Our Editor-Approved Summer Cocktails Will Keep You Sipping All Season Long

With rum or without, the combination of coconut, pineapple, and lime is pretty unbeatable. Some days we want a piña colada, but we don’t want to get out the blender. For these times, may we suggest the delightfully effervescent and very easy piña colada spritz? It’s fast, fuss-free, and still hits all the right notes.

Get the Piña Colada Spritz recipe.

If you’re unfamiliar with this provocatively named cocktail, it’s made up of vanilla vodka, simple syrup, tart passion fruit (purée and liqueur), and bubbly Prosecco. It’s a summertime mood in a glass, and is ideal for when you're hot, sweaty, and thirsty. It was 2024's drink of the summer, but we're still sipping on it today.

Get the Porn Star Martini recipe.

As much as we love sipping on a cold, low-ABV spritz, watching the ice rapidly melt and water down our cocktail is less than ideal. Enter: the poolside popsicle spritzer. We swap the plain old ice in a spritz for a homemade boozy pop. As it melts, the pop infuses your drink with sweet summer flavors, all while keeping it cold. So feel free to set it down during a day at the pool or at any outdoor gathering—this spritz only gets better the longer it sits.

Get the Poolside Popsicle Spritzers recipe.

With an earthy, slightly smoky flavor, mezcal brings a uniquely savory quality to the typically tequila-based margarita. Add some fresh strawberries, and you have the perfect balance of sweet, tart, and a hint of smokiness. If you're looking for a way to shake up your classic summer cocktail, this is it.

Get the Strawberry Mezcal Margarita recipe.

The official drink of the summer of 2023, the Hugo spritz will never go out of style. Featuring floral, fruity St-Germain, fresh lime, and mint, it’s the perfect crisp alternative to heavier drinks. Whether you're hanging by the pool or throwing a backyard party, it’s bound to become your go-to summer sip. It’s also low ABV, so you can enjoy them from afternoon 'til night, too.

Get the Hugo Spritz recipe.

A frozen, slushy drink can make any summer day or Tuesday evening feel like a mini tropical vacation. While frozen margaritas might be a classic for summer, we think that cosmos (especially this frozen version) are back in the chat and ready for their summer spotlight.

Get the Cosmo Summer Slush recipe.

Got an abundance of Key limes after making a classic Key lime pie? Use them to make this refreshing twist on a mojito. The tart Key lime juice paired with cream and a graham cracker crust-inspired rim tastes just like the fruit pie you love (but with WAY less effort 😉).

Get the Key Lime Mojitos recipe.

You know what they say—when life gives you lemons, add a splash of vodka. Think lemonade slushy but make it Italian (and alcoholic), and you'll have this frozen cocktail. This limoncello drop martini is the perfect blend of tart and sweet and is the easiest, most refreshing drink you’ll make this summer.

Get the Frozen Limoncello Drop recipe.

Sorry to the margarita, but the paloma just might be our favorite tequila cocktail. Grapefruit’s light bitterness and floral aroma add a little oomph to an otherwise simple beverage. This recipe for a piña paloma takes the classic recipe and adds a tropical twist by swapping out simple syrup for pineapple juice, which adds a mild, fruit-forward sweetness that's perfect for summer.

Get the Piña Paloma recipe.

We love to riff on the standard margarita, and now, we offer a new-for-the-summer tequila cocktail: the blackberry margarita. Juicy fresh blackberries are in season in July and August in most of the U.S. and have a balanced sweet, tart, and tangy flavor. What’s the best way to get all of the fresh berry flavor into a margarita? A blackberry syrup that you're going to want to keep on hand all summer long.

Get the Blackberry Margarita recipe.

What’s better than an ice-cold espresso martini on a hot summer day? A frozen espresso martini, any day of the year. By freezing concentrated cold brew, blending it with Kahlúa and vodka, and topping it with an instant espresso Baileys whipped cream, we’ve created a frozen espresso martini that is not only perfectly balanced, but also incredibly easy to make and super-impressive.

Get the Frozen Espresso Martini recipe.

Instead of olive brine, this martini gets its rich flavor and vibrant color from tomatoes. If you’re skeptical, hear us out: Think of this cocktail as a cleaner, crisper version of a Bloody Mary. And the botanical flavors of gin pair surprisingly well with the tomato, and evoke flavors of both the fruit and the leaves of the plant (an aroma that has inspired many trendy candles, BTW).

Get the Tomato Tini recipe.

Jam jar cocktails? Yes PLEASE! This easy, delicious summer cocktail is a perfect way to clean out your jar of jam and enjoy a refreshing jam spritz in a chic, creative glass! The best thing about this cocktail hack? You can mix and match flavors with your favorite jam for endless possibilities!

Get the Blueberry Jam Gin Spritz recipe.

Move over, Aperol, there’s a new spritz in town! The Campari spritz—bubbly, bitter, and very refreshing—is the perfect drink for a leisurely pre-dinner hang or happy hour with friends. With just five minutes and five ingredients, you can have this cocktail in hand ASAP.

Get the Campari Spritz recipe.

Strawberries, mint, and lemon all come together to bring out the best of a bottle of white wine. It’s slightly tart, slightly sweet, and super-refreshing. And the strawberry flavor takes center stage in this sangria. Not only are there sliced strawberries swimming in the glass, but also a strawberry mint syrup that gives the sangria a beautiful pink tint.

Get the Strawberry-Mint Sangria recipe.