Think summer cocktails and your mind will most likely gravitate towards a margarita. But, while it may be a cocktail that is simple to make and even easier to drink, it’s about time you educated yourselves a bit more and tried something new.
Australia is known as a nation that finds any excuse to have a drink. This is especially true come summer time, when the sun shines bright, the temperature increases and the mood Down Under shifts to one that’s far more positive.
And, while you can enjoy Australian summer on a rooftop bar in the city, we reckon the best way to party is at home with your own personal cocktail recipe book. Of course, you have the usual choices of the aforementioned margarita or lychee martinis, but have you ever considered using other spirits such as whiskey or rum?
Forget a whiskey sour or a dark and stormy (although, it must be said, they are delicious) and spice up your summer with this carefully curated list of the best summer cocktails that are guaranteed to get your party thriving.
Kraken Black Mojito
A mojito is one the quintessential summer cocktails, but this year, forget what you know about classic mojitos and turn up the flavour with a Kraken Black Mojito. Using the sweet, delicious taste of Kraken Black Spiced Rum as the base, and coming pre-mixed with natural flavours of mint and lime, all presented in a handy, ready-to-drink can, summer cocktails have never been so delicious and so convenient.
TINCUP Buck
While serving a pre-mixed can is undoubtedly the easiest way to give a cocktail to your summer party guests this year, if you want to give off the illusion you’re a trained mixologist, then the TINCUP Buck is going to be the best cocktail for you.
Using TINCUP whiskey, a new American whiskey that recently landed in Australia, the TINCUP Buck is served with ginger ale, a lime wedge and some ice – all built in a glass – to create one of the easiest yet most delicious cocktails you’re ever going to get your lips around.
Classic Margarita
Ok, so we know we said it’s about time the margarita was replaced by something new, but we can’t possibly ignore how simple, classic and delicious this Mexican marvel is. You’ve all likely had your fair share of margies in pubs, clubs, bars and restaurants, but have you ever stopped to think about making your very own in the comfort of your own home? It couldn’t be easier.
Arm yourself with a cocktail shaker and add the following ingredients:
- 45-50ml of tequila (you can choose which tequila you want, but we’re particular fans of the reposado/gold variety)
- 15ml of Cointreau or triple sec
- 25-30ml of lime juice
- 10-15ml of agave syrup
Fill your shaker up with ice and shake it like a polaroid picture. Strain into a coupe or rocks glass over ice. If you want to have a salted rim, be sure to rim it before you pour the cocktail mix in.
For a slight variation, you can make what is known as a Tommy’s margarita, which simply omits the Cointreau/triple sec, and instead uses a full 60ml of tequila.
Espresso Martini
Aside from an ice-cold margarita, there isn’t much else that gets Australians frothing as much as an espresso martini. Yes, that’s ESpresso, not EXpresso, remember it. If you consider yourself an espresso martini connoisseur, then you would have likely noticed that virtually every bar makes them differently.
Whilst this speaks to the versatility of the espresso martini, in that its recipe can be adjusted and yet still taste great, we feel we’ve stumbled upon the very best espresso martini recipe around.
- 45ml Vanilla vodka (you can use regular vodka, but for us, the hint if vanilla works exceptionally well)
- 30ml fresh espresso (if you don’t have access to fresh espresso, cold brew coffee is fine)
- 15ml Frangelico
- 15ml Kahlúa
- 15ml Butterscotch schnapps
Add all ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice, shake well and strain into a cocktail coupe. Garnish with three coffee beans.
Yuzu & Ginger Highball
Getting back to the whiskey-based cocktails now, and one of the most refreshing cocktails you’re ever going to try, that uses Bushmills’ new 10 Year Old Single Malt. It’s guaranteed to be a winner at your next summer party.
Making one couldn’t be easier either, as all ingredients are built in the glass.
- 45ml Bushmills 10 Year
- 15ml Monin Yuzu Puree
- 15ml Fresh Lime Juice
- 10-15ml Simple Syrup
- 2 Dashes Angostura Bitters
- Strangle Hot Ginger Beer or CAPI Spicy Ginger Beer with Ginger & Chilli to finish
Pour all the alcohol ingredients into a glass filled with ice and top with the ginger beer of your choice. Garnish with a mint sprig.
Piña colada
Yes, you can enjoy a piña colada without getting caught in the rain, making it a delightfully sweet and refreshing cocktail to enjoy while the sun is shining. This tropical wonderment, first concocted in Puerto Rico, brings together rum with flavours of coconut and pineapple to make a cocktail that is dangerously easy to drink. There are a few different ways you can make a piña colada, such as building it in a chilled glass or shaking the ingredients together in a cocktail shaker. But the classic – and in our opinion, the best – way to make one is to use a blender, to ensure it is as cold as possible.
To make a piña colada, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- 50ml white rum
- 50ml pineapple juice
- 30ml coconut cream
You can find other recipes online that stipulate using larger quantities than the ones we’ve listed, but the measurements provided are the ones referenced by the International Bartenders Association.
Pour all the ingredients into a blender and blend with ice until fully crushed. Pour into a chilled glass and garnish with a small slice of pineapple.
Cucumber & Mint Gimlet
The gin gimlet is a classic cocktail that has been around since at least the 1930s. The original version called for just two ingredients, gin and lime juice. Today, however, there are numerous variations of the classic gin gimlet, which in our view are even more refreshing. That’s especially true of this cucumber and mint gimlet, which takes the classic gin gimlet recipe but adds a dash of sugar for some sweetness and a helping of fresh mint, finished off with a cucumber garnish. Incredibly simple to make, incredibly delicious and incredibly refreshing. It’s a perfect summer cocktail.
To make, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- 60ml gin (Hendricks works particularly well)
- 30ml fresh lime juice
- 4-8 fresh mint leaves
- 10-15ml simple syrup
Add all the ingredients to a cocktail shaker and shake with ice. Double strain (strainer over the top of the cocktail shaker, poured into a small sieve to remove the crushed up pieces of mint) into a chilled glass. You can use either a cocktail coupe, or a rocks glass with ice. Finish off with a slice of cucumber to garnish.
Aperol Spritz
While there certainly are other ways to enjoy Aperol, none have quite the same stature amongst cocktail connoisseurs as the Aperol Spritz. The Spritz itself is an umbrella term for a cocktail that sees an aperitif mixed with Prosecco and soda water, and so you can exchange Aperol for Campari or Select, for example. For us, however, the Aperol Spritz will forever reign supreme. Here’s how to make one.
- 60ml Aperol
- 90ml Prosecco
- Splash/30ml Soda water
Build the ingredients in either a wine glass or a rocks glass, with ice in either case, and garnish with a slice of orange and an olive, if you’re feeling fancy.