How to make 8 classic summer cocktail recipes

8 classic summer cocktail recipes to try this year

Pimm’s
Anyone for Pimm’s? This fruity gin-based spirit was created in the 1840s and has since become an English summer staple, popping up everywhere from pub gardens to Centre Court at Wimbledon. Pimm’s is typically served over ice with clear lemonade, garnished with strawberries, cucumber, mint and lemon. Our ultimate Pimm’s recipe takes things to the next level with the optional addition of juicy cherries, nectarine slices and pretty borage flowers.

• Base: Pimm’s No 1 (a gin-based liqueur)
• Glass: Collins or highball
• Garnish: Sliced strawberries, cucumber, orange slices and mint leaves
• Variation: Pimm’s fizz

Frozen margarita
Sultry summer nights call for something seriously icy. Enter the frozen margarita or, as we like to call them, slushies for grown ups. Our frozen mango margarita is mixed with orange juice and lime, plus a little Mexican-inspired chilli heat. Make your own jalapeño-infused tequila for bonus points or achieve a similar spice kick by using regular tequila with a pinch of chilli powder.

• Spirit: Tequila
• Glass: Margarita
• Optional garnish: Salt (and chilli) rim
• Variations: Classic margarita and raspberry margarita

Sangria
This Spanish holiday classic tastes as good in your back garden as it does watching the sun set from a hotel balcony (well, almost). Start with a fruity red wine (we like Spanish rioja), add a generous slug of brandy and top with lemonade or sparkling water. Serve in a big pitcher with citrus slices and plenty of ice.

• Spirit: Brandy
• Glass: Large wine glass
• Garnish: Orange and lemon slices
• Variation: White wine sangria

Hugo spritz
Looking to mix it up on the spritz front this summer? Meet Hugo, the Aperol spritz’s northern cousin. This zesty cocktail originates from the mountainous South Tyrol region where Italy borders Switzerland and Austria. The hugo is a mix of prosecco, sparkling water, gin and elderflower liqueur (or use elderflower cordial, which is cheaper and easier to source). Serve over ice with mint and lemon or lime wedges, if you like.

• Spirit: Gin and/or elderflower liqueur
• Glass: Large wine glass
• Garnish: Mint leaves
• Variation: Strawberry spritz

Mojito
The mojito is Cuba’s gift to the world. This legendary tipple is surprisingly easy to master at home. Muddle mint and sugar to release all those gorgeous minty aromas, then shake together with crushed ice, lime juice and quality rum before straining into a tall glass and topping with soda water. The perfect drink for balmy midsummer evenings.

• Spirit: Rum
• Glass: Collins or highball
• Garnish: Mint leaves and lime slices, if you like
• Variations: Raspberry mojito and pineapple, cucumber and chilli mojito

Piña colada
If you like piña coladas… then you need this recipe. One for the creamy cocktail fans, the piña colada is a blend of coconut cream, rum and pineapple juice which originates from Puerto Rico. Serve it in a hurricane glass and don’t hold back on the trimmings – we’re talking jazzy straws, cocktail umbrellas and a bright-red cocktail cherry.

• Spirit: Rum
• Glass: Hurricane
• Garnish: Maraschino cherries
• Variation: Thai piña colada

Strawberry daiquiri
The daiquiri is a long-standing summer favourite, believed to have originated in Cuba in the late nineteenth century. The classic daiquiri is a simple sweet-sour combination of rum, lime and sugar. Fruity versions are also popular, particularly the strawberry daiquiri. Our recipe includes fresh strawberries and is the perfect way to use up some squidgy berries from the bottom of the punnet.

• Spirit: Rum
• Glass: Coupe, martini or margarita
• Garnish: Strawberries
• Variation: Classic daiquiri

Aperol spritz
It is even summer until you’ve sipped your first Aperol spritz? In the last decade this Italian sparkler has become a British beer garden favourite and it’s easy to make your own version at home. Chill your bottles of Aperol, prosecco and soda water in the fridge, make sure you have plenty of ice in the freezer, then mix up a pitcher to share with friends. Don’t forget the orange slices!

• Base: Aperol (an aperitif, rather than a spirit)
• Glass: Large wine glass
• Garnish: Orange slices
• Variation: Limoncello spritz

For more hot-weather drinks ideas, check out our complete summer cocktail recipes collection.