As previously seen on Wit & Delight

Editor’s Note: As we enter into the heart of summer, we’re bringing back this comprehensive summer drink roundup contributor Liz Welle put together in 2018. We hope these ideas will give you some inspiration for your next summer beverage of choice. Enjoy!

Welcome to my curated list of summer drinks.

I like drinks that are easy and delicious and very near-a-body-of-water friendly. Very oops-look-at-me-I’m-accidentally-day-drunk vibes, you know what I mean?

I put out the bat signal for favorite summer cocktail recipes and ho-ly shit did y’all deliver. So yeah, these are a few I sourced from my peeps on the internet (“peeps” never went out of style as a “group of people” descriptor for me), a few I’ve had starred in my e-mail inbox from various media outlets, a few from screenshots I’ve taken of your Instagram stories, and a few from googling “good summer drinks” because I am nothing if not a very diligent researcher for each and every article I write for this blog.

Some have direct recipes and directions and some don’t and yeah you might need to use your God-given imagination—it’s good for you. Sorry I’m crabby today it’s just that kids are being locked in cages at the border and it’s makin’ me ragey! Wow speaking of that! You can donate money to help reunite children and babies with their families here!

There also isn’t any official layout for this blog post other than organizing the drinks by type of alcohol and yeah maybe there are eleven different kinds of Aperol spritzes because that’s how many people sent me and also, who f*cking cares—the world is on fire and I’ve given you drinks so let’s just drink them.

Just kidding that actually brings up a VERY good point: don’t drink when you’re mad, or because the world is burning, and dooon’t drink when you’re sad. My best friend and biological sister Marissa A. Ross wrote a FANTASTIC article on that here, after Anthony Bourdain died:

“Please don’t drink [wine] when you’re sad. Drink because you’re happy. Drink because you’re in love—with someone, or many, or the world, or the city, or the meal, or yourself, or art, or that cute dog that walked by and licked your knee. Drink wine because it’s a beautiful day or because you’re stoked on your new project or you’re just feeling good. Drink to celebrate life, not to deal with loss.”

Without further ado:

VODKA:

– John Daly: Vodka + iced tea + splash of lemonade. A splash of club soda if you’re feelin’ with it.

– Sour Cherry Mule: 1.5oz vodka + 1oz. @tattersallco sour cherry liqueur + ginger beer to taste. “Not sure this is a real drink but it’s delicious and gets the party started in a hurry,” says @jjathman.

– Apparently, these are like “healthy”cocktails or whatever.

– “The Emily,” because yes, Emily Lura likes to drink something she named after herself: Tito’s and club soda with a splash of grapefruit juice. Top with a lime.

– @kerryseaworth made sure we didn’t forget the MN classic country club cocktail, The Bootleg. In a blender combine 1 can lemonade concentrate, 1 can limeade concentrate, and a bunch of mint. To serve: in highball stir 1.5 shots of the mix, 1.5 shots vodka (or gin!) with ice, and top with soda.

GIN:

– Hendricks gin, with elderflower liqueur and a bubbly of your choice.

– Hendricks gin + soda + splash of St. Germain + sliced cucumbers.

– How about just a pitcher of gin and tonics?

– The Earl Grey White Negroni. Thank you @drew_christ for that one, that sounds f*cking delicious.

– 1 oz cherry brandy, 1.5 oz. gin, .5 oz. lemon juice soda water. Fill a highball glass with ice, add ingredients, top with soda water, stir, and garnish with a lemon slice.

– Barbados Gin Punch with coconut water so it’s like practically nutritious.

– HELLO yes drooling over the Carmella: 2 shots of gin, 1 shot amaretto, top with your choice of lemon soda (or lemonade). Add rosemary sprigs if you fancy like that.  

– @ariwoeste has blessed us with “Lake Water” and it sounds fan-friggin-tastic.

TEQUILA:

– 2-3 muddled blackberries, 1 thyme sprig, 1.75 oz. tequila blanco, .5 oz. Cointreau, .5 oz. St. Germaine, .75 oz. fresh lime juice—it’s like a sweet but herbal marg?

– Or maybe this Mezcalita de Piña if you like a little kick.

– Watermelon tequila punch? Uh yes. All of them. Thanks.

– While we’re on the watermelon and tequila thing: Watermelon margaritas. Blend watermelon and strain out the pulp, add tequila, lime juice, and Cointreau.  

– My friend Amelia swears by this recipe and if my friend Amelia swears by this recipe then I swear by this recipe.

RUM:

– Rum Pot: 1.5 oz. rum (aged is best) + 3/4 oz fresh lemon juice + 3/4 oz. fresh orange juice + 1/2 oz. passionfruit syrup + 1/4 oz. vanilla syrup. Shake n strain over crushed ice.

– RUM & GRAPEFRUIT ALERT, RUM AND GRAPEFRUIT ALERT: Varadero Cooler

– Erik Eastman blessed us with one of his originals which sounds unGODly refreshing.

LIQUEUR/OTHER VARIOUS SPIRITS THAT I DON’T KNOW HOW TO CATEGORIZE:

– Campari sodas

– Aperol Spritz: 4 1/4 oz. Brut Prosecco, 2 1/2 oz. Aperol, 3/4 oz. club soda. Fill a Collins glass or large wine glass with ice, pour Prosecco, Aperol, and top with club soda. Stir gently. – @johnpastor

– The Caipirinha: 1/2 lime, 1/2 to 2 tsp. fine sugar to taste, 2 oz. Cachaça (light rum can be substituted). 1) Cut lime into small wedges. 2) Place lime and sugar into an old-fashioned glass and muddle well. 3) Add a few ice cubes. 4) Top with Cachaça and stir well.

– Or how ’bout a rhubarb simple syrup? You can add it to any cocktail, says @sarahhinde. She’s been adding hers to French 75s, Moscow Mules, Marks, etc.

– I don’t know what the name of this is but it’s a New York Times recipe: 1/2 oz. grapefruit liqueur, 1/2 oz. Grand Marnier, 3 oz. rose wine, 2 oz. champagne. In a large wine glass, combine the grapefruit liqueur and Royal Combier. Add the wine and champagne. Add a few ice cubes and stir.

– I mean, “Rose Aperol Spritz” just sounds like all of the right things.

NON-ALCOHOLIC:

Okay, guys, I’m sorry I don’t have a lot, but this Beauty-Food Mango Slushy sounds dynamite, and also my pregnant friend is really enjoying mixing La Croix with lemonade? What are your favorite non-alcoholic drinks? Maybe start it with #NONALCOHOLIC in the comment section if you’ve got one?!

There we have it. Drink. Be Merry. Donate. Vote. Tell people you love them. Raise your voice. Find a therapist. Resist. Find a little joy. Have an Aperol Spritz.

I mean, I did give you plenty to choose from. *winks*