18 Summer Cocktails to Sip All Season

Martha’s Yellow Watermelon Margaritas

Martha’s preferred drink for sipping poolside is this sweet, fruity riff on the margarita. She swaps the usual triple sec for the elderflower liqueur St. Germain, which complements the blanco tequila and yellow watermelon puree.

Amaro Spritz

If you love the Aperol spritz, you should give this delicious variation a try. It’s made with Campari or Aperol, tonic water, and a slice of lemon for garnish—so it’s a lower ABV refresher.

Coconut-Water Vodka Cocktail

Light and reviving, this simple mix of coconut water with a little vodka and an orange twist is perfect for summer sipping.

Pineapple-Rum Cocktail

A three-ingredient cocktail that’s just right for summer. Mix pineapple juice with spiced rum and lime juice, and serve over ice garnished with lime slices. Even better? You can make it ahead and pour it as a pitcher drink.

Strawberry Daiquiri

A tried and true summer cocktail classic, this boozy relative of the smoothie can be made in a myriad of ways. If you get tired of the strawberry flavor, try our pineapple-mint iteration.

Strawberry, Cucumber, Gin, and Elderflower Spritz

This long strawberry gin drink tastes like summer. It starts with muddling strawberries and cucumbers, then adding gin and elderflower liqueur and pouring over ice, topping with club soda. and garnishing with berries and cucumber slices.

Pimm's Cup

This classic English summer cocktail evokes images of croquet lawns and white linen. Pimm's, a gin-based herbal liqueur, works in harmony with ginger ale, fresh mint, cucumber, and strawberries.

Mango Mojito

Splash some sunshine into a basic minty mojito with the addition of fresh mango. This recipe also works beautifully with other fruits, such as strawberries or pineapple.

Texas Margarita

Adding fresh orange juice to the classic tequila, triple sec, and lime combination produces a margarita that’s extra easy to sip on a hot day. 

Lemon Mezcal Margarita

The traditional margarita gets a smoky twist thanks to the mezcal used to make this delicious drink; don't forget the unexpected salt-and-pepper rim.

Summer Spritzes

Making the perfect spritz is easy once you know the formula. Practice makes perfect with three of our summer cocktail favorites:

• Pineapple-Cucumber Spritz
• Hibiscus-Ginger Spritz
• Spicy Grapefruit Spritz

Shaken Piña Colada

Nothing says beachfront happy hour quite like a piña colada. Ours is shaken, not blended, and the taste transports you to a tropical island.

Watermelon-Cucumber Cooler

This might be the ultimate hot-weather sipper. Pureeing watermelon with cucumber and vodka, then adding honey, lime juice, and vodka creates a pretty-in-pink sipper.

Ginger Caipirinhas

This iconic Brazilian cocktail is made with cachaca, a spirit derived from sugarcane, fresh muddled ginger, and lime.

Sour-Cherry Cordial

Rumored to be a favorite of President George Washington, this sour cherry cocktail is a timeless refresher made with fresh, in-season fruit.

Honeydew Cocktail

Frosty and refreshing, this cooler combines cubed honeydew, lime juice, mint, and vodka in a blender. The luscious drink is poured over crushed ice.

Aperol Jasmine Spritz

Light and refreshing, this long drink is a hybrid of the Aperol spritz and the jasmine, a classic gin-based cocktail.

Pineapple-Raspberry Bellini

Amp up your summer brunch menu with this refreshing take on a bellini, made with sparkling white wine, raspberries, pineapple juice, seltzer, and vanilla extract.