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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Photo By: Stephen Murello ©Stephen Murello

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Photo By: Stephen Murello ©Stephen Murello

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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

This beautiful take on sangria gets its kick from tequila instead of brandy. Mix it up with fruit and juice, and then top it off with your favorite Spanish red wine.

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

How do you make fresh lemonade even better? Chuck uses sweet-tart Meyer lemons and spikes it with tequila. Cheers!

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

Mash blackberries into iced tea to add sweet-tart flavor and a pretty purple hue. Float bourbon on top of the chilled tea just before serving.

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

It's easy to see why rice-based horchata is a favorite summer drink in Spain and Latin America: It's creamy and refreshing without being too heavy for hot days.

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

If you're skipping the alcohol, you can do no better than Kelsey's raspberry limeade, sweetened with sugar and infused with bubbly seltzer water.

Get the Recipe: Raspberry Limeade with Lavender and Mint

Limoncello Spritzer

Debi and Gabriele take the classic summer drink and make it their own with fresh raspberries and Prosecco.

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

This sweet, fruity classic, with peach schnapps, vodka and orange juice, is sure to be a hit — beach or no 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

This sweet-tart margarita is all fun: pink, frozen and salted on the edge to balance the flavor palate.

Get the Recipe: Pomegranate Margaritas

Raspberry Mojito

Infuse your mojito with double raspberry flavor with a shot of berry syrup and a handful of fresh berries in each glass.

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

Laura Calder uses a lemon syrup to flavor her lemonade, then mixes it into iced water garnished with mint and citrus peel. Keep leftover syrup in the refrigerator for on-demand lemonade.

Get the Recipe: Better Than Citron Presse

Sunrise Punch

Keep the rum on the side so both kids and adults can enjoy this fruity tropical punch.

Get the Recipe: Sunrise Punch

Pina Colada

Bring the tiki bar home with this classic pineapple-coconut blend.

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

This sweet cocktail can double as a summer dessert. It's everything you love about a fresh, minty mojito, blended into snow-cone-like slush.

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

This summery drink gets a fruity update and its pink hue from a healthy dose of peach liqueur.

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