33 Delightful And Easy Summer Cocktail Recipes

When it comes to the hotter months of the year, nothing goes down quite as well as a perfectly mixed cocktail.

Some cocktail enthusiasts say that many of us not only crave cocktails because of their often fruity and delicious mixture of tastes, but also because these delicious beverages are more than just a drink and speak to our souls by responding to our deepest inner tastes.

33 Delightful And Easy Summer Cocktail Recipes

What is certain is that cocktails are the most delicious beverages you can have in the summertime, however a lot of people stick to what they know and won’t deviate from the regular mixture of spirits and maybe a little bit of juice.

Don’t be one of these people, spruce your cocktails up and impress your guests and family members with these easy to make cocktails that work perfectly in the summer heat.

1. Blueberry Margarita

Starting with one of the most popular and vibrant cocktails you can make, the mixture of lime and chili powder with a few blueberries in this recipe makes for an extremely juicy and rich taste that is topped off perfectly by the sea salt flakes sprinkled around the rim.

2. Manhattan Cocktail

This smooth and stylish New Yorker classic cocktail mixes in a bit of rum with red vermouth and cherry to make for an incredibly rich sweet flavor that every cocktail fan needs to try at least once.

Best served in a chilled coupe glass, you can’t go far wrong with an ice cold Manhattan cocktail on a warm summer day.

3. Classic Champagne Cocktail

If you or your guests are a big fan of champagne and just want a way to change up the flavor enough to where it tastes a little lighter for the summer, this cocktail mixes in some orange and brandy to make this a delightful cocktail that is sure to please those fans who love a splash of champagne while enjoying the sun.

4. Espresso Martini

With just 4 simple ingredients, this classic cocktail is mostly suited for celebrations and as a delightful drink for you and some friends to sip on after work and is bursting full of sugary sweetness. 

With how quickly this martini can be made, it’s always worth trying out as a nice chilled appetizer for the evening.

5. Negroni Cocktail

This cocktail was invented from a bartender in Florence being asked by a customer to make a classic Americano with a little more kick.

What resulted was a gin filled beverage tipped off with a little orange and campari to make an incredibly memorable cocktail which is a favorite among those gin lover out there.

6. John Collins Cocktail

The mixture of lemon juice, sugar syrup and bourbon whiskey makes the John Collins cocktail one of the lightest and most summery cocktails you can make requiring just 4 simple ingredients. 

This cocktail is perfect as a light and zesty mix on the classic John Collins recipe.

7. Whisky Sour

For all those whiskey fans, this cocktail adds a few hints of lemon juice along with some rich sugar syrup and finished off with a lemon slice to add an incredibly sweet and delightful zesty taste to what is already a delicious tasting cocktail.

This is definitely a drink you will want to stir up for when you are craving some whiskey but don’t want it to be as warm and thick on a hot day.

8. Frozen Mango Margarita

You can’t go wrong with adding a mango flavor to a cocktail, but what makes this recipe even better and juicier is instead using frozen mango chunks to create a slightly thicker but still delicious flavor that is made all the more potent. 

Finish this already colorful cocktail off with some sliced jalapenos to add even more variety to this fruity treat.

9. Classic Margarita

If you’re looking for a cocktail you can make in little to no time that requires some ingredients that you could easily have lying around the house, mix together some lime, cointreau and tequila to make this classic margarita cocktail that you can be sure everyone will love. 

Finish off with either an orange or lemon slice depending on what kind of flavor you want to add to this already delightful recipe.

10. Gin Fizz Cocktail

If the eggy froth surface of this cocktail is not enough to make you intrigued, what about the fact that this gin infused cocktail takes just 5 minutes to stir up and uses some syrup and soda water to give it an incredibly delicious texture and flavor? 

This fizzy gin beverage is great as a light appetizer when the sun is shining brightly.

11. Irish Whiskey Old Fashioned

This old fashioned spin on the traditional Irish whiskey replaces the usually orange mixture with elderflower cordial to give this classic cocktail a more delicate and almost herby taste to this already delicious drink. 

If you’re a fan of whiskey or just want a drink that blends a few extra ingredients to make it even more tasteful, this is a must try cocktail.

12. Whiskey Smash

If you want a whiskey based cocktail with a bit more of a minty flavor and a slightly stronger kick that tastes amazing when chilled, this whiskey smash mixes together some mint leaves with a dash of bourbon which is then finished off with some lemon wedges to create one of the most vibrant cocktails that isn’t too overpowering in the warmer months. 

13. Brandy Alexander

The cocktail is straight out of the 1970s both in terms of its stylish and classy look, but also for it’s extremely elegant taste fused with dark creme de cacao and with some added cream and nutmeg to make for a delicious taste that become irresistible once you take the first sip. 

For a cocktail that is sure to impress any guests who even set their eyes on it, definitely try out the classy Brandy Alexander.

14. Frozen Strawberry Margarita

If you are looking for a cocktail that is bursting with the maximum amount of fruity flavor and is ice cold as soon as you prepare it, this recipe fuses the incredible taste of juicy frozen strawberries with a bit of tequila to make one of the lightest but also mostly filing cocktails you will be able to find. 

Finish off with some lime wedges to really make this cocktail as sweet as it can be.

15. Spiked Sparkling Basil Lemonade

This herb infused vodka recipe requires you to seal the drink tightly in a jar, shake and refrigerate from 6 to 12 hours depending on how sweet and chilled you want the drink to come out like. 

Fizzy, fruity and certainly a crowd pleaser, this is often the perfect go to cocktail when you want to get a drink as chilled as possible and don’t mind taking the preparation time.

16. Frozen Dark’n Stormy

This recipe combines some fresh ginger with spicy rum to smoothen it out and give it a bit more of a sweetened kick while you enjoy it.

When frozen, this drink is even more delightful and balanced out perfectly with some added lime and some more ice if you want to create the perfect grown up slushie cocktail.

17. Classic Pina Colada

Where do we even start when it comes to the pina colada, one of the most beloved and popular cocktails out there.

Mixing rum with a little coconut and pineapple juice creates a savory blend of flavors that is just too good to resist on a warm day. 

If you are looking for even more of a zingy kick, consider finishing this drink off with some lime juice just as the bartenders would. 

18. Strawberry Vodka

Strawberry vodka tastes just a little too good to not whip up in the summertime, especially since it can be put together with just 4 ingredients in as little as 10 minutes.

Make sure to simmer the strawberries to make them nice and soft so that they blend elegantly with the vodka.

19. Tequila Sunrise

The beautiful yellow to red color of this cocktail that perfectly embodies a summer’s day is not the only thing that makes a tequila sunrise so delightful.

Orange juice, tequila and grenadine all work to make this a smooth and delicious cocktail that you can tell has been pulled right out of the vibrant and fun 1970s era.

20. Strawberry Daiquiri

Strawberry daiquiris are so easy to make, it’s almost not even fair considering this home made mix of frozen berries is perfectly sweetened to the point where the light rum does not overpower the fruity taste, but still adds a nice kick to this refreshing chilled cocktail.

21. Bay Breeze Cocktail

As the name suggests, this cocktail is usually seen as a cocktail custom when relaxing on the Hawaiian bays while the sea breeze blows in your face, making it extremely appetizing and as though it tastes like summer thanks to the pineapple and cranberry juice that compliment the vodka perfectly.

22. Frozen Rose

This frozen rose is a mixture between a frozen cocktail and summery pink wine to make for one of the most essential chilly cocktails that goes down as a delicious treat when the sun is high in the sky. 

Some lemon juice and quartered strawberries really make this wine based cocktail all that much sweeter.

23. White Wine Sangria

If you want a light but refreshing drink that can be shared around easily when poured into a jug, this white wine sangria first muddles the oranges into the jug before adding in some wine, brandy and liquor to create the perfect blend of freshness which is evened out nicely with the inclusion of a few plums to make this cocktail as refreshing as it can possibly get. 

While out on the porch, consider topping this cocktail up with lemonade as you go to ensure it always retains that familiar bubbly sensation that we all know and love.

24. Paloma Cocktail

The paloma cocktail is one of the easiest to drink and breeziest drinks you can come across, not to mention it even includes grapefruit which adds an extra element of fruitiness to this tequila based cocktail.

Always make sure to start off this recipe by cutting and rubbing a lime around the ring of each glass as while it may seem like a small detail, it enhances the aftertaste and sweetness of the mixed flavors tremendously.

25. Banana Daiquiri

Bananas are the perfect snack on a summer’s day, they’re light, soft and can be eaten easily with essentially no preparation, so why not try it as part of a cocktail?

This banana daiquiri mixes in some white rum and cointreau to transport you to a far away tropical beach with every sip.

26. Zombie Cocktail

While this cocktail certainly has a unique and strange name, make no mistake, this delightful drink coming straight out of the 1930s fuses a complex blend of three different rums and fruit juice to make for a delicious beverage when relaxing out in the garden.

Make sure to try and use dark, white and overproof rum to make this classic cocktail as tasty as it can be without one taste overpowering the others.

27. Bicicletta Spritz

This cocktail not only tastes great, it has one of the most sophisticated looks you can get out of a cocktail with its dreamy see through red color which is full of sweetness and juicy flavors thanks to the oranges, creating a delicious spin on the standard white wine cocktail recipes.

28. Virgin Mojito

Of course while most cocktails will be made from a mixture of different alcohols, if you want a non-alcoholic cocktail that can be enjoyed on a hot summer’s day by all ages, this virgin mojito uses sparkling water with a whole host of other ingredients including lime juice, mint leaves and a few tablespoons of honey to make for a cocktail that is still bursting with flavor, but a lot healthier to sip on while the sun shines bright.

29. Passionfruit Caparihinia

The caparhinia is a cocktail delicacy in its home country of Brazil, but with this added mixture of passionfruit it only makes this already delightful drink all the more delicious by adding a much punchier fruit blend into the mix. 

Don’t forget to cover the glasses in some lime and a dash of sugar to get the maximum amount of flavor out of this delightful bright summery drink.

30. Jamaican Rum Punch

It’s hard to know where to start with this Jamaican rum cocktail which is made up of a whole host of tropical ingredients including coconut, pineapple, lime and essentially any extra fruits you feel would spruce this delicious cocktail up any more, the beauty of this drink really is how much choice you get in customizing it.

31. Rhubarb Daiquiri

This delicate and classy looking cocktail makes use of a sugar coating to enhance the white rum to the point where it is bursting with flavor each sip you take.

When it comes to making the syrup that is also a huge part of this cocktail, you can even make it a week in advance if you want to prepare for the big occasion before it even begins.

32. Peach-Aperol Spritz

It’s hard to go wrong with a the sweet and savory taste of peach on a warm summer’s day, and this is why this peach-aperol spritz with its sparkling rose, ripe fruit and a touch of aperol makes for the perfect combination of fruity flavors that evens out the sweetness of the peaches to make sure no flavor overpowers the others.

33. Fizzy Mint Doogh

This cocktail is traditionally made with dried mint, however in recent years people have instead begun using fresh mints which gives this beautiful looking drink a bit more of a vibrant flavor and color to make it just that more appetizing.

If you really like the sound of adding a dash of minty goodness to your drink to make it that much more satisfying in the summer heat, the fizzy mint doogh is certainly not a cocktail you should ignore, especially with how quickly it can be prepared and served.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Can I Keep A Cocktail Cool In The Summer?

There are a few easy ways you can make sure that your newly whipped up cocktail stays cool and chilled in the summer, after all it’s no good if it ends up becoming stale or even worse, if it starts to become warm itself.

Ice is the obvious solution however if you are sharing the cocktail in a large jug, it can often be a better idea to create one jumbo ice cube rather than several smaller ones as this will take a lot more time to melt in the heat, ensuring that the mixture remains cold.

Additionally, you can simply pre-chill your cocktail in the refrigerator before you take it out which only takes a few minutes, or if you don’t want to take that time to wait you can wrap a slightly wet cloth around the drink while you drink so that it does not get warmed up too easily and retains as much of its cold texture as possible. 

Summary

Whether you just want to sit out on the balcony and relax in the sun after a long hard week or if you have the family or guests coming over and you want to surprise them with some delicious beverages to sip on in the summer heat, try out this wide variety of cocktail recipes that are all sure to keep you feeling cool and refreshed in the summertime.

33 Delightful And Easy Summer Cocktail Recipes

33 Delightful And Easy Summer Cocktail Recipes

Recipe by Jenna

Nothing goes down better in the summer months than a cocktail, so why not stock up on a few recipes ready for those delightfully sunny social gatherings?

Course: Beverages
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