How to Make 3 Simple Summer Cocktails

Summer Cocktail Recipes

Whether you're sipping a drink after a busy day of activities, or creating a batch of cocktails for a group, you'll need the perfect recipe. Here are three simple recipes for essential summer cocktails. Happy mixing!

1. Margarita Recipe

Celebrating Cinco de Mayo? You'll want to gather your friends and make margaritas! This classic south-of-the-border beverage is sweet and sour with just a hint of salt. Slowly savor this tequila-based cocktail on those sunny summer afternoons. Borrowed from our friends at Serious Eats.

Ingredients

– Two Drinks

• Lime wedge, plus 2 lime wheels for garnish
• 1 tablespoon coarse salt, for glass rims
• 4 ounces high-quality blanco tequila
• 2 ounces Cointreau orange liqueur
• 1 1/2 ounces fresh lime juice
• (Optional) 1/4-1/2 ounce of simple syrup

Directions

1. Run lime wedge around the outer rims of two rocks glasses (or margarita glasses if you have them) and dip rims in salt. Set aside.
2. In a cocktail shaker, combine tequila, Cointreau, and lime juice. Fill with ice and shake until thoroughly chilled, about 15 seconds (the bottom of a metal shaker should frost over).
3. Fill glasses with fresh ice and strain margarita into both glasses. Garnish with lime wheels and serve.

2. Mojito Recipe

With its Cuban roots, this mojito recipe will have you reminiscing of summer nights in Miami. Combining the complementary flavors of mint and lime, a mojito is both elegant and thirst-quenching. Enjoy with grilled meats seasoned with chipotle. Borrowed from our friends at Bon Appetit.

Ingredients

– One Drink

• 3/4 ounce simple syrup
• 2 sprigs mint, plus more for serving
• 2 ounces white rum
• 3/4 ounce fresh lime juice
• Club soda (for serving)

Directions

1. Muddle simple syrup and 2 mint sprigs in a cocktail shaker. Add rum and lime juice.
2. Fill shaker with ice, cover, and shake vigorously until outside of shaker is very cold, about 20 seconds.
3. Strain cocktail through a strainer or slotted spoon into a tall Collins glass filled with ice. Top off with club soda, garnish with more mint.

3. Mint Julep Recipe

The mint julep is a classic Southern drink best sipped while watching the Kentucky Derby. With refreshing mint and American-made bourbon, the mint julep is a great summer cocktail to make at home. Borrowed from our friends at Food Network.

Ingredients

– One Drink

• 10 mint leaves, plus a sprig for garnish
• 1 1/2 teaspoons powdered sugar
• Seltzer water
• Crushed ice
• 2 1/2 ounces Kentucky bourbon whiskey

Directions

1. Place the mint leaves in the bottom of an old-fashioned glass and top with sugar. Muddle these together until the leaves begin to break down.
2. Add a splash of seltzer water, fill the glass 3/4 full with crushed ice, and add the bourbon.
3. Top with another splash of seltzer, stir, and garnish with a sprig of mint. Serve immediately.

Related Posts:

• Summer Sand Pudding Recipe
• 6 Gourmet S'Mores Recipes