Summer is the height of the party season and with garden parties and barbecues every weekend, serving your guests delicious drinks is absolutely essential. Summer is also the perfect time for cocktails – a jug of something sweet and refreshing which doubles up as an excellent centrepiece for the bar or cocktail cart is a must. So, I have collated a selection of my favourite cocktails and mocktails that I will be serving all summer long.
Alcoholic
Pimms is a classic British drink and I think a garden party is never complete without a jug of this delicious, fruit filled tipple! This is the perfect drink to serve as guests arrive and can be brought out on any occasion from sunny, laidback lunches in the garden to elaborate evening parties.
Instructions – for 1 jug:
- Chop up 1 punnet of strawberries in two, slice 1 orange and 1 whole cucumber
- Fill up the jug with ice and add in the fruit
- Pour in 1 part Pimms to 2 parts Lemonade (for a slimline option, Diet Lemonade works just as well)
- Add in a few mint sprigs and give the whole drink a good stir
- Serve in highball glasses making sure each glass gets lots of fruit
The classic Negroni is an all-time favourite that always hits the spot. All the ingredients are staples in my drinks cupboard so whipping one up is a go-to for a chilled summer evening with friends. This is traditionally a 1:1:1 ratioed cocktail although sometimes adding slightly more Gin and slightly less Campari can taste better for some, as it reduces the bitterness just a tad.
Instructions – for 1 drink:
Fill a mixing glass (a glass measuring jug will do) with ice and pour in equal parts gin, Campari and Vermouth
25ml-0.8oz Gin (I love Hendrick's original gin)
25ml-0.8oz Campari
25ml-0.8oz Vermouth
- Give the mix a good stir until the outside of the glass feels cold
- Strain the cocktail into a tumbler, preferably with a 1 giant ice cube, but classic ice cubes work too!
- Finish it off with a strip of orange peel to garnish
This is what Texans love to drink and is essentially, silver tequila with fresh lime and Topo Chico sparkling water. Ranch Water has become quite popular in the US as it’s so refreshing and easy to make - the perfect drink to cool down on a hot day if you ask me.
Instructions – for 1 drink:
- Place 2 shots of silver tequila in a highball glass
- Mix in the juice of 1 medium lime
- Fill the glass with ice
- Fill up the rest of the glass with sparkling water (Topo Chico is the classic, but you can use any standard sparkling water!)
Non-Alcoholic
Botivo is a refreshing, low calorie soda that infuses 5 citrus, bittersweet and aromatic botanicals and tastes incredible! I love it because it’s 100% natural and the layered, bittersweet taste is reminiscent of a gin and tonic.
Instructions – for 1 drink:
- Fill a highball glass with ice
- Pour in 25ml-0.8oz of Botivo
- Fill up with 175ml soda water
- Finish with a squeeze of orange and a wedge to garnish
The Mojito is a summer favourite- so light, sweet and fresh, and it tastes just as good without the rum! It’s the perfect cocktail for a party, you can prepare big jugs of it and let guests help themselves. I usually make one jug of alcoholic Mojito and one virgin for everyone to enjoy.
Instructions – for 2 drinks
- Muddle together 1tbsp sugar, the juice of 1 lime and a small bunch of mint leaves
- Fill 2 highball glasses with crushed ice
- Add the sugar, lime mint mix – evenly splitting between the 2 glasses
- Top up the drinks with soda water and garnish with a sprig of mint
To make it alcoholic simply pour 25ml of white rum over the ice between steps 1 and 2!
Ovant is an Australian brand which makes the most delicious non-alcoholic distillations. They have three ‘spirits’ available in the UK – Grace, Royal and Verve but Verve is definitely the one for summer! The notes of lime give it a citrusy taste while fragrant Tulsi Basil gives it that ‘gin’ vibe. I like to pair it with the Double Dutch Cucumber and Watermelon Tonic to make the ideal refresher for an afternoon by the pool or a garden brunch.
Instructions – For 1 Glass:
- Fill a highball glass with crushed ice
- Pour over 25ml-0.8oz Ovant Verve
- Top up with Double Dutch Cucumber and Watermelon Tonic
- Garnish with a twist of cucumber peel
