Best Summer Cocktails: Easy Drinks You Can Make This Season

GREYDON’S CUP 

Ingredients:
1.5 oz. Absolut Elyx

1 oz. Rhum Clément Mahina Coconut Liqueur

1 oz. Giffard Banane du Brésil

1 oz. limejuice

1 oz. simple syrup

6 to 8 mint leaves

1 dash Angostura bitters

4 ounces sparkling wine (light Cava or Prosecco recommended)

Method: combine coconut, banana, lime, simple syrup, and mint in an Elyx copper pineapple. Lightly muddle. Add Elyx and fill with crushed ice, gently pushing ice down with bar spoon to completely fill and add sparkling wine.

Garnish: Option one, cover with pineapple top and insert fancy straw. Option two, put straw directly into open pineapple garnish with mint, orange slices, berries in season and a dusting of sanding sugar.

FRIDA BY CODY GOLDSTEIN

Ingredients:

1.5 oz. tequila

1 oz. pineapple juice

.5 oz. Pimento Dram

.5 oz. Ancho Reyes

.25 oz. jimejuice

Ginger beer, to fill

Method: Combine tequila, pineapple juice, lime, Pimento Dram, and Ancho Reyes into shaker and fill halfway with ice. Shake for 5 seconds and strain into a Collins glass with ice. Top with ginger beer.

SOUTHERN BELLE

Ingredients:

2 oz. Breckenridge bourbon

.25 oz. peach liqueur

.75 oz. black tea syrup*

.5 oz. fresh lemon juice

Lemon wedge for garnish

For the Black Tea Syrup: Combine 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar on low heat until dissolved. Add 4 tea bags and steep for 5 minutes. Remove tea bags. Chill and refrigerate. Syrup will keep for up to 2 weeks.

Method: Combine all ingredients and pour over ice

CARROT MARGARITA

Ingredients:

1.5 oz. Piedra Azul Reposado

.5 oz. Ancho Reyes Verde

1 oz. carrot juice

.5 oz. limejuice

.5 oz. agave syrup

Method: Combine Piedra Azul Reposado, Ancho Reyes Verde, carrot juice (store bought or homemade), lime and agave syrup into a glass. Garnish with lime, salt and fresh sage.

LYCHEE MARTINI

Ingredients:

2 cups canned or fresh lychees, peeled

½ cup simple syrup, plus more as needed

Prosecco, chilled

Method: Place lychees and simple syrup in the jar of a blender. Purée until smooth. Add more simple syrup, if desired. Transfer mixture to an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions. Divide lychee mixture evenly between two martini glasses; top with Prosecco and serve immediately.

CURSE OF LO PAN

Ingredients:

1 egg white

.75 oz. lemon

.5 oz. jasmine pearl; matcha syrup

.5 oz. coco mix*

2 oz. Beefeater 24

For the Coco Mix:

coconut mix, composed of 3 parts Coco Lopez and 1 part coconut milk.

Method: Shake and strain into a coupe. Garnish with an orchid and matcha powder.

THE LUSHY MACHINE

Ingredients:

1.5 oz. Four Pillars Gin

.75 oz. fresh lemon juice

.5 oz. red wine syrup

2-3 strawberries

For the Red Wine Syrup:

Simmer 2 cups red wine with 1 cup sugar, 1 cinnamon stick, 1 clove, and 3 cardamom pods for 15–20 minutes, until syrupy.

Method: Place all in machine or in a blender with 2 cups of ice and blend until smooth. Garnish with 3–4 dashes Angostura bitters, mint, fruit, whatever!

DOVE DISPATCH

Ingredients:

1 oz. grapefruit juice

.75 oz. red bell pepper syrup

1.5 oz. tequila

.5 oz. Campari

Method: Shake all ingredients. Pour into Collins glass with a chili salt rim. Top with seltzer.