10 classic summer cocktail recipes for your Songkran party

Whether you’re hosting a summer party or relaxing on a sunny afternoon, a refreshing cocktail along with some light appetiser might just be the right combination to elevate your mood.

From classic to something experimental, enjoy this season with these essential summer cocktails. What’s more? These drinks are easy to make, taste delicious and are blended with fruits and herbs that are easily available.

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Here are some refreshing cocktail recipes for summer

Margarita

At her Acapulco holiday home, Margarita Sames, a famous Dallas socialite, created the OG cocktail in 1948 by mixing Cointreau and tequila with some lime juice.

The simple yet elegant recipe only requires silver tequila, fresh lime juice, Cointreau and salt to lace the rim of the glass.

Take a few margarita glasses, rub their rims with lime and dip them in some coarse salt. Keep them in the refrigerator to chill while you make the cocktail.

Pour two ounces of tequila and one ounce each of Cointreau and lime juice into a cocktail shaker. Add some ice and give it a good shake. Get the chilled glasses out of the refrigerator and pour the mix into each of them. Garnish with a slice of lime and serve.

Vodka lemonade

If you like a vodka-based citrusy drink, then this one’s for you. The refreshing summer cocktail is not only simple to make but can also be part of your menu all year round.

To prepare this summer cocktail, you need a pitcher, ice, lemonade, vodka, simple syrup, club soda, lemons cut into rounds and some fresh peppermint sprigs.

Mix lemonade, vodka and simple syrup in a pitcher with ice. Next, fill regular glasses (or highball glasses) to the brim with ice, and pour the prepared mix until they are three-quarters full. Now add club soda to fill the glasses. Mix well and garnish with lemon slices and peppermint sprigs.

Gin Rickey

Gin Rickey makes for a cocktail perfect for summer afternoons. Think of it as your ‘sugar-free’ Gin and Tonic.

To make this refreshing drink, all you need is your favourite gin, fresh lime and club soda.

Fill highball glasses with ice. Squeeze some lime juice into them and add a few slices of the fruit. Now pour the gin into each glass and fill them up with club soda.

Your herbal, citrusy cocktail is ready. Stir well and serve.

Tequila Sunrise

Reminiscent of different hues of sunrise, this popular summer cocktail was first served in the 1930s by Gene Sulit who worked as a bartender in the Arizona Biltmore Hotel. Its citrusy flavour has appealed to many, including rock band members of The Rolling Stones and the Eagles. The latter even named one of their songs “Tequila Sunrise” in their Desperado album.

To make a tequila sunrise, mix orange juice and tequila in a pitcher, and add broken ice to it. Now pour this into chilled cocktail glasses. Add a good amount of grenadine and stir slowly, preferably with a swizzle stick, to create orange and red layers in the drink.

Garnish with orange peels or maraschino cherries.

Piña Colada

While there are many variations of this summer cocktail, let’s look at the simplest way to make this popular drink.

To make this sweet, tropical and bubbly cocktail, combine rum, pineapple juice and coconut in a blender. Add a cup of crushed ice and blend the ingredients on high.

Now, pour into tall glasses and garnish with fresh mint leaves, lime or pineapple wedges or even fresh basil.

Greyhound

If you are hosting a party of vodka lovers, you can have a variety of summer drinks made with the spirit. A popular choice is the greyhound, and it works perfectly for those who prefer a bitter-sweet cocktail.

This classic drink can be made with your favourite vodka and fresh grapefruit juice, accompanied by ice and lime wedges.

Add ice to glasses and pour the vodka and grapefruit juice into them. Stir well and top them off with lime wedges as garnish.

You can also add honey or maple syrup to counteract the tartness of grapefruit or replace vodka with gin for a more citrusy drink.

Mint Julep

Considered to be one of the best cocktail recipes for summer, the sweet drink, or ‘julep’, needs mint leaves, bourbon and some sugar or simple syrup.

Begin with placing mint leaves at the bottom of a pre-chilled glass. Add sugar or simple syrup and crush moderately using a muddler. Fill the glass with crushed ice and pour bourbon over it. Keep stirring, making sure the glass remains cold. If required, add some more ice while stirring.

For an added aroma, place a fresh sprig of mint at the top of the glass, and your cocktail is ready.

Aperol Spritz

This Italian spritz has the perfect balance of bitter and sweet tastes and is known as one of the essential cocktail recipes for summer.

Take a large wine glass and add ice to it. Now pour Aperol, prosecco and club soda into it. Don’t forget to top it with some fresh orange slices.

You can also mix some freshly squeezed orange juice to make the cocktail sweeter.

Strawberry Daiquiri

Daiquiri is a simple sweet and sour drink that is made with rum, simple syrup and lime. It is not only refreshing but also easy to prepare. However, if you want to give this summer cocktail a fruity twist, you will need ice, white sugar, fresh lime juice, lemon juice, rum, lemon-lime flavoured soda and frozen strawberries.

To a blender, add ice, sugar, strawberries, rum, lemon juice, lime juice and some lemon-lime soda and blend until smooth. Now pour the mix into a cocktail glass and relish this frozen drink.

You can also serve fresh strawberries or any fresh fruit with it.

Thai Mango Martini

If you are looking to try out something unique this summer, this refreshing drink that has the richness of the summer fruit goes so well with Thai appetisers like mini shrimp lettuce wraps or baked coconut shrimp. It is considered to be one of the best cocktail recipes for summer.

Add fresh mango puree, vodka, dry vermouth and ice to a blender or food processor. Mix well until it attains a smooth texture. Pour into martini glasses rimmed with salt and red chilli. Garnish with a lime wedge and serve.