We’ve rounded up some of our favourite summer cocktail recipes, perfect for enjoying on warm summer evenings. Cheers!
The Botanist
Ingredients
- 2 parts Bacardi Superior rum
- 2 parts Ketel One vodka
- 3 parts freshly squeezed lime juice
- 2 parts jasmin flavoured sugar syrum
- fresh mint
- micro herb red Amaranthe
- splash lemonade
Method
In a bamboo/long cocktail glass, take a pinch of fresh mint and micro herb red Amaranthe. Slap them both to release the flavour. 3 parts of freshly squeezed lime juice, 2 parts of Jasmin flavoured sugar syrup. A splash of lemonade and 2 parts vodka, rum and elderflower liqueur. Fill the glass with crushed ice and churn thoroughly with a long bar spoon, mixing the ingredients together and ensuring the herbs are spread out evenly throughout the drink. Top with another scoop of crushed ice and garnish with a sprig of red Amaranthe and a long straw.
Apricot and Mint Daiquiri
Ingredients
- 3 parts Appleton VX golden rum
- 2 parts apricot liqueur/brandy
- 1 part vanilla liqueur
- 2 parts lime juice
- 2 parts plain sugar syrup
- fresh mint
Method
First, chill a short martini style glass with crushed ice. Into a cocktail shaker take a pinch of fresh mint, 3 parts apricot puree, 2 parts lime juice, 2 parts plain sugar syrup, 3 parts golden Rum, 2 parts Apricot liqueur/brandy and 1 part vanilla liqueur. Shake vigorously, remove the crushed ice from the cocktail glass and double strain the drink. Garnish with a mint sprig, no straw so you can appreciate the smell & taste of the drink.
Rose Mai Tai
Ingredients
- 3 parts Bacardi Superior rum
- 2 parts almond and rose syrup
- 3 parts lime juice
- 3 parts rose liqueur
- splash Grenadine
- dried rose buds
Method
In a short cocktail glass (known as a double old fashioned glass), take a pint of dried rose buds, 2 parts of almond and rose sugar syrup, a splash of grenadine. Crush the rose buds using a muddler, add 3 parts lime juice, golden rum and rose liqueur. Fill the glass with crushed ice and churn vigorously again mixing all the ingredients and making sure the rose buds are spread throughout the drink. Fill the glass with more crushed ice and garnish with 2 short straws and a dried rosebud.
All by Arron Smallman, head barman at The Botanist, Newcastle
The Stolen Berries
Ingredients
- 200ml Peroni Nastro Azzurro
- 100ml raspberry & lychee sorbet
- dash rose water
- freeze-dried rasberry
Method
Serve in a pilsner glass, with a powder of freeze-dried rasberries and rasberry & lychee sorbet on the bottom, topped up with Peroni Nastro Azzurro.
From the House of Peroni Residency
L’amour d’ete (Summer Love)
Recipe
- Tattinger Champagne
- 20ml Chase gin
- 10ml homemade elderflower juice
- white sugar cube soaked in lime
Method
Combine the gin, homemade elderflower juice, and sugar cube soaked in lime in a champagne flute. Top with chilled champagne.
Strawberry and Vanilla Caiprinha
Ingredients
- 35ml Las Iguanas Magnifica Cachaça
- 2 bar spoons of Licor 43
- ½ lime
- 1 bar spoon sugar
- 25ml Strawberry Puree
Method
Take ½ a lime, cut the tips of the top and tail, and then cut the lime into four chunks. Add the lime pieces to a glass tumbler and add the bar spoon of sugar.
Using a muddler or round ended rolling pin, crush the sugar into the lime, pushing and twisting so the abrasive texture of the sugar cuts into the lime peel and releases the oil.
When all the lime juices have been extracted, half fill the glass 3/4 with crushed ice. Add the remaining ingredients and fold together gently with a spoon. Top with more crushed ice to stand proud at the top of the glass.
by Las Iguanas
Pimm’s Strawberry Julep Cocktail
Ingredients
- 25ml Bulleit Bourbon
- 50ml Pimm’s Strawberry with a Hint of Mint
- 15ml sugar syrup
- 6-8 mint leaves and strawberries to garnish
Method
Fill a julep cup with crushed ice and add all of the ingredients. Mix thoroughly and cap with more crushed ice, then garnish with mint and fresh strawberries to serve.
The Dream
Ingredients
- 50ml Vodka
- 10ml Prosecco
- 20ml Cranberry
- 15ml Grapefruit Juice
- 25ml Watermelon
Method
Shake together the vodka and fruit juices with ice and serve in a Hurricane glass. Top with the prosecco. Garnish with watermelon and a sprig of mint.
By Fumo Cocktail Bar, Manchester
Pomegranate Punch
Ingredients
- 25 ml Aldi Tamova Vodka (£10.39)
- 20 ml lemon juice
- 2.5 teaspoons of sugar
- 3 teaspoons fresh pomegranate seeds
- Freeman’s Bay Marlborough Sparkling Sauvignon Blanc (£9.99), as desired
Method
Add the vodka, lemon juice, sugar and pomegranate seeds to a cocktail shaker. Stir until the sugar has dissolved and then shake hard over ice. Pour into an ice filled tall glass. Top with the sparkling sauvignon blanc and add a few pomegranate seeds and a piece of lemon zest for garnish.
Lemon Pie
Ingredients
- 10 ml Oliver Cromwell London Dry Gin
- 10 ml Goccia D’oro Limoncello
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 vanilla pod
- Contevedo Cava Brut as desired
- 1 lemon
Method
Flavour the sugar by placing a vanilla pod into the sugar pot for a couple of weeks. Add the gin, limoncello and sugar to the glass and stir to dissolve. Top with cava and garnish with a lemon twist.
Both recipes by Aldi Supermarket.