Summer cocktails (and how to make them!)
What could be nicer than sitting outside on a warm summer evening, feeling the heat of the day slowly fade and sipping on a cool, fresh cocktail? Not much! The best thing is, there are so many beautiful cocktail recipes that you could try a different one every week for the entire summer – and still not have tried them all. That’s why we’ve pulled together some of the best cocktail recipes, for fun and easy summer cocktails you can make at home.
A minty fresh classic mojito
One of the most popular cocktails in the world, this Cuban classic is a refreshing and reinvigorating choice on a hot summer evening.
Ingredients
50ml white rum
25ml fresh lime juice
15ml sugar syrup
A good handful of mint leaves
Soda water
Any fruit you want to add flavour – like passionfruit, raspberries or strawberries
Lots of ice
Method
Add all of the ingredients except the soda water to a cocktail shaker. Fill the shaker to the top with ice. Shake firmly, then strain into a glass. Garnish with more mint leaves, and top up with soda water.
A tangy aperol spritz
This classic Italian summer cocktail is generally served as a light aperitif, but it tastes great whenever you’re drinking it!
Ingredients
Lots of ice
50ml Aperol
75ml prosecco
Soda water (to taste).
Orange slices
Method
Fill a glass with ice, then add the Aperol and prosecco. Top up with a little soda if you like, to soften the taste. Add 1-2 slices of orange.
A beautiful classic margarita
Although it’s a simple cocktail, the trick to the perfect margarita is getting the garnish just right. Too much salt is overpowering, and too much lime steals the spotlight from the sweet agave taste that comes from the tequila.
Ingredients
50ml tequila
25ml fresh lime juice
25ml triple sec
Lots of ice
Salt
Two lime wedges
Method
First prep your glass. Sprinkle a good handful of salt onto a plate. Rub the rim with one lime wedge, and then roll the rim of the glass in the salt so it gets a good, crisp coating. Prepare the cocktail by mixing all of the ingredients and the ice in a cocktail shaker, and give it a good shake until the outside of the shaker is cold. Strain and serve over ice, garnished with the second lime wedge.
Pink gin cocktail
There’s something quite special about summer gin cocktails. Although lots of brands have popularised pink gin as a spirit – usually with the addition of berries or summer fruits, a classic pink gin cocktail is actually something a bit different. Popularised in England in the 1800s, it is also known as gin and bitters. The pinkish hue comes from the addition of Angostura Bitters.
Ingredients
50ml gin (traditionally, Plymouth gin is used)
2-3 splashes of Angostura Bitters
Ice
Soda water (if needed)
Edible flowers (optional)
Method
Combine the gin and bitters with ice, in a cocktail shaker. Shake until the outside of the shaker feels cold. Strain and serve, garnish with a lemon peel. Although not part of the traditional cocktail, you may wish to add soda water to make this strong cocktail a little lighter for summer drinking. Top with edible flowers if using – and enjoy!
