Summer Drinks: Recipes for Cocktails and Non-Alcoholic Beverages

Summer is the perfect time to try new cool beverages, or updated versions of summer classics.

Cocktail Recipes

Yellow Bird
2 ounces light rum
1/2 ounce galliano
1/2 ounce triple sec
1/2 ounce lime juice

Using a shaker filled with ice, combine all ingredients. Shake well. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Serves 1

Sangria
1 tablespoon sugar
24 ounces red wine, Spanish, dry
12 ounces carbonated water
lemon peel, cut in strips
1 orange, sliced

Mix sugar, wine, ice cubes and carbonated water in a large glass pitcher with ice. Add lemon peel and orange.

Serves 6

Margarita
1 1/2 ounces tequila
1/2 ounce triple sec
1 ounce lime juice

Rub rim of cocktail glass with rind of lemon or lime, dip rim in salt. Shake ingredients with ice and strain into the salt-rimmed glass.

Serves 1

Rum Swizzle
2 ounce rum
1 ounce lime juice
1 teaspoon superfine sugar
2 dashes bitters
club soda

In a highball glass, combine all ingredients. Stir well. Add ice.

Serves 1

Floral Liqueur
4 cups vodka, brandy, or dry white wine
1-cup sugar
1 - 2 cups flowers

Place lightly bruised petals in a jar with liquor; steep for 2 days. Then, add sugar and steep for 2 weeks, shaking vigorously once or twice a day dissolve sugar. Strain and filter into clean decanter.

Ideas:
rose, carnation, lavendar and mint
orange zest and mint
ginger and pear
peaches and lemon verbena
raspberry and lemon balm

Mimosa
3 ounces Champagne
3 ounces Orange Juice

Combine ingredients and serve in champagne glass.

Serves 1

Non-Alcoholic Summer Drinks

Lemonade with a Twist
Try serving lemonade with lemonade ice cubes. Pour lemonade into an ice cube tray and add a small mint leaf to each cube. When serving the lemonade, add the lemonade cubes. It prevents the drink from watering down and keeps it cool and minty. Non-mint-lovers can freeze a raspberry or blueberry into each ice cube.

Instead of regular iced tea, make herbal iced tea. Make iced tea cubes with grated lemon zest in each to add a hint of lemon into each glass. Coffee drinkers will love iced coffee with coffee cubes.

Fruit Smoothie
1 cup juice (apple, orange, etc.)
1 cup yogurt (vanilla or fruit flavored)
1 cup chopped banana
spices (cinnamon, nutmeg)

Blend together until smooth.

Serves 1

For More Information and Recipes:
Fun Drinks For Kids
Fizzes, Smoothies and Slushies
Bartending 101