It’s 5 o’clock somewhere, especially in the summer when long, hot days call for cool drinks.
This year, we’re looking forward to breaking out our bartending kit and impressing friends with balanced, tantalizing classics like the Sea Breeze, Paloma and Long Island Iced Tea. We choose drinks that don’t require a laundry list of ingredients, but that set the right tone in terms of coolness and taste.
So whether you’re throwing a summer party and looking for slushy frozen concoctions that are perfect for pitchers, or you’re keeping it low-key with one-time cocktails, we’ve got eight drink recipes to keep you fresh.
Long Island Iced Tea
If you’ve got a stacked liquor cabinet — or stashed away a surplus of airplane bottles — this is a deceptively strong summer cocktail that tastes more like sweet tea.
oz. of white rum½ oz. of vodka½ oz. of tequila½ oz. of gin½ oz. of triple sec ¾ oz. of simple syrup¾ oz. of lemon juice 1 oz. from Coca Cola. Lemon for garnish
1. Fill a glass with ice.
2. Pour vodka, tequila, white rum, gin, triple sec, simple syrup and lemon juice into the glass.
3. Stir together.
4. Top with cola and garnish with a slice of lemon.
sea breeze
This retro cocktail looks great and is very easy to make – handy for refilling after a dip in the water. We like the tartness of unsweetened cranberry juice, but if you prefer your cocktails a little sweeter, use cranberry cocktail or add 1 to 1.5 teaspoons of simple syrup to the mix.
1.5 ounces vodka 1.5 ounces grapefruit juice 3 ounces unsweetened cranberry juice 1 slice of lime
1. Pour vodka, grapefruit juice and cranberry juice into a glass and stir.
2. Add ice.
3. Garnish with lime wedge.
Hurricane
One of our favorite cocktails originated in Pat O’Brien’s New Orleans bar in the 1940s. It’s perfect if you want to recreate that canceled trip to the French Quarter in your living room, but be careful: the high rum content sneaks up on you.
2 oz. of dark rum 2 oz. of light rum 2 oz. of passion fruit juice 1 oz. orange juice 1 tbsp. of simple syrup 1 tbsp. of grenadine½ of limeOrange and maraschino cherry for garnish
1. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice.
2. Pour light rum, dark rum, passion fruit juice, orange juice, simple syrup, grenadine and lime juice into cocktail shaker.
3. Squeeze half a lime into the shaker and close it tightly.
4. Shake well – until the outside of the cocktail shaker is frosty – and pour into a glass with ice.
5. Garnish with a slice of cherry and orange.
paloma
If you run out of margarita mix or Cointreau, the Paloma is a fun, fruity alternative to a Mexican tequila-based cocktail.
2 oz. of tequila 1 oz. of grapefruit juice ½ oz. of lime juice 1 oz. of club soda¾ oz. of simple syrup Lime and/or grapefruit for garnish Salt for rim (optional)
1. If desired, rim a glass with salt. Lightly wet the rim of the glass with water or a slice of lime before rolling it in a small plate of salt.
2. Fill the glass with ice.
3. Pour in tequila, grapefruit juice, lime juice, and simple syrup.
4. Stir together.
5. Top with club soda and add lime and/or grapefruit for garnish.
Pina Colada
Bring the beach to your backyard with a Pina Colada, which can be mixed or poured over ice.
2 oz. of white rum 2 oz. of pineapple juice 1 oz. of canned coconut cream 1 oz. of canned coconut milk, ground cinnamon, angostura bitters, pineapple, and cherry for garnish
1. Pour ice into cocktail shaker.
2. Combine light rum, coconut cream, coconut milk and pineapple juice in cocktail shaker and seal tightly.
3. Shake well – until the outside of the cocktail shaker is frosty – and pour into a glass with ice.
4. Sprinkle lightly ground cinnamon and add a dash of bitters.
5. Garnish with pineapple wedge and cherry.
Crimson Jim
Also known as Lounge Lizard or Mixy’s depending on who you ask, this is basically a glorified rum and cola with a slightly bitter cherry flavored kick. (Trust us, it’s delicious.)
2 oz. of dark rum¾ oz. of amaretto liqueur 4 oz. of Coca-Cola Lemon or lime for garnish.
1. Fill a glass with ice.
2. Pour in dark rum, amaretto and cola.
3. Stir together and garnish with a slice of lime or lemon.
John Collins
A simple happy hour staple that’s light and refreshing. If you prefer vodka, just add the gin to make a Vodka Collins.
1½ oz. of gin oz. of simple syrup 1 oz. of lemon juice 2 oz. soda water 1 dash of angostura bitters (about 8 drops) Lemon and cherry for garnish
1. Fill a glass with ice.
2. Pour gin, syrup and lemon juice into the glass.
3. Stir together.
4. Top with club soda and a splash of bitters.
5. Garnish with a slice of cherry and lemon.
Manhattan
If you still love imagining yourself in “Mad Men,” this is a boozy classic that’s easy to make. It can also be served upright (without ice) or on the rocks – whichever you prefer.
2 oz. whiskey (rye, bourbon or Canadian)¾ oz. of sweet vermouth 1 to 2 dashes angostura bitters (about 8-16 drops) Cherry and/or orange for garnish
1. Pour ice into cocktail shaker.
2. Pour whiskey, vermouth and bitters into shaker and seal tightly.
3. Shake cocktail and strain into glass (with or without ice).
4. Garnish with a slice of cherry and/or orange.
