40 Best Summer Cocktails

One of the most iconic summer cocktails is the mojito! This iconic Cuban cocktail is refreshing and perfectly balanced with lime, rum and fresh mint. Perfect for when summer herbs are in abundance.

Variations: Raspberry Mojito, Strawberry Mojito or Mojito Pitcher Recipe

Bubbly, citrusy, herbal, subtly bitter and lightly sweet: the Aperol spritz is an iconic summer cocktail! This drink blew up in popularity in the 2000’s, but it's an Italian classic cocktail that's been capturing hearts and minds since the 1950's.

Variations: Amaro Spritz, Campari Spritz,

Try this refreshing summer cocktail, the Blueberry Vodka Smash! This pairing of sweet berries, fresh mint, simple syrup and vodka is just the thing for enjoying on the patio or deck. Served over crushed ice, it's a celebration of summer berries! 

Ranch Water is a tequila highball made with lime juice and Topo Chico that's blown up into massive popularity as a summer drink! It’s laid-back and like a bubbly, lighter version of the classic margarita, with all the tangy lime but less sweetness and booze.

What could be a better signature summer cocktail than the piña colada? This recipe is the perfect blend of pineapple, lime, coconut and rum. It takes only a few minutes to blend up with only 5 ingredients (plus ice).

Variations: Virgin Piña Colada, Frozen Piña Colada, Painkiller

Another signature summer drink: sangria! There’s not much better than a fruity glass of classic sangria. Add fresh strawberries and it's bold and fruity, and the perfect balance of dry and sweet. 

Variations: White Sangria, Rose Sangria, Watermelon Sangria, Peach Sangria, and Red Sangria

Of course, the margarita works anytime. But it's absolutely the most perfect summer cocktail! Here's the classic way to make it: with tequila, lime, orange liqueur, and a salt rim. Perfection!

Variations: Try all our Margarita Recipes (Mezcal, Cadillac, Jalapeño and more)

This icy strawberry daiquiri is the perfect summer drink! This homemade recipe is loads better than a daiquiri mix from the store: all you need are frozen strawberries, limes and rum.

Variation: Frozen Daiquiri, Virgin Strawberry Daiquiri, Banana Daiquiri or Frozen Mango Daiquiri

Meet the Negroni Sbagliato, a mixed up version of the classic cocktail using sparkling wine instead of gin. This Negroni spin-off as taken off in popularity: for good reason! The lightly sweet Prosecco against the bitter Campari and sweet vermouth makes as better balance than the classic.

This rum cocktail is breathtakingly complex, featuring aged rum, orange liqueur, and almond syrup for nutty and vanilla notes against sharp citrus. Float a little dark rum on top, and you get to the core of a Mai Tai: it’s sophisticated, nuanced, and extraordinarily special drink.

The Moscow mule screams summer cocktail, doesn't it? It's fizzy, tangy, looks festive, and it goes down easy. WWith only 3 ingredients and 3 minutes required, it’s perfect to serve for entertaining: or a lazy evening on the patio. 

Variation: Watermelon Mule, Mexican Mule, Mezcal Mule, Irish Mule, Gin Gin Mule or Kentucky Mule

The Gin Basil Smash is a modern spin on the whiskey smash, light and herbaceous, pairing peppery basil with botanical gin. This fantastic summer cocktail perfectly captures that feeling of fresh cut grass between your toes and sticky melted popsicle fingers.

Here’s a light and refreshing drink vying for best summer cocktail: the St Germain Spritz! Also known as the Hugo, it's floral and bubbly, full of lightly sweet flavor and effervescence.

Who can turn down a frozen margarita? Meet your new summer entertaining trick: it's seriously tangy, a little bit sweet, and tastes just like the classic drink. For a festive touch, garnish the glass with pink sea salt.

Here's a drink that screams summer cocktail: the tequila sunrise! It’s beautiful and vibrant, with layered colors of a summer sunset. All you need is 3 ingredients: tequila, orange juice, and grenadine. The flavor is refreshingly sweet, with just a hint of tequila.

This spin on the classic mojito is icy and outrageously refreshing: like someone amped up the dial on the mint volume. It immediately jumped to the top of our must-make frozen cocktails list.

Cousin of the classic margarita, this easy cocktail recipe features tequila with grapefruit instead of lime! It's got the perfect summer vibe, and is a refreshing change-up from the margarita.

The Bushwacker is an ideal summer drink: a mashup of a chocolate milkshake and piña colada! It’s lusciously smooth with notes of chocolate, coffee and vanilla. It’s perfect for sipping poolside or as a dessert drink any time you’re dreaming of sun.

This spritz recipe is light and bubbly, tart and citrusy, and the perfect summer cocktail in our opinion. Lillet Blanc is a refreshing fortified wine that is an absolute must for your bar cart! Mix it up with some bubbles, lemon and gin, and you’ve got a breezy light cocktail with summer written all over it.

Variation: Lillet G&T

Here’s a sweet tart summer cocktail that’s perfect for patio sipping: Blueberry Vodka Lemonade! Make up a big pitcher of blueberry lemonade, then spike each drink with vodka. It’s so delightfully tangy and fruity, it’s hard to stop sipping!

Variations: Spike any of our lemonade flavors: try Basil Lemonade, Blueberry Vodka Lemonade, Mint Lemonade, Cucumber Lemonade or Strawberry Lemonade

The best summer cocktails are made with watermelon! This Watermelon Martini features sweet melon with vodka and tangy lime. It’s seriously refreshing, and topped with little watermelon wedge garnish.

Variations: Watermelon Vodka Cocktail, Watermelon Cocktail with Gin, Watermelon Margarita, Watermelon Mule

Here’s a summer cocktail that's light and carefree: a rosé spritzer! This is the perfect way to make a no-fuss summer drink that’s full of refreshing bubbles. Enjoy it over happy hour, for an afternoon on the patio, next to the pool, or at a grilled dinner party.

Variations: Red Wine Spritzer, White Wine Spritzer

Perhaps the perfect frozen summer cocktail is frozen sangria! This variation on the traditional Spanish wine punch is frozen like a slushie. It's sure to be a favorite: red wine-forward and just sweet enough, with a hint of citrus.

This variation on the Gin & Tonic is all about citrusy bubbles! Vodka melds right into the tonic water, making it a refreshing drink perfect for sipping.

Variations: Tequila and Tonic, Whiskey Tonic, or Strawberry Basil G&T

The classic Whiskey Highball is bubbly and perfect for summer! This two-ingredient cocktail originated around the turn of the 20th century and it’s still popular to this day. It’s refreshing and so easy to make: just 2 ingredients!

Love a good Piña Colada? Then here’s the drink for you: the Chi Chi! This Piña Colada with vodka is just as good as the original, in our opinion. Whip it up in a blender and it’s tangy, sweet, coconut-y and tropical: the perfect summer cocktail.

This bubbly and fruity Vodka Spritzer is the quintessential summer drink! It’s just sweet enough with a subtle berry flavor: tangy, refreshing and sparkling all at once. Cranberry juice makes a brilliant red color for a satisfying party drink that you won’t want to end!

Variation: Strawberry Vodka Cocktail

The basil gimlet is the perfect summer gin cocktail for when you have a full bush of fresh basil. This refreshing drink features lime juice, gin, and muddled basil, which gives it a fresh peppery essence.

Variations: Gin Gimlet, French Gimlet, Vodka Gimlet

What's a list of summer drinks without frosé? Frose is a mashup between a frozen cocktail and that quintessential summery pink wine. This one is just sweet enough and is full-flavored from rosé wine and strawberries.

It’s tall, it’s bubbly, and it’s one of the easiest to make cocktails out there. Try the Gin Rickey! This classic cocktail was born in the 1880s and is tangy, bubbly, and irresistibly delicious.

Also try: Lime Rickey, Cherry Lime Rickey or Raspberry Lime Rickey

Here's a classic cocktail that’s perfect for summer: the Americano! It’s the original inspiration for the Negroni and tastes even better, in our opinion. It’s bitter, complex and bubbly all at once!

The ultra strong limoncello lemon liquor is at its best in summer mixed drinks! This spin on the Aperol spritz is full of bright lemon flavor and even better than the original, we think. It’s bubbly and effervescent, with a searing citrus bite.

Also try: Limoncello Mojito or Limoncello Martini

Want a citrusy cocktail with a salted rim that’s not a margarita? Enter, the Salty Dog! This summer gin cocktail’s got a unique name and a beautiful pale pink color. It’s got a light summery vibe with grapefruit and gin.

The classic daiquiri is one of the easiest drinks there is! The 1920's style daiquiri is actually not frozen but served in a coupe glass. Rum cocktails are perfect for summer, and this one is simple to make and ultra refreshing!

Variation: Hemingway Daiquiri

The sweet tart flavor of ripe strawberries only improves this classic cocktail! Muddle some fresh berries right into the cocktail, and it makes a deliciously vibrant drink that’s perfect for summer.

Fruity spins on the margarita are fitting for summer cocktails: as is this mango margarita! This sunny spin on the classic is sweet tart and tropical. It’s sweet, zingy, salty, and it goes down pretty easy.

Variations: Peach Margarita, Watermelon Margarita, Raspberry Margarita, Prickly Pear Margarita, Creamy Coconut Margarita

Here's a perfect summer vodka cocktail: the vodka smash! Tangy and refreshing, it features muddled blackberries, mint, and lime. It's sweet tart with a bit of back-end booziness from the vodka.

Here's a summer gin cocktail that's bubbly and refreshing: a Southside fizz! A cousin of the Southside Cocktail, this gin cocktail features bright citrus, herbaceous mint, and fizzy soda water. It’s tart and fizzy: essentially a Tom Collins plus a Mojito!

Looking for a sunny spin on a tropical drink? Try the mango daiquiri! This spin on the classic daiquiri is frosty and refreshing, with an intoxicating sweet tart flavor. In fact, we took one sip and exclaimed in delight!

Here’s a final bubbly summer cocktail that’s calling your name: the Cucumber Collins! It’s a spin on the Tom Collins stars cucumber and fresh basil, that peppery herb of the season. It’s got a tangy sweet flavor, a cucumber basil essence and a load of bubbles!