What’s the best part of summer’s arrival? Sun? Warmer temperatures? Well, yes – but we’d vote for the cocktails.
These seven refreshing cocktail recipes suit every occasion: from casual garden parties to more formal fetes. Bitter, fresh, fruit-forward – even tropical – consider this your seasonal sipping sorted.
Reverse Cosmosis
Floral thanks to the elderflower liqueur, citrusy due to the lemon juice, and a touch bitter courtesy of the Aperol, this glorious cocktail makes for dreamy summer sipping.
15ml lemon juice
22ml Aperol
22ml elderflower liqueur
Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker. Fill with very cold ice. Shake and strain into a coupe glass before garnishing with a grapefruit ribbon.
Fraise Barrage
Is anything more summery than perfectly ripe English strawberries? In the Fraise Barrage, one of our favourite refreshing cocktail recipes of the season, the berries make a beautiful marriage with our V.J.O.P.
45ml Sipsmith V.J.O.P.
15ml lemon juice
15ml simple syrup
2 whole strawberries
6 mint leaves
2 dashes Angostura bitters
Ginger beer
In a shaker, add the strawberries, mint (slap lightly on the back of your hand first), and the gin, and leave for a few minutes to macerate. Muddle lightly. Add the simple syrup, lemon, and the bitters, and then fill your shaker with very cold ice. Shake hard!
Once the drink is chilled and well mixed, double strain into a highball filled with very cold ice and top with ginger beer. Garnish with a strawberry and a mint sprig.
Malaise for Days
Think of this sip as a cousin of the Piña Colada, but made with our V.J.O.P. overproof gin. And absinthe. Now, where’s the nearest beach? (A sandpit will do.)
30ml Sipsmith V.J.O.P
30ml pineapple juice
30ml coconut cream
22ml freshly squeezed lime juice
8ml absinthe
8 mint leaves
Add all ingredients into a cocktail shaker. Flash shake with pebble ice. Strain into a large tulip glass and top with additional pebble ice. Garnish with freshly grated nutmeg and a mint sprig.
Summer Sling
After something you can shake up in no time at all? Introducing the Summer Sling, which you can mix up fast enough to appease even the thirstiest of party guests.
25ml Sipsmith London Cup
25ml Sipsmith Sloe Gin
Lime
Ginger ale
Fill a cocktail shaker with very cold ice and add the first two ingredients; squeeze in the juice of two lime wedges. Shake vigorously. Strain into a highball filled with fresh ice. Top up with ginger ale and garnish with basil.
Thyme for Lime
Attention, botanical cocktail lovers: the herbaceous, wonderfully fresh Thyme for Lime is as perfect a pairing for a warm, sunny afternoon as you can find.
Sprig of rosemary (roughly 10 individual leaves)
Sprig of thyme
25ml lime juice
25ml simple syrup
50ml Sipsmith London Dry Gin
Fizzy water
Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker and fill with very cold ice. Shake well and serve over ice in a highball. Top up with fizzy water.
Sloe Negroni Americano
There’s no season that the Negroni doesn’t suit – but on particularly hot afternoons when you want something a little longer, try this drink on for size. Two brilliant Italian aperitivi melded into one – who could want for more?
12ml Sipsmith London Dry Gin
12ml Sipsmith Sloe Gin
25ml sweet red vermouth
25ml Campari
Soda
Fill a highball with very cold ice. Add first four ingredients and stir down until blended and chilled. Top up with soda and garnish with a slice of orange.
Apricot Spritz
Refined enough to enjoy at night but refreshing enough for the afternoon, this Apricot Spritz is fresh and fruit-forward.
15ml Sipsmith Summer Cup
15ml Apricot Liqueur
Prosecco
In a Champagne flute, add the first two ingredients and stir. Gently pour in the prosecco. Garnish with a raspberry or two, a blackberry or two, and a strawberry.
Feature images © gregory_lee/iStock/Thinkstock; Lisovskaya/iStock/Thinkstock
