#CelebrateSummer: Classic Summer Cocktails

 

Sizzle in the summer heat without breaking a sweat by making these classic summer cocktails at home.

The #CelebrateSummer series is part of our virtual food-and-drink festival, Indulge Fest. Join us on the microsite now!

Summer is right round the corner, literally and figuratively, and as the temperature rises, everything will start getting hotter! But, to rescue you from the heat, these summer cocktails not only taste delicious and refreshing but also make any time look like a party. So open up that bar, and start practising these summer-y delights to win the hearts of everyone at that impromptu party.

Pina Colada 

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The perfect drink for any type of tropical vacation, this cocktail has been satisfying coconut lovers for decades! Pina Coladas are truly synonymous with the beach, the sun and all things fun. The cocktail is a mix of rum, coconut, and pineapple and lime juices. This summer drink was created in Puerto Rico in 1952 by Monchito Marrero, who spent three months experimenting to give you this perfect concoction. It is usually served shaken with ice or blended.

Ingredients 

1½ cup ice

½ cup diced pineapple, frozen

60 ml pineapple juice

44 ml coconut cream

44 ml white rum

30 ml dark rum

Pineapple slices, to garnish 

Method

1. Blend the ice, frozen pineapple, pineapple juice, coconut cream, and the white and dark rums until smooth and frosty. 
2. Pour the drink into two glasses, and garnish the rim with pineapple slices. 

Tequila Sunrise 

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A Tequila Sunrise is one of the few cocktails that is served umixed, and it is truly a visual delight for summer lovers! This cocktail is very easy to make, but it needs to be prepared carefully to achieve its summer look. All you need is tequila, orange juice and grenadine to make this yummy delight. Simply add tequila, orange juice, and ice to a highball glass. Slowly pour the grenadine over; due to its density, it automatically sinks to the bottom, giving the drink its bright striations of colour that are striking to behold.  Don’t forget to stir before drinking to get the true flavours of this cocktail.

Ingredients 

1½ cups + 1 cup ice (divided usage)

60 ml tequila

120 ml orange juice

22 ml grenadine syrup

Method

1. Place one and a half cups of ice in a highball glass.
2. Combine the tequila and orange juice in a cocktail shaker. Add one cup ice, stir, and strain the mixture into the prepared highball glass. Slowly pour in the grenadine and let it settle.
3. Present the drink like this; it must be stirred before drinking.

Mojito

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The Mojito is a traditional Cuban highball cocktail that is another summer favourite. This is popular both as a cocktail and a mocktail. One of the most famous rum-based highballs, the combination of sweetness, citrus, and the herbaceous mint flavours is intended to complement the rum; this is a summer classic to enjoy by the pool, but it works equally well at a party that celebrates summer, or to enliven a dull summer evening. You can easily make this drink ‘virgin’ by simply not adding the rum. The low-effort Mojito allows you to add variety to your cocktail menu with just a few simple ingredients.
 

Ingredients 

3 mint leaves

15 ml simple syrup

60 ml white rum

22 ml freshly-squeezed lime juice

Crushed ice

Club soda

Mint sprig, to garnish

Lime wheel, to garnish 

Method

1. Lightly muddle the mint leaves with the simple syrup in a shaker.
2. Add the rum, lime juice and ice, and give them a brief shake.
3. Strain into a highball glass over ice.
4. Top with the club soda.
5. Garnish with a mint sprig and lime wheel.

Sangria

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This Spanish punch is one of the most popular items in Spanish cuisine. Everyone knows Sangria!  It fairly screams summer and parties. The origins of this summery cocktail are difficult to trace, but it has been known to exist since the 18th century. Clearly, this drink works so well with everybody that it has stood the test of time over the centuries and still managed to remain a crowd pleaser.  It also works well for party hosts because it is a batch cocktail, which means that one pitcher will fill many glasses and make many people happy at a time! And it is really easy to make; just make sure you set aside enough time to let it chill before serving.

 

Ingredients

2 bottles red wine 

½ cup brandy

2 oranges, one juiced and one diced

1 green apple, diced

1 lemon, diced

1 cinnamon stick

Sugar or sweetener, if desired 

Ice, to serve 

Soda, to serve (optional)

Method

1. Add the wine, brandy, orange juice, orange, apple and lemon dices, and cinnamon stick to a large pitcher.  Stir to combine.  Taste and add sugar or sweetener, if desired.
2. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to four hours.
3. Serve the Sangria over ice, topping off each glass with a splash of soda, if desired.

Cuba Libre

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The classic combination that is the Cuba Libre blends the tropical, grassy notes of rum with the effervescent sweetness of cola. Add a squeeze of lime, and you have one of the most popular Cuban cocktails on your hands – the Cuba Libre! Its origin is quite interesting; it can be traced back to 1900. A US army captain stationed in Havana during the Spanish-American War added Coca-Cola and a little lime juice to his rum and toasted his Cuban comrades, exclaiming, “Por Cuba Libre!”(Spanish for “for free Cuba”).  The Cuba Libre is all about caffeine and sugar, making it a preferred party drink, whether you are toasting to independence at a dive bar or a dance club.

Ingredients 

Ice 

30 ml rum

90 ml Coca-Cola

Lime wedge, to garnish

Method

1. Fill a highball glass with ice, then add the rum and Coca-Cola.
2. Garnish with a lime wedge. 
3. Squeeze the lime into your drink before sipping, if desired.

Also see: Summer Salads From Across The World