Imagine being parked on the beach watching sunset, cruising down the lake or chillin’ in your hammock with a crisp, boozy tonic.

 

Yes, we’ve sprung into the season of blooming wildflowers, the birds and the bees, vibrant seasonal fruits, and long sunny days.

This is the perfect time to get wild with your cocktail shakers! Whether you’re out in nature or in your backyard, these summer cocktails are sure to delight!

What makes for the best summer cocktail?

Seasonal fruits

Why not take advantage of the fruits that are in season? Fruits that are so juicy they burst in your mouth or add some crunch to a stiff drink. No doubt we all have our favourite go-to fruit and liquor, but there are so many options out there to choose from. We go crazy over pineapple, lychee, peach, orange, and kiwi!

Liquor

Only choose the good stuff, especially if it’s on sale!

Insulated bottle/tumblers

These are great to store cold beverages and ice!

Drinking buddy

It’s just not the same without one.

Thirsty yet? Let’s jump into these refreshing summer cocktails, that you can make at camp or at home.

5 Summer Cocktails

1. Lemon Lime Liquor – The After Work Bevvy

Tired from a long day of work? We can say the same. You’ve got our word, this cocktail will relieve your stress and tired feet.

 

Indulge in this refreshing lemony drink!

 

Serve: 1
Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 lime
  • 200ml of lemon lime bitters sparkling water
  • 1 shot of gin
  • 1 sprig of rosemary
  • Pinch of sea salt
  • Ice 

Method:

  1. To make the salt rimmer, combine the sea salt and rind from the lime. Tip the top of the cup on the mixture to form a salted rim
  2. In a cup, add lemon lime bitters sparkling water, gin, a squeeze of lime, and ice cube
  3. To garnish, top with rosemary and lime

2. Lychee Burst – I’m On Holiday

We’re totally obsessed with this summer cocktail and we hope you will be too! To us lychee means holiday, paradise, sun, relaxation, friends, and the outdoors. This cocktail is so fresh it’ll keep you cool all day long.

There are many different combos you can make with lychee, in this recipe we’re using Malibu because it gives a good punch, coconut water to keep your body cool, and mint for the final fresh hit in your mouth.

 

Lychee Burst

 

Serve: 1
Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 lime wedge
  • 2 shots of lychee syrup
  • 1 shot of Malibu
  • 1/4 cup coconut water
  • 1 tbsp lychee pulp
  • 1 sprig of mint
  • Ice

Method:

  1. Combine lychee syrup, coconut water, malibu, lychee pulp, lime wedge, torn mint, and ice cube in a cup
  2. Serve with extra fruit if desired

3. Smashed Blueberry Spritz – Hit Me With Another

Blueberries are great for everything, especially this boozy cocktail. A bonus with this one, if you’re camping and stuck in the middle of no mans land, having blueberry jam on hand is perfect as a substitute for fresh fruit.

 

Blueberry Spritz!

 

Serve: 1
Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

Blueberry Syrup

  • ¼ cup water
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • ½ cup blueberries

Cocktail

  • 1 shot of vodka
  • ½ cup raspberry sparkling water
  • 1 sprig of mint

Method:

  1. To make syrup, smash ¼ cup of blueberries, sugar, and water together and simmer in a pot until it reaches a silky consistency, then strain
  2. In a cup, mix your pre-made blueberry syrup, vodka, and raspberry sparkling water
  3. Serve with mint and remaining blueberries on a skewer

4. Drunken Vietnamese Ice Coffee – The One Night Stand

Most of us need that wake-up call in the morning, a little alcohol won’t hurt (we won’t judge). Having travelled through South East Asia, we were in search of the best coffee in town. We found a tiny little coffee stand located in the Russian markets in Phnom Penh that had the best drip coffee. It was bold, sweet and caffeinated AF. We have kept this as simple as can be by jazzing up a traditional Vietnamese ice coffee.

Hot tip! This can be done using a phin or press. If you don’t have one on hand, instant coffee can work too.

 

Vietnamese Iced Coffee

 

What is a phin and how to use it?

Basically a phin makes drip coffee. It consists of three parts, the lid, body, and filter disk. The lid keeps the coffee hot while it’s brewing, the body is where the ground coffee is placed, and the filter allows the coffee to drip through once your phin is placed on top of your cup. The main difference with using a phin, is you get a stronger and sweeter flavour – Viet style.

Vietnamese Coffee Brands we recommend

  • Trung Nguyen Vietnamese Ground Coffee
  • Saigon Phin Daklak
  • Cafe Du Monde

Serve: 1
Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 4 tbsp of Vietnamese ground coffee (we like it strong)
  • 1 tbsp of condensed milk
  • 1 shot of Irish Baileys
  • 200ml of hot water
  • Ice

Method:

  1. If using a phin, place ground coffee in the body and pat down slightly till firm, then pour hot water, put the lid on and let it drip until empty. If you are using a coffee press, add ground coffee and hot water, let it brew for at least 5-10 minutes
  2. Once the coffee is ready, add it to a cup, along with condensed milk, baileys, and ice

5. Tropical Bliss – Let’s Cool Off

This the perfect cocktail for those moments when you’re soaking up sun by the ocean. Fruity, sweet, and smooth; here’s a very simple drink that might just help you chill out and relax.

 

Tropical Tequila bliss!

 

Serve: 1
Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 2 shots of pineapple syrup
  • 1 shot of tequila
  • 200ml of blood orange sparkling water
  • Pineapple to garnish
  • Orange rind to garnish
  • 1 sprig of mint

Method:

  1. Combine pineapple syrup, tequila, blood orange sparkling water, and orange rind in a cup
  2. Garnish with pineapple and mint and enjoy!

 

CHEERS!