It’s summer, and you know what that means—spending as much time outside as possible, preferably by a pool or the beach. From frozen drinks to icy margaritas and tropical mixed cocktails, there's something for every mood, party, and holiday this summer. Celebrate the return of warm weather and sunshine with these 35 essential summer cocktails.
Summer days are loooong, which means you’re likely to find yourself drinking during the day and into the night. If you don’t want to risk going overboard (or like us, getting sleepy early 😴 ), try one of our tips for lower ABV cocktails so you can keep sipping from brunch till after dinner. First off, we love adding seltzer to a cocktail to make it extra bubbly and keep us hydrated. Try our bittersweet Aperol spritz, red wine sangria, or strawberry jalapeño mint julep—we’ve added soda water to both to great effect. You could also go simple with our ranch water cocktail: It’s pretty much a tequila soda with lime, with added Cointreau to make it like a less-sweet margarita. Our second trick is to make your drink more savory than sweet. It’s super easy to suck down a sweet cocktail fast, but add a few salty umami ingredients, and it becomes something to savor. Try our beer-based Michelada (secret ingredient: soy sauce) or taco bloody Marys (complete with optional mini tacos!).
Though we have been known to drink something cold and icy in the depths of winter (hello, Jack Frosties), there’s really nothing better than a frozen cocktail when it’s HOT out. We’ve included a few of our favorites here. There’s frozen margaritas, ofc, but we’ve also got spins on the classic, like a frozen strawberry margarita, frozen watermelon margarita, and a frozen sangria margarita.
Don’t have a blender? No sweat. Go with one of our summer fruit-inspired margaritas instead. We’ve got a peach margarita, blueberry lemonade margarita, or our pink señoritas (think a marg with pink lemonade instead of lime juice).
Not a tequila fan? We got you too. Try our rum runner (with two kinds of rum!) or our spiked sparkling basil lemonade (basil-infused vodka? yum!) or our classic citrusy, almond-y Mai Tai.
If you’re having a summer party, cocktails ARE important, but don’t forget options for other refreshing beverages too. Whether it’s mocktails for your teetotaler friends or non-alcoholic drinks like lemonade and iced tea, we’ve got options.
Peach Margarita
There are a bunch of ways to infuse a drink with fruit like steeping some actual fruit in the alcohol itself or making a syrup out of berries or fruit juice. In this case we have packed peachy goodness into this margarita with two ingredients: peach schnapps and peach puree.
Get the Peach Margarita recipe.
Strawberry Jalapeño Mint Julep
Don’t let Derby Day be your only excuse to make these mint juleps; they’re worthy all summer long. If you’re into spicy margaritas then you’ll be able to handle the heat here; the jalapeño-infused simple syrup mellows out once it hits the cool mint and sweet berries
Rum Runner
The dangerous task of bringing alcohol across state lines during Prohibition was colloquially known as rum-running, and is the namesake for this classic tropical cocktail. True to its name, this drink has not one but two types of rum in it, and is balanced by the addition of fruity liqueurs and fresh juice, making it a perfect cocktail for a balmy day.
Get the Rum Runner recipe.
Ranch Water
A sort of effervescent, less-sweet version of a margarita, only 3 ingredients are required for Ranch Water: tequila, lime juice, and seltzer. (Preferably Topo Chico; some claim it’s not a real Ranch Water without it!) We like adding a splash of orange liqueur like Cointreau for a little added sweetness and citrus flavor too.
Get the Ranch Water recipe.
Frozen Strawberry Margarita
This fruit-forward margarita works best with frozen strawberries, so it doesn't get watered down! We love adding fresh basil for some sweet anise-y flavor, but other fresh herbs like mint or even cilantro can kick up the flavor of this sunny cocktail.
Get the Frozen Strawberry Margarita recipe.
Michelada
If you've never had a Michelada, you're in for a treat. The addition of hot sauce and lime juice add a spicy/sour kick that takes your average light beer from good to great. Thanks to our secret ingredient (soy sauce!) there's also a hint of umami flavor that keeps you coming back for more.
Get the Michelada recipe.
Spiked Coconut Limeade
To unlock the delicious concentrated flavor found in citrus skins, we made an oleo saccharum for this cocktail. Let us explain: granulated sugar draws the flavorful essential oils out of citrus peels as they sit at room temperature. We love watching the sugar transform into a beautiful syrup, perfect for flavoring seltzer, cocktails, or desserts.
Get the Spiked Coconut Limeade recipe.
Spiked Sparkling Basil Lemonade
Basil-infused vodka? Sign us up. This brings out the sweetness of the herb and turns the spirit a vibrant green.
Piña Colada Sangria
White wine sangria + a piña colada? Yes please! One sip will transport you to the tropics.
Get the Piña Colada Sangria recipe.
Mojitos, 3 Ways
Turn your night into a pick-your-own-cocktail night with mojitos made with strawberry, blueberry, or pineapple. Whatever your choice, it's a good one. If you just so happen to be interested in one without alcohol our Blackberry Virgin Mojito is mighty refreshing and a great fourth option.
Get the Mojitos, 3 Ways recipe.
Frozen Watermelon Margarita
This recipe requires a little forethought. Chop up some fresh watermelon and throw it in the freezer the night before you make the margs—this ensures the drinks are perfectly slushy and ICE cold. (If you forgot, don't fret! Two hours in the freezer should do the trick.)
Get the Frozen Watermelon Margarita recipe.
Blueberry Lemonade Margaritas
Turn your margarita into summer goals with this blueberry lemonade version. Have some leftover blueberry simple syrup? It tastes AMAZING in seltzer water, and is a great sweetener for iced tea. You can even stir it into yogurt or ice cream for a punch of blueberry flavor.
Get the Blueberry Lemonade Margaritas recipe.
Frozen Dark & Stormy
We blended our Dark & Stormy cocktail for this frozen summer upgrade. The fresh ginger really makes it zing!
Get the Frozen Dark & Stormy recipe.
Blackberry Mojito
Crushed, ripe blackberries give this mojito a tart-sweet kick, but use any of your favorite summery fruits!
Get the Blackberry Mojito recipe.
Sangria Slushies
Save leftover red wine by freezing it and turning it into a frozen treat. More of a white wine or moscato sangria person? Either works super well with this easy ice cube tray hack!
Get the Sangria Slushies recipe.
Taco Bloody Marys
A Bloody Mary is only as good as it's garnish, so we topped these off with our favorite tacos. We used a toaster to make our own mini tacos shells, and it's our one of our favorite hacks EVER.
Get the Taco Bloody Marys recipe.
Summer Shandy Punch
Think of this as the boozy version of an Arnold Palmer— 1/2 beer, 1/2 lemonade. We jazzed it up for summer with some fresh fruit and ginger beer too.
Get the Summer Shandy Punch recipe.
Classic Mai Tai
This famous tiki cocktail is as tropical as it gets. Freshly squeezed orange and lime juice deliver big citrus flavor, but its best ingredient is orgeat syrup (or, if you can't find it, almond extract). We like it hot with a spicy rim, but skip it if you like.
Get the Classic Mai Tai recipe.
Shark Punch
If Shark Week is basically your Christmas then consider this our gift to you. Be sure to prepare the "lifesaver" well in advance so that it's fully frozen. As it melts it will create the foamy white waves and make the punch extra creamy.
Get the Shark Punch recipe.
Sex On The Beach
Peachy, tart, and citrusy, this cocktail is the perfect drink to wind down with after a long day.
Get the Sex On The Beach recipe.
Camille Lowder is the digital food producer at Delish, otherwise known as our resident queen of recipe galleries. Previously, she attended the Natural Gourmet Institute for culinary school and worked at/managed a number of New York restaurants. She loves anything vegan, foods masquerading as other foods (hello, cauliflower), and a well-used Oxford comma.
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