As summer moves slowly towards it warm, sticky end, there’s not much better than a refreshing, cold cocktail poolside at sunset. These warm weather favorites feature everything from vodka-in flavors like toasted coconut and red velvet cake-to summer ale, dark rum, and fresh ingredients like lemon, lime, grapefruit, and cucumber.
Sweet Summer Solera
by Robert Ortenza, Señora Martinez and Meat Market, Miami
- 1½ oz. Botran Solera
- ¾ oz. honey
- ¾ oz. freshly-squeezed lemon juice
- 2.5 oz. Sam Adams Summer Ale
- Lemon wheel for garnish
See the directions for this recipe here.
Emperor of Guatemala
- 1½ oz. Botran Reserva Rum
- 4 dimes of ginger, crushed
- 2 handfuls of roughly chopped fresh pineapple
- ½ oz. freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ½ oz. agave nectar
- 6 grates of stick cinnamon
- 3 heavy dashes of aromatic bitters
- Garnish pineapple slice
Peach Rum Julep
- 1 oz. Botran Reserva Rum
- 1 oz. peach purée
- ½ oz. simple syrup
- 2 dashes of orange bitters
- 1 dash of aromatic bitters
- Garnish: mint sprigs, peach slices
End of Summer Blues
- 2 ½ oz. Sobieski Cytron Vodka
- 2 oz. Blue Curacao
- 1 oz. orange juice
Serve in a rocks glass with ice. Garnish with orange slice.
Caribbean Island Cooler
- 2 oz. Sobieski Toasted Coconut Vodka
- 1 oz. Pineapple Juice
- 1 oz. Cranberry Juice
Shake over ice, strain into a tall glass with ice.
Celtic Coconut Crush
- 2 oz. Sobieski Toasted Coconut Vodka
- 1/2 oz. Irish Cream
- 1/2 oz. Crushed Ice
- Garnish pineapple slice
Blend together, serve in a daiquiri or margarita glass. Garnish with a pineapple slice and a tiki umbrella.
Red Velvet Pineapple Upside Down Cake
- 2 oz Zing Red Velvet
- 2 oz pineapple juice
- .5 oz grenadine
Method: Shake ingredients and strain into martini glass. Pour grenadine slowly into glass to create layer. Garnish: Pineapple slice and cherry.
Summer Refresher
- 1.5 oz. Zing Vodka
- 5 Cucumber Chunks (approx 1 oz. juice)
- 1 Basil Leaf
- Splash Lime Juice
- Garnish: cucumber slice
Grapefruit Basil Martini
- 1.5 oz. Zing Vodka
- .75 oz. Grapefruit Juice
- .25 oz. Lime Juice
- .25 oz. Simple Syrup
- 3 Basil Leaves
- Garnish: Basil leaf and grapefruit peel
If you’re looking for something a bit darker, try these recipes from Camus Cognac.
The Camusrita
- 2 oz. CAMUS VSOP Elegance Cognac
- 1 oz. lime juice
- 1 oz. orange juice
- 1 oz. Triple sec
Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a glass. Garnish with a slice of lime.
Cliffdiver
- 1 ¼ oz. CAMUS VSOP Elegance Cognac
- ½ oz. Ginger Liqueur muddled with fresh ginger (2 slices)
- 1 oz. unfiltered apple juice
- ¾ oz. lime juice
- ¾ oz. simple syrup
Shake all ingredients together, and pour over ice. Garnish with slices of granny smith apple and a sliver of ginger.
Got a favorite cocktail you’d like to share? Tell us about it!