Our 20 Most Popular Cocktails for Summer
Stay cool this summer with these refreshing cocktails. From margaritas to sangria, these drinks are bright and feature seasonal fruit including strawberries and watermelon. Recipes like Berry Bubbly Vodka Soda and Frozen Peach Bee's Knees Cocktails are perfect for sipping on all season long.
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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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Whipped Frozen Creamsicle
For those of you who always loved to run to the curb to buy a little bit of summer on a stick, this drink is right up your alley. The secret to the straight-from-the-ice-cream truck taste of this creamy frozen treat? Double the fruit! A little bit of frozen mango helps thicken the drink naturally in the blender while boosting the juicy flavor of fresh orange juice. Unsweetened vanilla coconut milk brings just a hint of sweetness while keeping this added-sugar-free and vegan. You could also use a sweetened coconut milk if you prefer a little more sweetness. Enjoy this refreshing and nostalgic drink on its own, or add a splash of your favorite vodka or rum for a summer happy hour indulgence. P.S.: Unlike the ice cream version, this one travels well in an insulated cup if you want to take it poolside!
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Berry Sangria
In this red, white and blue sangria recipe, we've skipped the added sugar and used a slightly sparkling white wine, sweet dessert wine and tons of fresh fruit to create a delicious, yet healthy cocktail.
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Berry Bubbly Vodka Soda
This bright and bubbly sipper combines berries with vodka and seltzer to make a colorful 3-ingredient cocktail you can enjoy year-round, thanks to frozen berries. Amp up the flavor even more by using a flavored seltzer rather than plain!
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Frozen Rainbow Margaritas
Celebrate Pride Month--or any other occasion that calls for rainbows--with these vibrant, tropical-flavored frozen margaritas! This four-layer fruity cocktail uses only natural ingredients and colors, including a quick infusion made with dried butterfly pea flowers that makes for a dramatic pop of blue. This rainbow margarita is bright and citrusy, with dominant flavors of strawberry and pineapple. Feel free to use fresh or frozen fruit in these pretty margs.
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Cherry Smash
Celebrate fresh cherries with this mint-infused cherry cocktail. Black cherry-flavored seltzer gives the drink the most cherry flavor, but plain seltzer also works well.
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Frozen Peach Bee's Knees Cocktail
The Bee's Knees is a popular classic cocktail made with a blend of gin, lemon and honey. This fruity frozen version is blended with frozen peaches and plenty of ice for a crisp and refreshingly light summer cocktail.
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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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Jalapeño-Watermelon Margaritas
When the fruit is ripe and you need a little kick in your glass, it's time for this spicy watermelon margarita recipe. Dip the glass rims in chili powder–spiked coarse salt for an extra layer of spice.
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White Sangria
OK, so it's kind of a contradiction for a sangria, which is named for its blood-red color, to be made with white wine, but once you've tasted this festive thirst quencher it won't matter a bit. Pieces of mixed summer melons are the perfect match for a crisp Sauvignon Blanc.
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Frozen Mojito
This frozen blender cocktail pays homage to the classic Cuban mojito cocktail, a refreshing blend of mint, limes, sugar and rum. This easy-breezy sipper is easy to make for 2 people in minutes.
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Spicy Tomato Vodka Soda
Kate E. Richards, author of Drinking with Chickens, gave EatingWell a spicy cocktail recipe for you to mix up that she says is equally good for happy hour or brunch--fowl or no fowl.
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Blueberry-Lime Margarita
Frozen limeade adds zing to this stellar blueberry margarita.
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Classic Daiquiri
If you're at home and looking for a quick tropical happy hour escape, this strikingly simple daiquiri is just what the doctor ordered. All you need is rum, fresh lime juice and sugar to feel those beachy vibes in the comfort of your own home.
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Strawberry Shrub Cocktail
You can easily multiply this strawberry shrub cocktail recipe to make a pitcher cocktail to serve a whole party: just muddle the strawberries, basil and lemon in a pitcher, then vigorously stir in the vodka, shrub, Campari and ice. Top each serving with seltzer.
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Frozen Peach Margaritas
Enjoy sweet peach flavor anytime of year with this skinny frozen margarita. It tastes just like a restaurant version, but with less sugar, for an easy cocktail you will actually want to make at home.
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Cherry-Lime Gin Rickey
Gin, seltzer, bitters, lime juice, cherries and simple syrup combine for a truly refreshing cocktail in this gin rickey recipe. For a nonalcoholic rickey, omit the gin and add a little more seltzer.
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Layered Strawberry-Lime Margaritas
These simple, fruity frozen margaritas are as easy to make as they are delicious! Inspired by a mix of two summer classics: frozen margaritas and strawberry lemonade, these red, white and blue margaritas are the perfect laid-back sipper for the Fourth of July or anytime you want a colorful cocktail. This recipe serves 2 but is easily doubled to serve 4.
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Mango Margaritas
Mango adds plenty of fruity sweetness to this vibrant drink, so you can cut back on the added sugars a bit for a skinnier margarita. Add a slice of fresh mango to each glass to take this tropical cocktail to the next level.