Hot weather calls for cold drinks, and I am fully here for it. Whether you're hosting a backyard hangout, heading to a Easy French Summer Picnic, or just unwinding after a long week, having a solid lineup of easy summer cocktails in your back pocket is an absolute must. I like to pair mine with something delicious to snack on, like a Summer Snack Board or a gorgeous Summer Cheese Board, because good drinks deserve great food alongside them. These 22 recipes are bright, refreshing, and seriously simple to pull together, so you can spend less time behind the bar and more time enjoying the sun with everyone you love.
22 Easy Summer Cocktails at a Glance
- 🕒 Total Time: 5 minutes
- 👪 Servings: 1 person
- 🍝 Cuisine Type: Italian
- 🧂 Flavor Profile: Bright, refreshing, and effervescent with a mix of citrusy, fruity, and lightly boozy notes across a variety of summer sippers.
- 📖 Dietary Info: Alcoholic beverages; specific dietary needs vary by cocktail. Most are naturally gluten-free but always check individual spirit labels.
- 📦 Storage Notes: Most individual cocktails are best served fresh, though sangrias and batched drinks can be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
- ⭐ Why You'll Love It: These are the only summer cocktail recipes you will ever need. We are talking spritzes, margaritas, sangrias, and tequila cocktails all in one place. Every single one is easy to make and perfect for backyard entertaining, BBQs, or just a Tuesday evening on the patio. Trust me, once you start making these you will never go back to a boring drink again.
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SPRITZ COCKTAILS:
Classic Aperol Spritz - If you’ve never had a Classic Aperol Spritz before, let me be the first to welcome you to what could be your new favorite light summer spritzy drink of choice. You really only need 3 things. Aperol, Prosecco and a club soda.
Mandarin Spritz - We drank a version of these BY THE BUCKET one summer while we were in Europe. Fresh mandarin juice, a touch of lime juice, sparkling water to get it that fizz, and alcohol if you want. It’s so refreshing!
Paloma Spritz - Tequila, lime juice, grapefruit juice and a splash of sparkling water… that’s basically the Paloma Spritz in it’s simplest form and I can guarantee if you’re a fan of a skinny margarita, you’ll love this!
White Wine Spritzer - This classic and EASY White Wine Spritzer is the most simple drink you could prepare for an al fresco meal!
Campari Rosé Spritz - This Campari Rosé Spritz takes all the components of a traditional spritz but with a spin. Campari instead of Aperol. Rose instead of Prosecco and Lemon instead of Orange. It’s an easy swap and equally as delish.
Strawberry Thyme Lillet Spritzers - These Strawberry Thyme Lillet Spritzers are legit. I mix Lillet with Champagne, because I’m extra fancy, and some gorgeous strawberries and thyme. It’s insane and beyond easy.
MARGARITA RECIPES:
Strawberry Jalapeño Margaritas - These are sweet from the strawberries, a little spicy from the jalapeño and the perfect refreshing cocktail after a long week!! The recipe below serves 2, but you can easily batch these up and make them ahead of time if serving a crowd.
Skinny Margarita - The best skinny margaritas out there - hands down, no questions asked, end of story! Get prepared!
Blackberry Margaritas - Muddled blackberries give this that extra punch of flavor and a lot of color! Add to that some Cointreau to smooth it out with the tequila and you’re in business.
Pineapple Margarita - This gorgeous pineapple margarita is perfection. Made with a combo of pineapple juice, orange juice and lime juice plus a splash of tequila and some sparkling water, it’s the perfect refreshing cocktail. And we’re making them extra jazzy with a Tajin rim.
SANGRIA RECIPES:
Stone Fruit and Strawberry Sangria - It only requires a few minutes to pit the cherries and then another second or two to combine the sugar and the brandy. Then a few hours in the fridge so the fruit can really infuse the wine and make the Stone Fruit and Strawberry Sangria picture perfect.
Sparkling Citrus Pineapple Sangria - This Sparkling Citrus Pineapple Sangria is loaded with all the flavor from lemons, lime, oranges, pineapple, basil AND mint. It’s also the perfect batch cocktail to make and let sit for the day while you serve yourself and your friends/family while you hang outside in your backyard.
Strawberry and Peach Rosé Sangria - Rosé, strawberries, peaches, and basil! What could be better?
TEQUILA COCKTAILS:
Ranch Water - If you’ve been anywhere in Texas recently, I’m sure you’re well aware of the phenomenon known as Ranch Water. It’s essentially a super skinny margarita. Blanco tequila, sparkling water (Topo Chico is our preference obviously) and lime.
El Sueno Cocktail - A vanilla based tequila cocktail inspired by our trip to Mexico City!! It's a fun spin on a margarita and honestly – it's life altering!! Also very easy to make in batches!
Golden Hour Cocktail - my current obsession that I bought home from Turkey! Campari + tequila are a match made in heaven.
Chile Lime Rimmed Grapefruit Margarita - if you've never rimmed a margarita with Chile Lime infused salt... you're missing out!!
Watermelon Tequila Punch - The most summer-y batch cocktail there is! Watermelon Tequila Punch with plenty and lime and mint to make it extra refreshing!
Blackberry Pineapple Smash - It’s a simple cocktail of muddled blackberries, blanco tequila, fresh lime juice, pineapple juice and a touch of mint. Done. Easy as that.
VODKA COCKTAILS:
Strawberry Basil Lemonade - Strawberry Basil Lemonade was basically the first drink recipe I ever post on WGC and it's been my most requested drink ever since. It's a refreshing blend of homemade lemonade that gets fresh strawberries and basil pureed into the mixture
Spiked Pink Lemonade - It’s not too sweet and the strawberry syrup is so easy to make. Add to that a homemade lemonade, and then splash in some vodka to give it an extra kick and you're in business.
Crushed Blackberry Moscow Mules - A fun spin on everyones favorite Mule – this smashed Blackberry Moscow Mule is the PERFECT summertime drink. Grab your favorite kind of vodka, some really great ginger beer, some blackberries and lime juice and that’s it!
BOURBON COCKTAILS:
Kentucky Lemonade - This super easy bourbon cocktail is fantastic and can easily be prepped ahead. All you need is some lemonade, your favorite Bourbon, fresh mint, and some Ginger Ale to give it a bubbly finish.
Blueberry Mint Bourbon Lemonade - Bourbon and Lemonade are one of those perfect combos! Serve this for an uber refreshing summertime drink that goes perfectly with the muddled mint and sweetness from the lemonade. Watch just how easy it is to make here.
FAQs
What are easy summer cocktails?
Easy summer cocktails are light, refreshing drinks built from a handful of seasonal ingredients and minimal technique, perfect for backyard BBQs, al fresco dinners, and warm-weather entertaining. This collection of 22 recipes spans spritzes like the Classic Aperol Spritz and Paloma Spritz, margarita riffs like Strawberry Jalapeño and Pineapple Margarita, sangrias loaded with stone fruit and rosé, and tequila cocktails like Ranch Water and the Golden Hour. Most recipes come together in under five minutes and can be scaled up into batches for a crowd.
Which of these cocktails are the easiest to batch ahead for a party?
The Sparkling Citrus Pineapple Sangria, Stone Fruit and Strawberry Sangria, and Strawberry Jalapeño Margaritas are all built for batching. The sangrias actually improve after a few hours in the fridge, giving the fruit time to infuse the wine. For the margaritas, mix the base without the carbonated or fresh-squeezed elements, then add those right before serving so nothing goes flat or oxidized.
Can you make an Aperol Spritz without Prosecco?
You can swap Prosecco for any dry, crisp sparkling wine, including Cava or a dry domestic sparkling. Topo Chico or plain soda water already plays a supporting role in this recipe, so leaning into more sparkling water and less wine produces a lighter, lower-alcohol version that still works. Avoid sweet sparkling wines, they push the drink into cloying territory against the Aperol.
What is the difference between a Paloma Spritz and a classic margarita?
A classic margarita is built on tequila, lime juice, and triple sec or Cointreau, with no carbonation. A Paloma Spritz adds grapefruit juice and sparkling water, dropping the orange liqueur entirely, which makes it lighter, more citrus-forward, and lower in sugar. If you already love a skinny margarita, the Paloma Spritz is the natural next step.
Which cocktails on this list are lower in alcohol or work without alcohol?
The Mandarin Spritz is explicitly called out as optional-alcohol, making it a natural choice for guests who are skipping or limiting drinks. Ranch Water is one of the leaner options with alcohol, built from just blanco tequila, Topo Chico, and lime. The sangrias and spritz cocktails generally have lower ABV per glass compared to spirit-forward margaritas, especially when extended with sparkling water.
How do you keep ice from diluting these cocktails too fast at a party?
Use large ice cubes or ice spheres in individual glasses rather than crushed ice, they melt significantly slower. For batched cocktails like sangria, keep the pitcher refrigerated and pour over fresh ice in each glass rather than adding ice directly to the batch. Crushed ice is great for the Aperol Spritz served immediately, but it will water down any drink left sitting for more than a few minutes.
Classic Aperol Spritz
Ingredients
- crushed ice
- 2 ounces Aperol
- 3 ounces dry Prosecco
- 2 ounces sparkling water / soda water (while not authentic, we really love this with a plain Topo Chico)
- Orange for garnish
Instructions
- Add ice to a wine glass until it is nearly full. Pour in the Aperol followed by the prosecco and give it a quick stir.
- Top your drink off with a splash of sparkling water and add a slice of orange.
