16 Cocktails Perfect for a Summer Get-Together
Celebrate the warm weather with these bright and tasty cocktails. These cocktail recipes feature seasonal ingredients like peaches, watermelon and more to create a refreshing drink. You can easily increase the quantity of these recipes depending on how many servings you need. Recipes like Watermelon Margarita and Peach Sangria are perfect for summer get-togethers.
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Layered Strawberry-Mango Margaritas
Swirl layers of red strawberry margarita with yellow mango margarita in this skinny frozen cocktail for a festive party drink that will wow your guests. It tastes just as good as a restaurant frozen margarita, without all the sugar!
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Watermelon Gin Fizz
This pretty pink cocktail would be perfect for a bridal shower luncheon. Any leftover pureed juice is refreshing on its own.
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Strawberry Gin Spritzer
This low-alcohol spritzer is just the thing to imbibe on a hot summer's day. Gentian liqueurs are made from the roots of gentian, a blue-petaled wildflower that grows throughout the Alps. This recipe makes about 1 cup of syrup but you'll only need 1 Tbsp. to make each drink—try a splash in seltzer for a DIY craft soda.
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Watermelon Margarita
All you need is a blender to whip up the watermelon base for this refreshing summer cocktail with a splash of silver tequila and fresh-squeezed orange juice. Use the extra DIY watermelon juice to double the recipe or enjoy it on its own.
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Rose Mojito
A homemade simple syrup fragrant with delicate rose petals is an easy way to elevate cocktail hour. Find dried rose petals online, or in the bulk herb section of well-stocked supermarkets and natural-foods stores.
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Hot Honey Margarita
This fun tequila cocktail uses hot honey for a twist on the popular spicy margarita. An aged tequila like a reposado works especially well with the earthy and floral flavors of honey. If you prefer a cocktail with slightly less of a kick, feel free to use half regular honey and half hot honey.
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Strawberry-Rhubarb Shrub Cocktail
This strawberry-rhubarb honey shrub cocktail celebrates the arrival of spring with a tangy, refreshing gin cooler. The sweet-and-sour flavors of fresh strawberries and rhubarb are enhanced by honey in a quick-cooked shrub syrup.
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Coconut Margarita
Coconut water brings just enough sweetness to this frozen coconut margarita to add flavor to the drink without making it too sweet. The lime juice and Coco López give this drink a tropical flavor, while the tequila and triple sec make it taste like a solid margarita.
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Strawberry-Coconut Daiquiri
You'll feel like you're on a tropical getaway with this refreshing strawberry-coconut cocktail. To keep it cool in warmer weather, freeze fresh berries for 30 minutes before blending. Variation: For a nonalcoholic version, omit the rum and add 1/2 cup additional strawberries.
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Fresh Mint Mojito Cocktail
Fresh mint and zesty lime combine to create a flavor base for this classic rum cocktail. We use superfine sugar to ensure it all dissolves for the smoothest refreshing mojito.
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Peach Sangria
You'll want to bring a pitcher of this white sangria to parties and potlucks all summer long. Fresh peaches look gorgeous in these delicious sparkling peach cocktails, but frozen peaches work too (and help keep your drink cool).
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Spicy Mezcal Margarita
Feel the heat in this zippy mezcal margarita! What's the difference between tequila and mezcal? Tequila is a type of mezcal. They're both made from agave, with mezcal traditionally picking up its signature smoky flavor from being cooked in underground pits. We love it paired with a little bit of heat and agave syrup for a touch of sweetness.
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Frozen Watermelon Cocktail
Watermelon is the dominant flavor in this frozen rum and watermelon cocktail, with a subtle hint of mint shining through. Making simple syrup is easy, plus, having leftover mint syrup on hand is nice for whipping up extra cocktails.
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Red Sangria
This fruity red sangria is just like what you would get in a restaurant. It's easy to make with just five ingredients. A big batch is perfect for parties--or any night on the patio.
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Blueberry Tom Collins
The classic Tom Collins cocktail just got a bit of an upgrade! With a touch of sweet honey and lots fresh blueberries, this drink will have yours guests asking, "Tom who?"
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Blackberry Margarita
This vibrant blackberry margarita is filled with fresh berry flavor. Pureeing the fresh blackberries with a little jam gives the drink additional sweetness without having to make a simple syrup. Diluting with the lime-flavored sparkling water adds a nice effervescence.