6 Summer Cocktails To Make This Weekend
If you need a little help remembering that it’s summer, here are six drinks to help you experience the full aura of July.
What makes something a summer cocktail? Is it the ice? Most cocktails have ice. Maybe it’s the alcohol itself - clear spirits like vodka and tequila tend to dominate the summer beverage landscape. But what about dark rum? And reposado tequila? And who says a Boulevardier isn’t appropriate for warm weather? I’d drink one at the beach in a heartbeat.
Turns out, the concept of “summer cocktails” is just a vague construct - and I encourage you to drink what makes you happy. But if you need a little help remembering that it’s warm outside and you’re supposed to be inhabiting a world full of popsicles and slip and slides, here are six cocktails to help you experience the full aura of July. All of these drinks will send your brain subliminal messages about sun, surfing, and barbecues, even if you don’t know how to surf, don’t own a barbecue, and have no immediate plans to leave your home.
The Bootleg
Why You Should Drink One: It’s easy to make a big batch, you can use any clear spirit (like gin or vodka), and, unless you live in Minneapolis, you’ve probably never had a Bootleg before.
The Piña Colada
Why You Should Drink One: Because it’s a piña colada, and our method is perfect. You can also prep a bunch of drinks ahead of time, leave the batches in your freezer, and blend a quick frozen cocktail whenever you want.
The Margarita
Why You Should Drink One: Because knowing how to make a perfect margarita is an invaluable life skill.
The Daiquiri
Why You Should Drink One: It’s a certified classic, and people have been drinking them since the late 19th century. You also only need three ingredients and one mouth.
The Painkiller
Why You Should Drink One: You can make a Painkiller in a matter of minutes, it’s as refreshing as a frozen cocktail, and this is one of the single best tiki drinks in the universe.
The Frozen Paloma
Why You Should Drink One: This is exactly the kind of cocktail you can drink all day. Even better: blend a big batch to keep in a pitcher by your side.
Suggested Reading
A Watermelon Margarita is summer in a glass, and if you’ve never made one yourself, your life is about to improve.
Our Strawberry Basil Daiquiri is a slightly sweet, complex drink that tastes like something you’d have to pay too much money for at a cocktail bar.
A snap pea pod is actually a fruit - and it works especially well in a Gimlet.
The Gin-Gin Mule, a signature drink of the now-sadly-closed Pegu Club in NYC, is a modern classic.