Cocktails to Enjoy This Summer

There isn’t an experience much more pleasant than sitting on a patio under the sun, enjoying a refreshing summer drink with your friends. Whether you prefer a fruity seasonal beer or a finely made citrus cocktail, there’s something out there that everyone can enjoy. Here are some beverages that pair great with your culinary school dishes and will also help you beat the heat.

Vodka

This firecracker from Creative Culinary sounds like it would be a wild and intense drink, but it’s actually the perfect beverage for a lazy afternoon during the dog days of summer. You can make this drink an easy one by mixing cucumber vodka, watermelon cubes, limes and simple syrup, or take it up a notch by lining the rim with salt and sugar like you would with a margarita.

Rum

A hurricane from Delish is the ideal drink for anyone on a tropical island – or who just wants to feel as if they’re on one. This fruity cocktail combines light and dark rum, fresh fruit juices like orange and passion fruit, and grenadine. On second thought, hold onto this recipe and pull it out in the middle of winter for a little pick-me-up, too.

Gin

A Tom Collins is a classic cocktail that Food and Wine tweaked to make more summertime-friendly with this Limoncello Collins recipe. This refreshing beverage is like an adult mint lemonade, made with limoncello, gin, lemon juice and club soda, garnished with lemon slices and fresh mint.

Whiskey

It’s not just at the Kentucky Derby that you can enjoy a classy mint julep. In fact, Country Living has a jalapeno bourbon julep that puts the plain ol’ mint juleps to shame – especially if you like something with a bit of a kick. It’s made just like the classic cocktail, with mint leaves, bourbon and club soda. However, you throw some homemade jalapeno simple syrup into the mix too. The simple syrup just consists of sugar, water and jalapenos. (You may even be able to use fresh peppers from your own garden – bonus!)

Champagne

This lemon drop champagne punch from Martha Stewart is perfect for any sort of summer get together. Made with fresh lemons and your choice of vodka and champagne, it’s an easy drink you can mix up quickly in large quantities to quench every guest’s thirst.

Looking for more summer food and drink ideas? Check out these articles for inspiration: