The Best Summer Drinks & Cocktails
Quench your thirst with our best summer beverages, from classic cocktails to fresh fruit juices and spritzers.
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Blueberry-Ginger Mojito Pitchers
Homemade ginger syrup adds spicy bite to Tyler Florence's bubbly mojito pitchers, which are overflowing with muddled blueberries.
Get the Recipe: Blueberry Ginger Mojito Pitchers
Plum-Cherry Ice Pops and Champagne
Combine after-dinner drinks and dessert by dunking plum-cherry ice pops in glasses of champagne. It's the best way to cool down.
Get the Recipe: Plum-Cherry Ice Pops
Mint Julep Slushy
This frozen take on the classic julep packs a powerful punch. Mix a bottle of rum with mint and a little sugar, then freeze until slushy.
Get the Recipe: Mint Julep
Muddled Lemonberryade
To get the most flavor out of the berries and mint, Michael Chiarello employs a common bartending technique called muddling. It helps release the juices of fresh fruits and herbs so they can easily be absorbed by the alcohol –– or, in this case, the lemon juice and club soda.
Get the Recipe: Muddled Lemonberryade
Green Tea and Orange Cooler
This simple drink will cool you down all summer long and has only three ingredients: green tea, orange and agave nectar. You could also turn this into a cocktail with a splash of vodka or tequila.
Get the Recipe: Green Tea and Orange Cooler
Cucumber-Jalapeno Margarita
Michael Symon infuses this margarita with a halved jalapeno pepper and thin slices of cucumbers –– the longer it sits, the more its spicy notes and refreshing, savory flavor intensify.
Get the Recipe: Cucumber Jalapeno Margarita
Limoncello
Channel those sunny summertime vibes with this lemon-tinged liqueur. Make a big batch, then store in your freezer to sip all season long.
Get the Recipe: Limoncello
Tequila Sangria
Get the Recipe: Tequila Sangria
Mojitos for a Crowd
Don't want to play bartender all night long? Mix up this party-sized batch to keep guests' glasses full all night.
Get the Recipe: Mojitos
Homemade Peach Iced Tea
Chuck creates a cross between simple syrup and fruit puree by simmering and then blending a mixture of sugar, water, peaches and a vanilla bean. He serves this with a chilled brew for the ultimate summer tea.
Get the Recipe: Homemade Peach Iced Tea
Tequila Lemonade
Get the Recipe: Tequila Lemonade
White Sangria
Spanish sangria, endlessly customizable with various fruits, wines and liquors, is one of summer's most versatile drinks. Ellie's sunny pitcher calls for a bottle of white wine, brandy and orange liqueur, along with slices of fresh citrus.
Get the Recipe: White Sangria
Watermelon Martinis
In an effort to make his martinis thoroughly slushy (without watering them down), Bobby Flay employs the genius technique of freezing a puree of watermelon and simple syrup in ice cube trays. He then blends the cubes with the lemon juice, vodka and melon liqueur to form drinks that are as chilling as they are pure of flavor.
Get the Recipe: Watermelon Martinis
Blackberry-Bourbon Iced Tea
Get the Recipe: Blackberry-Bourbon Iced Tea
Watermelon-Jalapeno Lemonade
Though watermelon sweetens the lot in this atypical lemonade, blended jalapeno slices ensure this drink has plenty of bite.
Get the Recipe: Watermelon Jalapeno Lemonade
Classic Margaritas
Simple, straightforward and definitely a classic, this margarita recipe is a solid crowd pleaser.
Get the Recipe: Margarita
White Sangria
Chuck's sparkling wine sangria spans the sweet-tangy spectrum with its base of white Port and orange liqueur. Add summer fruits like raspberries and peaches, and then for the final, surprising touch, line the rims of your glasses with a powder of ground orange and lemon zest.
Get the Recipe: White Sangria
Italian Lemonade
Give this summertime classic some elegant Sicilian flair by infusing it with the flavors of another seasonal favorite: fresh basil.
Get the Recipe: Italian Lemonade
Extra Virgin Sangria
Sangria, Extra Virgin-style, includes brandy, vanilla, cloves and cinnamon. Debi and Gabriele recommend Cannonau wine from Sardinia, Italy, but you can use any medium-bodied red wine.
Get the Recipe: Sangria
Classic Horchata
Get the Recipe: Horchata
Chuck's Icebreaker Mojito
Mix up this midsummer sip when the watermelons hit the farm stand. Toss cubes of the juicy fruit with pineapple, lime and mint — it's like a rum-spiked fruit salad!
Get the Recipe: Icebreaker Mojitos
Raspberry Limeade with Lavender and Mint
Get the Recipe: Raspberry Limeade with Lavender and Mint
Limoncello Spritzer
Get the Recipe: Limoncello Spritzer
Sgroppino (Italian Cocktail)
This palate-cleansing potion is perfect pre- or post-dinner. A scoop of lemon sorbet floats in a pool of sparkling Prosecco and vodka, and the cocktail is finished with a minty green garnish.
Bobby's Strawberry Pina Colada
Bobby blends two frozen drink classics — pina coladas and strawberry daiquiris — to create a crowd-pleasing slushy pink drink.
Get the Recipe: Strawberry Pina Colada
Vanilla Bean Lemonade
Kelsey's lemonade gains fizz from sparkling water and depth from vanilla bean paste. Simple syrup balances out this favorite sip while scattered basil or mint adds summery freshness.
Get the Recipe: Vanilla Bean Lemonade
Horchata
Frothy, rice-based horchata instantly cuts through the heat of a hot summer day. Served with festive straws and topped with a sprinkle of cinnamon, Kelsey's version is perfect for a Latin-inspired brunch.
Get the Recipe: Horchata
Sex on the Beach
Get the Recipe: Sex on the Beach
Blackberry-Cucumber-Ginger Spritzer
This fruity, alcohol-free spritzer is just as complex and fun to drink as its boozier counterparts, thanks to a combination of ginger-infused herbal tea, elderflower syrup and tangy blackberry sipping vinegar.
Get the Recipe: Blackberry, Cucumber, Ginger Spritzer
Tyler's Orange Cream Mimosas
Tyler spiffs up the always-refreshing brunch classic by tossing in a scoop of homemade orange cream sorbet. Sweet and creamy, it's the ultimate crowd pleaser.
Get the Recipe: Orange Cream Mimosa
Pomegranate Margaritas
Get the Recipe: Pomegranate Margaritas
Raspberry Mojito
Get the Recipe: Raspberry Mojito
Tropical Sangria
Bobby makes his sangria tropical with passion fruit nectar, light rum, Sauvignon Blanc and lemongrass.
Get the Recipe: Tropical Sangria
Frozen Mango Margarita
Margaritas can be super-sweet, but Ellie's lighter version swaps most of the sugar for ripe frozen mango. Don't worry, she doesn't skimp on the most important part: good-quality silver tequila.
Get the Recipe: Frozen Mango Margarita
Elderflower Tarte
Rhubarb-infused elderflower liqueur, tart Meyer lemon foam and a wild-strawberry garnish are served in a shot glass — an ambrosial sip so sweet it's best enjoyed in small doses.
Get the Recipe: Elderflower Tarte
Peach Sangria
This simple take on sangria relies on the flavor of juicy, ripe peaches. Mix the grated fruit with sweet Riesling and top with fresh mint.
Get the Recipe: Peach Sangria
Lava Flow
This tropical cocktail features the classic duo of coconut and pineapple along with rum and vanilla ice cream for a cool, smooth drink that erupts with a scarlet strawberry puree.
Get the Recipe: Lava Flow
Blueberry Mojito
Tiffani Thiessen muddles blueberries, mint and sugar together for the beautiful, pink-hued base of this cocktail.
Get the Recipe: Blueberry Mojito
Tyler's Peach-Ginger Bellini
Give your brunchtime Bellini a bit of zing with Tyler's ginger-infused simple syrup.
Get the Recipe: Peach Ginger Bellini
Laura's Mint Lemonade
Get the Recipe: Better Than Citron Presse
Sunrise Punch
Get the Recipe: Sunrise Punch
Pina Colada
Get the Recipe: Piña Coladas
Watermelon-Champagne Cocktail
This cocktail looks fancy, but it tastes like watermelon cake thanks to vanilla-flavored vodka.
Get the Recipe: Watermelon-Champagne Cocktail
Mojito Slushy
Get the Recipe: Mojito Slushy
Ouzo Lemon Spritzer
Michael Symon balances the distinct licorice flavor of ouzo, a classic Greek aperitif, with lemon juice and mint.
Get the Recipe: Ouzo Lemon Spritzer
Elderflower Sparkler
Counter hot afternoons with Kelsey's cool pink-grapefruit, sparkling water and elderflower-syrup sparkler.
Get the Recipe: Elderflower Sparkler
Peach Julep
Get the Recipe: Peach Julep
Mote con Huesillos
Dried peaches (huesillos) are soaked overnight, then poached in a light syrup with caramelized sugar to form the base of this popular Chilean summer dessert beverage.
Get the Recipe: Mote con Huesillos
Silk Sheets Cocktail
With strawberries, balsamic vinegar and gin as its base, this sweet and tangy sip affords an exotic experience, even before a luxurious coat of St. Germain Foam is added to the top.
Get the Recipe: Silk Sheets Cocktail
Sinless Sangria
Kelsey's virgin sangria starts with a sparkling grape juice base, plus cranberry, lime and orange juices for sweet tang and color. She mixes in strawberries, citrus and mint, but you can feel free to use any on-hand fruit and fresh herbs.
Get the Recipe: Sinless Sangria
Strawberry Lemonade Bourbon Cocktail
Tiffani infuses lemonade with muddled strawberries before adding a kick of bourbon and basil.
Get the Recipe: Strawberry Lemonade Bourbon Cocktail
Bella Donna
Mix some magic in a Mason jar with a bourbon, citrus juice and bitters base overflowing with shaved ice and a garnish of fresh mint and muddled blackberries.
Get the Recipe: Bella Donna
Grill Your Peaches Cocktail
Peaches are grilled and then pureed to form the base of this rich tastes-like-summer cocktail.
Get the Recipe: Grill Your Peaches Cocktail