If you like an adult beverage, I think you will enjoy these fun summer cocktails. We tried them out with pizza party last week and let’s just say everyone had a happy tummy when they headed home!
Blackberry Vodka Smash
To start our cocktail series is a fresh and fruity option. We have used vodka here, but tequila would work just as easily. You will need a muddler for this one. I must caution that a little fruit and mint go a long way so keep that in mind when you begin. Start with a small amount and if you want to muddle more and add it to your drink, you can.
Ingredients
Instructions
- muddle berries and mint in a shaker
- add vodka, lime juice and simple syrup
- shake then pour over ice into a short glass and enjoy
Hugo Spritz
This is a traditional Italian cocktail and my personal favorite. It is similar to the Aperol Spritz, just replace the Aperol with St. Germaine. We served it a beautiful glass and that really makes feel sophisticated. Well, anything with Prosecco is a little sophisticated, or at least seems that way!
Ingredients
Instructions
- Add lemon juice, elderflower liqueur, prosecco and sparkling water to a fun glass (a large wine glass would work here) with ice
- stir to combine
- take a few mint leaves and clap your hands together to release the essence of the mint, garnish the drink
- Enjoy!
Prickly Pear Margarita
Ahh, the margarita! A summer cocktail staple. Well, we made it just a bit fruity and very refreshing! Simply add prickly pear syrup. I’m sure you could make this syrup yourself, but we chose the easy way and purchased a bottle. Check your local liquor store for some near you! Now, while we have added triple sec, you could omit that. The prickly pear syrup adds enough sweetness, but seeing as how this is a favorite of our bartender, we decided to just go with it and let her make it the way she likes it.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Add all ingredients into a shaker and do the cha cha
- Pour over ice into a short glass with or without salt on the rim
- Enjoy!
The BKYD Mule
While researching summer cocktails for this article, we came across one that was very similar to this. They called it the El Diablo. Of course, that title made us think it was spicy. Now ginger beer, while not alcoholic, can pack a bit of punch. Still, this drink isn’t spicy just flavorful and since one of our editors loves a good mule, we thought we would make this our signature drink.
Ingredients
Instructions
- place all ingredients in a copper cup with ice
- stir and enjoy
Please drink responsibly. Keep an eye on children while they play in the yard, and especially, around pools this summer. We love a good backyard party, but the best ones are when everyone makes it home safely.
If you watched each video, you may have noticed that we didn’t use plastic cups. We used glass. We used what we had on hand. May we suggest these fun, plastic glasses. They look great, easy to wash and reuse. While fun is fabulous, being safe is important too!
Let us know if you enjoyed the cocktails and we will share some non-alcoholic beverages soon! Happy summer!
