Summer Cocktails for 2023

 

Ah, summer. The weather gets warmer, the days are longer, and life seems a little bit easier. All the fun in the sun can leave you parched, and no one wants to assemble a complicated cocktail. You just want a simple, thirst-quenching, refreshing cocktail to sip the afternoon away. 

 

If you’re looking to mix up your summer cocktails, consider these delicious and easy-to-make drinks. Cheers to enjoying summer in a glass!

 

Sweet Tea Smash

Nothing says summer like sweet tea. Enjoy this refreshing, boozy take on the classic beverage when the sun is high, and the weather is warm, then sit back and watch the world go by. 

 

Ingredients

·       2 lemon wedges

·       4 mint leaves

·       1 ounce Tennessee whiskey

·       1 teaspoon Strega

·       1 ounce unsweetened iced tea

·       1 teaspoon cane syrup

·       Garnish: mint sprig

 

Directions

1.     In a shaker, muddle the lemon wedges and mint leaves.

2.     Add the whiskey, Strega, iced tea, and cane syrup with ice; shake until well-chilled.

3.     Strain into a Collins glass filled with fresh ice; garnish with mint sprig.

 

Boat House Punch

Hosting a large summer gathering? Make this bubbly big-batch cocktail beforehand, and you’ll ensure everyone has a good time.

 

Ingredients

·       4 lemons, peeled

·       ½ cup superfine sugar

·       1 liter dry gin

·       750 mL (25 ounces) Aperol

·       12 ounces St-Germain

·       12 ounces grapefruit juice, freshly squeezed

·       12 ounces lemon juice, freshly squeezed

·       12 ounces orange juice, freshly squeezed

·       750 mL (25 ounces) sparkling rosé

·       Garnish: orange wheels

 

Directions

1.     Muddle the lemon peels (save lemons for juicing) with the sugar in a bowl until the sugar is slightly moistened.

2.     Cover and let sit for at least one hour, or overnight, so the sugar can absorb the lemon oils.

3.     Add the gin, Aperol, St-Germain, grapefruit juice, lemon juice, and orange juice to a large pitcher or punch bowl. Add the lemon-sugar mixture; let sit for 15 minutes.

4.     Remove the lemon peels, drop them in a large ice block, and add the sparkling rosé.

5.     Garnish the pitcher and individual punch cups with orange wheels.

 

Averna Limonata

Looking for a simple, two-ingredient, no-fuss cocktail? This low-ABV drink is slightly more complex than your poolside Vodka Tonic, making it perfect for sunny afternoon sipping.

 

Ingredients

·       2 ounces Averna

·       4 ounces lemon soda (such as San Pellegrino Limonata)

·       Garnish: lemon wheel, sage leaf

 

Directions

1.     Add the Averna and lemon soda into a Collins glass with ice;  stir gently to combine.

2.     Garnish with a lemon wheel and sage leaf.

 

Bicicletta

Mixing this cocktail is as easy as riding a bike! With only three ingredients, it’s a fun twist on the classic Aperol Spritz. Sip the Bicicletta and pretend you’re on a sun-drenched patio in Italy.

 

Ingredients

·       3 ounces dry white wine (pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc)

·       2 ounces Campari

·       Club soda, chilled, to top

·       Garnish: 2 orange wheels

 

Directions

1.     Add the white wine and Campari into a double rocks or wine glass.

2.     Fill the glass three-quarters with ice and top with club soda; stir gently and briefly to combine.

3.     Garnish with orange wheels.

 

Lemon Shandy

Beer is great on its own, but adding lemonade makes it refreshingly better! The Shandy, an equal-part combination of lemonade and lager beer, is  made for warm-weather drinking, especially if  lawnmowers or sunny patios are involved.

 

Ingredients

·       8 ounces lager beer

·       8 ounces lemonade

 

Directions

1.     Combine the lager and lemonade in a pint glass; stir briefly to combine.

 

Need help selecting the perfect spirits for your backyard BBQ or evening cocktail party? Stop into Universal Fine Wine & Spirits today! At Universal Fine Wine & Spirits, we want to make sure you are going home with the perfect drink to complete your summer meal, so ask away. We will be more than happy to help answer any of your questions. Come in and talk to an employee, call us at 727-937-8330, or visit our website.  

 

 

 

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Sources

https://mybartender.com/drinks/summer-cocktails/

https://www.acouplecooks.com/summer-cocktails/

https://www.foodandwine.com/cocktails-spirits/modern-summer-cocktails