16 Easy Summer Cocktails That Look Super Fancy

May 03, 2022 by Anna-Bet Stemmet

If effortless entertaining is your thing, this handy list of easy summer cocktails will be right up your alley. After all, summery occasions should be fun for the host as well! Choose one or two of these easy summer cocktails to make at home to level up the drinks line-up at your next get-together and get ready to be the toast of the town!

1. Frozen Strawberry Daiquiri

One of the most fun and easy summer cocktails out there, the Frozen Strawberry Daiquiri is a summer classic if ever there was one. This pretty drink is bright and cheerful, and looks as fabulous as it tastes, combining sweet and tart components to absolute perfection.

TIP: The trick to making a fantastic Frozen Strawberry Daiquiri is to use both fresh and frozen strawberries. This combination gives it its perfect texture. If you would use only fresh strawberries, it would be too runny; and a full batch of frozen berries is too gritty. The combination of the two is just perfect.

You might also like: The 11 Best Frozen Cocktails Suitable for Any Occasion

2. Gin Bramble Cocktail

The Gin Bramble is as classy as it comes. It starts off tart and rather dry, showing off the herbaceous nature of the gin, and then leans into the bright and zesty tones of lemon on the mid-palate. Then, on the finish, it all comes together in a burst of raspberry and spice. So lovely!

3. Watermelon Tequila Cocktail

Okay, be honest – the smell and taste of a juicy watermelon are summer distilled. Growing up, that first wedge of perfectly pink watermelon of the season always meant that the holidays weren’t too far off. Now, as a grownup, you can recreate that joyous feeling by serving up a Watermelon Tequila cocktail that’s ready in no time.

Discover more: 13 Easy Tequila Summer Cocktails for Beginners

4. Hurricane Cocktail

The standard Hurricane recipe combines light and dark rum, orange juice, lime juice, simple syrup, and grenadine. This powerful drink is known as the unofficial cocktail of Mardi Gras and comes to the party with some serious New Orleans-inspired swagger. It’s flavourful and fun and full of zest (just like any good party should be).

You might also like: 10 Festive Mardi Gras Cocktails Inspired by New Orleans

5. Tequila Sunrise Cocktail

Easy summer mixed drinks can be simple to achieve, yet also look completely amazing, and the Tequila Sunrise never disappoints in this department. Combining orange juice, grenadine, and tequila, it layers beautifully in the glass, looking just like a sunrise (hence the name, of course). It has a bright, citrusy taste – the sweetness of grenadine combines with the tang of the orange juice for a serve that’s fresh and fruity.

6. Frozen Margarita Cocktail

A well-made frozen Margarita is a thing of beauty. A classic Lime Margarita is so cool and delicious! The ingredients list is deceptively simple (tequila, lime juice, simple syrup), but when combined it really hits the spot in the most refreshing way. Feeling the holiday vibes yet anyone?

It’s tequila time: 10 Ways to Make a Margarita

7. Piña Colada Cocktail

A Pina Colada is a delicious tropical treat that tastes like an island breeze, infused with the heady scent of pineapple and coconut. When blended, the texture is like a smoothie. Over ice, it’s rich, thick and lovely from start to finish.

8. Mint Julep Cocktail

The classy Mint Julep serves all sorts of Great Gatsby energy, and we’re here for it! Combining mint, sugar, bourbon and water, it is marvellously minty, cooling, perfectly sweet and tailor-made for sipping languidly on hot days.

More about whiskey: Everything You Need to Know About Rye Whiskey & Bourbon

9. Bellini Cocktail

A Bellini is sweet and fruity with a beautifully delicate flavour that makes it the perfect welcome drink or summer cocktail. In fact, it’s a very popular choice for warm-season wedding arrival drinks because it’s nice and light, and pairs well with canapés.

10. Mimosa Cocktail

One of the best cocktails for beginners, the always-popular Mimosa is well-known and loved on the brunch circuit. Combining Champagne (or sparkling wine) and orange juice, it’s fruity, zesty, and bubbly – a celebration in a glass that’s oh-so-easy!

Planning a brunch? 11 Best Brunch Cocktails for Easy Entertaining

11. Moscow Mule Cocktail

Looking for easy summer cocktails with vodka? Here you go! The Moscow Mule walks the fine and delicious line between spicy, sweet, and strong. The fizziness of ginger beer, clear qualities of vodka, and the coldness of the signature copper mug in which it is served always makes for a memorable drink.

Classic combinations: 14 Best Mule Cocktails to Make at Home

12. Classic Mojito Cocktail

The classic Mojito is pretty as a picture and refreshing to boot. Fizzy and minty with a zesty dash of lime, it pairs well with summery dishes like prawns, grilled chicken salads, and fish tacos.

13. Strawberry Basil Gin Cocktail

This quick and easy summer cocktail is joyful to the core, and a crowd-pleaser of note. Strawberry and basil are a classic combination that often gets overlooked, so explore the lovely herby and sweet notes at the base of this Strawberry Basil Gin cocktail with a backdrop of sunshine. It’s the taste equivalent of walking through a beautiful garden in summer – floral, fresh and fragrant.

14. Classic Sangria Cocktail

If you are looking for fruity cocktail ideas that make great pitcher drinks to easily serve a crowd, the Sangria cocktail is a fantastic fit. Combining red wine and seasonal fruit juice with fresh fruit slices, it looks and tastes amazing on an alfresco table!

15. Paloma Cocktail

Easily stirred up using a high-quality tequila and grapefruit soda, the Paloma cocktail can also be upscaled into a mixed drink with fruit juice if you lean in and squeeze some fresh grapefruit juice yourself.

Zing with us: 12 Tantalising Grapefruit Cocktails to Try

16. Sea Breeze

Combining SKYY Vodka, grapefruit juice, and cranberry juice in a highball glass with ice, the Sea Breeze is a classic cocktail that is typically served with a lime wedge for some extra zest.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Gin cocktails are very popular in summer, mainly because gin has a lovely herbaceous flavour profile that pairs well with refreshing juices and tonics. However, the key to a good summer cocktail is to find one that leaves you feeling cool and refreshed, with lovely seasonal flavours. Try a few on this list to see which one hits the spot!

As the most ordered cocktail in the world, the classic Margarita has been one of the most popular cocktails in the UK for years and still remains on top.

The core cocktail categories include: Stirred cocktails, such as the Manhattan, the Negroni, and the Rob Roy. Sours, such as a Whisky Sour and Tequila Sour. Highballs, such as the Vodka Soda, Gin & Tonic and Scotch & Soda, as well as the Dark 'n Stormy and Paloma. Flips, such as Eggnog and the Hot Pumpkin Pie cocktail. Fizzes, such as a Gin Fizz and Tom Collins cocktail. Swizzles, such as a Queens Park Swizzle and Cotter Swizzle. Smashes, such as Whiskey Smash or a Gin Basil Smash cockta

Mocktails like a Virgin Mojito or Virgin Strawberry Daiquiri are a lovely drink option for someone who does not like alcohol. It's so much prettier and more grown-up than a smoothie or a juice.