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Drink the Day Away with these 11 Sultry Summer Cocktails

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If any season epitomizes day drinking, it’s summer. When you’re not stuck in an office contemplating your life choices, you should be outside soaking up sun and delicious spirits. The cocktails that we’ve collected here are the perfect complement to summer—they’re fresh, light, and perfect for whatever you feel like getting into—whether it’s a lazy day in a lawn chair in the yard or an all-day barbecue with twenty of your closest friends and family. Either way, make sure you’ve got plenty of ice and prepare to remember what summer is really meant to be about.

Disaronno Sour

  • 2 parts Disaronno
  • 1 part fresh lemon juice
  • ¼ part simple syrup
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Method: Fill a Disaronno Sour Jar with ice. Pour in Disaronno and then the fresh lemon juice. Add a teaspoon of sugar. Stir and garnish with lemon slice.

Dewar’s Callaway

  • 2 parts Dewar’s 12 Blended Scotch Whisky
  • 1 part fresh lemon juice
  • 1 part simple syrup
  • 1 part ginger ale
  • Lemon wedge

Method: Combine Dewar’s, lemon juice and simple syrup in an ice-filled shaker glass. Shake 4 – 6 times and strain into a highball glass filled with ice. Top with ginger ale. Garnish with a lemon wedge.

Grün with Envy
(Created by Kalliopi Carolyn, Featherweight, Brooklyn)

Part 1 – Jäger Colada

  • 1 oz Jägermeister
  • .75 oz Fresh Pineapple Juice
  • .50 oz Fresh Lime Juice
  • .75 oz Coconut Cream

Part 2 – Matcha-mint Gimlet

  • .5 oz Gin
  • .75 oz Fresh Lime Juice
  • .50 oz Matcha Tea
  • .50 Simple Syrup
  • Handful of Fresh Mint Leaves

Method: Combine all ingredients of Jäger Colada in blender with half cup of ice. Blend. Pour into bottom of hurricane glass. Combine all ingredients of Matcha-mint Gimlet in blender with half cup ice. Blend, pour on top of Jäger Colada. Garnish with grated orange peel and matcha powder.

Ruby Barbecue
(Created by mixologist Nick Meyer, Los Angeles)

  • 1 ½ ounces Johnnie Walker Double Black
  • 1 ½ ounces Grilled Ruby Red Grapefruit Juice**
  • 1 ounce Fresh Lemon Juice
  • ½ ounce Agave Nectar
  • 1 ounce Club Soda
  • Grilled Grapefruit Wedge & Rosemary Sprig garnish

Method: Place all ingredients, except the club soda, in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously. Add club soda to shaker and strain over fresh ice into a Collins glass. Garnish with a grilled grapefruit wedge

**Grilled Ruby Red Grapefruit Juice

  1. Cut a Ruby Red Grapefruit into 4 large quarter wedges
  2. Place wedge fruit side down on a hot grill. Cook for a total of 8, minutes, with each side getting even heat
  3. Remove from the grill and rest until cool
  4. Juice each quarter and strain for use

Related: How to Cure a Hangover

The Silk Journey
(Created by Bombay Sapphire North American Brand Ambassador Gary Hayward)

  • 2 oz Bombay Sapphire East Gin
  • .75 oz Fresh Lime juice
  • .5 oz Pomegranate syrup
  • 2 oz Oolong and mandarin tea

Method: Shake and serve long over ice and top with ginger beer. Garnish with large orange zest and potentially either candied ginger or pomegranate seeds.

Pomegranate Spark

  • .5 oz lemon vodka
  • .5 oz limoncello
  • ¾ fresh squeezed lemon juice, preferably Meyer lemons
  • 3 oz Izze Sparkling Pomegranate

Method: Shake first three ingredients in a shaker over ice, and pour into a chilled coupe glass. Top with Izze Sparkling Pomegranate, and garnish with a Meyer lemon twist. Because when life hands you lemons, put the lemons to vodka and add Izze.

Mexican Vacation

  • 2 parts 901 Tequila
  • 1 part triple sec
  • 1 part lemon juice
  • Splash agave syrup
  • Mexican pilsner

Method: Combine all ingredients excluding Mexican pilsner in mixing glass over ice. Shake vigorously. Strain into chilled tall glass. Top with Mexican pilsner beer.

Georgica Cooler
(Created by Mark Noonan for Highway Restaurant & Bar, East Hampton, NY)

  • 2 oz Strawberry Gin
  • 5 oz Aperol
  • .75 oz White Vermouth

Method: Shake with cube ice. Strain. Garnish with a strawberry slice.

Aperol Spritz

  • 3 Parts Cinzano Prosecco
  • 2 Parts Aperol
  • 1 Dash Soda
  • Ice and a slice of Orange

Method: Pour the Prosecco, Aperol and a dash of soda into an ice-filled balloon wine glass and stir. Garnish with an orange slice.

Bacardí Red Rum Punch
(pictured)

  • 5 parts Bacardí Raspberry
  • 5 parts Bacardí Limon
  • 5 parts Bacardí Superior
  • 1 part Grenadine
  • 4 parts Sweet & Sour
  • 1 part Cranberry Juice

Method: Pour all ingredients into a mixing glass and fill with ice.  Cap with a tin and shake.  Strain into a serving glass filled with ice.  Garnish with a mint sprig and lemon wedge.

Sam Slaughter
Sam Slaughter
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Sam Slaughter was the Food and Drink Editor for The Manual. Born and raised in New Jersey, he’s called the South home for…
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