer, and make your own summer vodka cocktails!
Is vodka the only option?
Believe it or not, whiskey is also great for summer alcoholic drinks. When you think of whiskey, maybe you picture sipping a lowball with scotch on the rocks next to a roaring fire with snowflakes drifting down outside.
Although that's an inviting image, it's not all whiskey is about; it's far from being merely a warming drink on a cold day. There are many options for refreshing whiskey-infused summer cocktails.
An excellent example is The Classic Whiskey Highball. This bubbly cocktail is one of those fun, fresh summer drinks. It's easy to make with only two ingredients (whiskey or bourbon and ginger beer or ginger ale), but even better to enjoy!
The Bourbon Smash is another buzz-blasting summer beverage that takes whiskey on a wild ride of refreshing and tangy delights. It combines lemon juice, mint, and of course, bourbon. It's whiskey's take on the classic mint julep; delicious!
So get your sunglasses, sandals, and sunblock, and head to the pool. But first, let's dive into making some classic summer cocktails with these summer drink recipes!
8 Easy summer cocktails you can make right now!
#1. Frozen Strawberry Daiquiri
This cocktail is hard to beat as a summer cocktail favorite. The fact that it's frozen already screams summer! Made with fresh strawberries (when in season), this drink recipe is hands-down better than any store-bought mixer.
INGREDIENTS
- 6 c. of ice
- ½ c. of white sugar
- 4 oz of fresh or frozen strawberries
- ⅛ c. of lime juice
- ½ c. of lemon juice
- ¾ c. of rum
- ¼ c. of carbonated beverage (lemon-lime flavored)
DIRECTIONS
Place all the ingredients together into the blender.. Blend until it becomes a smooth consistency. Pour into your glass and serve.
#2. Pink Raspberry Cosmopolitan
This drink might be known as one of the "girliest" alcoholic drinks, but it provides the right balance of sour, sweet, and flavored vodka to please everyone.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 c. of raspberry vodka
- ½ c. of triple sec
- ½ c. of lime juice (sweetened)
- 3 c. of cran-raspberry juice
- 1 sliced lime
DIRECTIONS
Fill your pitcher with ice, then pour the vodka, triple sec, cran-raspberry, and lime juices. Stir well until mixed. Pour into a glass. Rub the glass's rim with lime and use a lime slice as a garnish.
#3. Sweet Seacrest Blue
INGREDIENTS
- 3 oz. of Alizé Bleu
- 2 oz. of club soda
- lemon wedge garnish
DIRECTIONS
Add all of the ingredients into an ice-filled glass. Stir, and garnish with the lemon wedge.
#4. Peach Crush
INGREDIENTS
- Ice cubes
- 1½ oz.of Absolut Mandarin
- 1 oz. of peach puree
- A dash of lime juice
- 1 peach wedge
DIRECTIONS
Fill your shaker with ice and the other ingredients. Shake and strain into a rocks glass filled with crushed ice or slow-melting ice balls with this handy ice ball maker. Garnish with a peach wedge.
#5. Sex on the beach
With a delectable combination of peach schnapps, cranberry juice, and vodka, Sex on the beach is a truly refreshing summer cocktail. Enjoy it on the beach, your backyard pool, or even with your feet in a bucket of cool water. This drink makes summer more bearable!
INGREDIENTS
- Ice
- 50ml of vodka
- 25ml of peach schnapps
- The juice of 2 oranges and orange slices to garnish
- 50ml of cranberry juice
- A glacé cherry as an optional garnish
DIRECTIONS
Add ice to two tall glasses. Pour the vodka, the peach schnapps, and fruit juices into a jar and stir the contents until mixed. Divide between the glasses and garnish with a cherry floating on top and an orange slice on the glass rim and serve.
#6. The Classic Mimosa
Orange juice and champagne sound pretty refreshing on their own, but put them together, and you have the ultimate summer cocktail. This version is classic, but you can modify the recipe by adding grapefruit, tangerine, or even some zest of a lemon.
INGREDIENTS
- 4 oz of prosecco
- 2 ½ oz. of orange juice (freshly squeezed)
- 1 orange, thinly sliced as a garnish
DIRECTIONS
In a flute-style glass (champagne glass), pour the prosecco in and then top with the orange juice. Stir the contents gently to mix thoroughly. Garnish with the orange slice.
#7. Mudslide
This cool and cozy comfort cocktail can be served on the rocks or transformed into a milkshake. Both variations are the perfect combination of vodka, cream, and coffee - perfect to kickstart another wonderful, hot summer's day!
INGREDIENTS
- 1 to 1.5 oz of vodka
- 1 oz of coffee liqueur
- 1 oz of Irish cream liqueur
DIRECTIONS
Pour the ingredients into your cocktail shaker with ice cubes and shake well. Strain the contents into an ice-filled old-fashioned glass and serve.
#8. Sangria
Sangria served on a hot day makes the world feel better than okay. This bright red pitcher of refreshing goodness is pleasing to the eye and a delight to the tastebuds. Perfect for mid-day, evening, or any time you feel like sitting back and feeling great about the world.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 bottle of red wine
- 1/2 c. of brandy
- 1/2 c. of orange juice
- 1/2 c. of pomegranate juice
- 2 c. of sparkling water
- 1/4 c. of simple syrup
- orange slices
- apple slices
- blackberries
- pomegranate seeds
DIRECTIONS
Combine all the ingredients in a pitcher. Refrigerate the pitcher full of contents overnight. The next day, pour into glasses garnished with orange wedges.
Get summer-ready with fun cocktails!
Summer cocktails can range from exotic to simple; they can be colorful or even fancy. One thing these delicious drinks all have in common is that they are refreshing and fun! Most of these refreshing drinks are easy to make and require minimal ingredients.
The best summer cocktails are the ones you can make at home to be enjoyed around the pool or on the patio. These fun summer drinks will impress your guests while keeping them cool in the summer heat.