When the temperature rises and the beaches become more enjoyable, having a summer drink in hand is an essential ritual. What better way to savor a summer cocktail than by using fresh, tropical fruits? Whether you love mangoes, peaches, pineapples, lychees, or any other fruit, we've compiled a list of the 10 best fruit-based cocktails to try this summer!
It’s creamy, tropical, and just indulgent enough to beat the summer heat! A Frozen Banana Daiquiri combines frozen banana chunks with white rum to produce a smooth, creamy concoction. The ‘smoothie’-like drink has a velvety smooth texture and is full of fruity flavor thanks to the banana! This is the kind of drink you sip when you’ve just swam out of the ocean and ready to bask in the summer sun!
Ingredients: White rum, ripe banana, fresh lime juice, simple syrup
Glassware: Coupe or hurricane glass
Process:
Next on our list of the best refreshing fruit cocktail recipes for hot weather, we have a literal sunrise in a glass! The bright orange and the slowly oozing red hue of the grenadine lends the drink a unique, Instagrammable look. It is sweet, citrusy, and gently boozy. The citrus keeps it tart and refreshing while the tequila adds a noticeable kick that lingers on your palate. The drink is made for slow summer evenings, sundowners, and intimate gatherings by the pool.
Ingredients: Tequila, fresh orange juice, grenadine
Glassware: Highball glass
Process:
A Margarita is a classic drink that can be made in a variety of fruit ingredients – one such brilliant summer drink is a Strawberry Margarita. The drink is sweet, tangy, and perfect for a flirty summer noon by the pool. It is made using fresh strawberries and combines lime juice, tequila, and triple sec. The ripe berries add a refreshing zing while the tequila adds a much-needed boldness. The salted rim adds a unique twist just when you’re about to take a sip of the margarita.
Ingredients: Tequila, fresh strawberries, lime juice, triple sec, simple syrup, salt for rim
Glassware: Margarita or Coupe glass
Process:
A Grapefruit Vodka Tonic is for those who like to spend their afternoon indoors – ACs turned on to full swing and a comfort show on the television. The drink combines the tangy bitterness of grapefruit with the crisp boldness of the vodka. The tonic adds fizz and smoothens the drink. Perfect for humid afternoons when you want your drink to feel slightly elevated.
Ingredients: Vodka, fresh grapefruit juice, tonic water, ice, grapefruit wedge.
Glassware: Tall glass
Process:
The Sherry Cobbler is a unique yet underrated cocktail. Made with sherry, citrus, and simple syrup served over crushed ice and garnished with berries, the cocktail is one of the most enjoyable fruit-based summer cocktails. All you need to do is muddle any citrus fruit slightly, add sherry and syrup, top with crushed ice, and garnish generously with berries. The layered drink is super light and refreshing and deserves more attention!
Ingredients: Sherry, orange slices, berries, simple syrup
Glassware: Tall glass
Process:
How can a list of the best summer cocktails be ever complete without a Mojito? This Pineapple Mojito deserves its flowers for being a light, breezy, and refreshing drink. It combines two of the most quintessential summer ingredients – mint and pineapple – and the result is a drink that cools your body and soothes your soul! If you’re craving for a pineapple-based cocktail but want something other than a Pina Colada, you can concoct a Pineapple Mojito instead!
Ingredients: White rum, fresh pineapple juice, mint leaves, lime juice, sugar, soda water
Glassware: Tall glass or mason jar
Process:
Mai Tai is the literal definition of ‘summer in a drink’. The classic tiki cocktail combines rum, orange curaçao, lime juice, and orgeat syrup to present a refreshing drink that looks like it has returned from a tropical vacation. The tropical tiki drink is sweet but balanced, zesty, and warm, leaving you wanting more. With a mint sprig or a tropical fruit as a garnish, picking up a Mai Tai might take you straight to the tropics – proceed with caution!
Ingredients: Rum, orange curaçao, lime juice, orgeat syrup
Glassware: Double old-fashioned glass or rocks glass
Process:
Also Read: Indian Spices And Ingredients That Can Level Up Your Cocktails
Don’t go on its deceptively simple, sober-sounding name, a Raspberry Lemonade can easily pack a punch and elevate your summer drink experience. The cocktail is tangy, fruity, and gently tart with a lovely pink hue. It tastes like fresh berries, with the lemon keeping things zesty and the soda water adding a gentle fizz. While raspberry syrup can be used in its preparation, we’d advise you to use fresh raspberries instead.
Ingredients: Vodka, fresh raspberries, lemon juice, simple syrup, soda water
Glassware: Tall glass or mason jar
Process:
A Peach Bellini is one of those fruit-based summer cocktails that shine effortlessly. It is soft, elegant, and feels celebratory. The drink combines peach puree with chilled prosecco for a drink that feels and tastes light, bubbly, and just perfectly fruity. Perfect for summer brunches and beachside parties, the Peach Bellini is naturally sweet, light, and an understated summer cocktail you must try at home!
Ingredients: Peach Puree, prosecco
Glassware: Flute or Coupe glass
Process:
A list of the best summer cocktails, especially those with fruits as their ‘main character’ is incomplete without mentioning the summer cocktail – Sex on the Beach. The cocktail is a classic summer drink that combines peach schnapps, orange juice, and cranberry juice into a delicious fruit-forward concoction. Perfect for beach holidays, poolside parties, or a lazy noon sitting by your balcony, the drink is slightly flirty and oh-so refreshing!
Ingredients: Vodka, peach schnapps, orange juice, cranberry juice
Glassware: Hurricane Glass
Process:
Here we reach the end of the listicle covering ‘best fruit-based cocktails’ for your summer celebration. Whether you like a fruit-forward cocktail like Sex On The Beach, a bitter-sweet drink like Grapefruit Vodka Tonic, or a creamy concoction like Frozen Banana Daiquiri, we’ve got you covered!
