Get ready for some summer fun for the coming sunny days. You can’t go wrong with these refreshing cocktails, whether you’re sitting poolside or having a night in, these drinks will have you basking in the sun! Here are my top five summer cocktails for you!
- Gin & Tonic
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A classic, simple cocktail that only requires exactly what it says: gin and tonic. To really put it over the edge, add some lime wedges for an extra refreshing, citrusy taste! I, myself, am partial to the Bombay Sapphire gin. A garnish option is a lime wedge.
- Mojito
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If you want something similar to the gin and tonic, but with more flavor, this is another light and refreshing drink for some poolside fun. This drink includes light rum, soda water (club soda), some sugar, mint, and lime! A garnish option is a mint sprig with a lime wedge.
- Dark ‘n’ Stormy
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This dark rum and ginger beer concoction is fantastic. The dark rum gives it a complex and rich taste while the ginger beer adds to this with some spice. If you want to perk it up a bit adding some lime juice will do just that! A garnish option is a lime wedge.
- Florodora
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This drink is pretty in pink! It includes a delicious mix of gin, simple syrup, ginger ale, lime juice, and raspberries (for taste and that pretty color!). This drink is a little sweeter than the aforementioned drinks but depending on how much of each ingredient you add it can still be light and is always refreshing! Garnish option is an orange slice, lime slice, and raspberry.
- Island Dreamsicle
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This drink lives up to its name and is from the Koloa Rum Company website. No matter where you are, with this drink in hand you’ll be transported to a tropical island. This drink includes two ounces of Koloa Kaua’i coconut rum (however any coconut rum will work), one ounce of orange juice, one ounce of pineapple juice, a half-ounce of orgeat, two teaspoons of lime juice, two teaspoons of simple syrup, 2-4 dashes of tiki bitters, and to top it off, coconut milk. You could make this into a party punch, but if you do, leave the coconut milk out until it’s individually served.
As a bonus (because it’s not technically a cocktail) you can make pina colada Jell-O shots! This can be done simply by making pineapple Jell-O and add in coconut rum.
For the exact ingredients and amounts of each drink, a quick google search should help you out. Or, if you want more in depth information on these drinks, you can get backstories, ingredients, and add more to each drink (minus the island dreamsicle) in the book titled, “The Essential Cocktail Book: A Complete Guide to Modern Drinks with 150 Recipes” by Megan Krigbaum.
I hope you try some of these awesome drinks this summer!