The first weeks of quarantine were pretty rough. For much of the country, winter seemed to refuse to give up its grasp of the weather with unseasonably cold temperatures in much of the country and even snow all the way into early May. This made being stuck at home fairly depressing and downright boring. In the last few weeks, we have seen the first real signs of the warmer, sunnier portion of spring and the thought of a sun- and heat-filled summer doesn’t seem too far away. This has us thinking a lot about our favorite sunny day activity: day drinking.
Obviously, our day drinking only occurs after work is completed or on the weekend. Usually, since we’re tired from staring at our computer screens in whatever nook we made into our makeshift office, we opt for a crisp, refreshing beer. Sometimes, when we’re feeling really creative, we opt for a cocktail. But we’re still not going to mix up an elaborate concoction made up of various tinctures, shrubs, multiple spirits, and a whole garden of botanicals. We’re all about simplicity. The faster we make it, the quicker we’ll be able to get our drink on.
To make it as easy as possible, we’ve decided to list our top 10 favorite, fresh, seasonal, and very simple cocktails to mix up for summer. Check them all out below.
Photo: bridgesward (Pixabay)
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Fresh Spring Cocktails
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Daiquiri
If you’ve only enjoyed the frozen, cloyingly sweet, neon-hued version of the daiquiri from a chain restaurant, you might not realize that the classic version is as simple as it is fresh. Made with white rum, simple syrup, and lime juice, it’s the perfect cocktail for a sunny day.
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Spanish Gin Tonic
While we like the classic gin and tonic, we really love the Spanish version. Similar to the classic cocktail, it’s made with gin, tonic water, and a lime wedge. But, this version allows for creativity. You can add anything you want, from cucumber slices to bell pepper rings to fresh berries.
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Gin Gimlet
In the hierarchy of simple, seasonal drinks, it’s hard to beat the gin gimlet. That’s because it’s undeniably refreshing and made up of only two ingredients: gin and sweetened lime juice. Literally, that’s all you need to have a great afternoon in the sun.
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Whiskey Highball
When it comes to warm-weather drinks, whiskey usually gets left out in the cold. But, if you don’t want to put away that bottle of Four Roses or Suntory Toki, simply mix it with soda water, ginger ale, sparkling water, seltzer, or whatever you like and enjoy an effervescent highball.
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Margarita
Like the daiquiri, the classic margarita isn’t a frozen Slurpee with booze. It consists of three simple, perfectly paired ingredients: tequila, triple sec, and lime juice. Mix it up and pour it over ice. Feel free to salt the rim of your glass. We won’t judge you.
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Mojito
There are few drinks more refreshing and perfectly paired with a hot day than a mojito. This combination of white rum, soda water, fresh lime juice, sugar, and muddled mint leaves is so good you might not even want to drink any other cocktails this summer.
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Moscow Mule
Vodka is definitely perfectly suited for warm-weather cocktails. One of the tastiest and easiest to make vodka-centric cocktails is the classic Moscow mule. Made with vodka, ginger beer, and lime juice, you’ll be whipping up this subtly spicy drink all spring long.
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Negroni
For many, this is the unofficial drink of summer. This Italian cocktail is very popular in the bartending world for a good reason. It only has three ingredients: gin, Campari, and vermouth. It’s also really easy to drink three or four of these on a hot day.
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Paloma
If you’ve had your fill of margaritas but still want to spend your spring (and summer) drinking tequila, the next obvious step is the paloma. Made with tequila and grapefruit juice (or soda), this simple cocktail is perfect for fans of citrus-centric drinks.
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Tom Collins
The Tom Collins is like a supped-up version of the classic gin and tonic. Instead of gin and tonic water, this drink is made with gin, fresh-squeezed lemon juice, carbonated water, and simple syrup. You can make it easier by just adding your gin to a pre-made mix, but there’s nothing quite like the taste of fresh citrus.
