Margaritas and More: 6 Refreshing Summer Cocktails to Beat the Heat

Summer is fast approaching, which also means that this is the season for patio drinking and summer cocktails. However, the Coronavirus pandemic has thrown a major hook into the possibility of relaxing at your favorite restaurant’s patio.

According to research, 110,000 bars and restaurants have closed permanently across the US, and others are not able to open their patios for the sizzling summer months.

This introduces a big problem, where are you going to enjoy your summer cocktails if you cannot find a place to make them? Hiring a bartender to come to your house is not very affordable, especially if you are financially hit by the pandemic.

Thankfully, we’ve created this article to teach you how you can mix your favorite summer cocktails yourself! Now you can be in the comfort of your own home while enjoying some refreshing summer cocktails with your friends and family. Keep on reading to learn the best summer cocktail recipes, including margaritas, and more! 

1. Watermelon Margarita

Nothing says summer more than biting into a fresh slice of refreshing watermelon. Additionally, nothing says summer more than a refreshing margarita! Well, we’ve combined the best of both worlds and created a tequila-lovers cocktail masterpiece. 

To make:

1. Cut out the fresh of seedless watermelon into squares and put it in the fridge to chill.
2. Then juice a couple of limes, and set the juice aside.
3. In a blender, add 1/3 cup of white tequila, 3 tbsp of lime juice, and 2.5 cups of chilled watermelon 
4. Wet the rim of the glass with a lime wedge, and dip the glass onto a plate of salt, pour in the mixture, and garnish with a slice of lime.
5. Enjoy! 

Make sure you buy tequila that is decent quality, as there is nothing worse than poor-quality tequila in a margarita!

2. Summer Sangria

Sangria is one of Spain’s best-kept secrets, and since you cannot travel, you can bring Spain to you by making a delicious batch of traditional red wine sangria. Sangria is one of those drinks that scream “Summer” so loud that you cannot ignore its call, so here is an easy to make Spanish summer sangria recipe:

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup Orange juice (not from concentrate)
• 2 cups of sliced fruit including oranges, apples, and strawberries
• 1/2-1/3 cup of Rum or brandy
• 4 tbsp Brown sugar
• A Spanish bottle of wine, either a Garnacha, Tempranillo, or Rioja.
• Limes (optional) 

Directions

1. Cut up the fruit into little pieces and put it in a pitcher
2. Add the sugar and muddle it together with the fruit for about a minute
3. Add the brandy or rum and muddle it some more
4. Pour in the orange juice
5. Pour in the bottle of wine
6. Add more orange juice, sugar, or liquor to taste
7. Add some ice, serve, and enjoy!

You can garnish the glasses with a slice of strawberry or lime wedges for extra color and flavor.

3. Mojito

The mojito is the traditional drink of Cuba, and since you cannot travel to Cuba right now, you may as well bring Cuba to your home by making these delicious summer cocktails!

Mojitos are easy to make and even easier to drink:

Ingredients:

• 1.5 cups of white Cuban rum 
• 1/2 cup of club soda
• 2 tbsp of white sugar (or liquid sugar)
• 10-12 fresh mint leaves
• 1 lime, cut into wedges
• 2 cups of ice

Directions:

1. In a sturdy glass or bar shaker, muddle the mint leaves with the lime wedge for about 30 seconds
2. Add in the sugar and two more lime wedges and muddle some more
3. Fill up the cup with ice
4. Add in the rum and club soda
5. Add in more sugar, lime or soda to taste
6. Serve, and enjoy! 

Mojitos are traditionally made with rum, however, you can mix it up with tequila or gin for some variations. For even more flavor, add in some berries as well. 

4. Classic Margarita

Margaritas are the traditional drink of our neighbors to the south in Mexico. Visting Mexico may be hard right now, but you can bring Mexico to your home and savor the delicious taste of a classic margarita!

Ingredients:

• 4 ounces of good quality tequila Blanco
• 2 ounces of Cointreau
• 1.5 ounces of fresh lime juice (2 to 3 limes)
• Coarse salt and more lime wedges for garnish
• Ice

Directions:

1. Add the lime juice, tequila, and Cointreau to a cocktail shaker, fill with ice and shake until chilled
2. Garnish the rims of the glasses with lime juice and then coarse salt
3. Fill the glasses with the shaker mixture and garnish with a lime wedge
4. Enjoy!

Margaritas are traditionally made with lime juice. You can play around with the recipe and add in fresh mango, strawberries, or whatever sounds good to your tastebuds.

5. Tequila Paloma

The tequila paloma is another traditional drink in Mexico. It is similar to a margarita, but instead of lime juice, the recipe calls for grapefruit juice. This is a very refreshing, easy to make and simple to drink summer cocktail.

Ingredients:

• 2 ounces of tequila blanco
• 2 ounces of fresh grapefruit juice
• 1/2 ounce of white sugar or liquid sugar
• 1/2 ounce of lime juice
• 1-ounce of soda water
• Lime or grapefruit wedges for garnish
• Coarse salt for garnish
• ice

Directions: 

1. In a cocktail shaker, add the grapefruit juice, lime juice, sugar, and tequila. Shake until chilled
2. Rim the glasses with a grapefruit wedge, then dip the rims into coarse salt. 
3. Pour the mixture into the glasses, garnish with a grapefruit wedge, serve and Enjoy!

The tequila paloma is one of those summer drinks that reminds you that cocktails do not have to be hard to make! This way you can spend more time enjoying it rather than in the kitchen preparing it. 

There you have it! A full list of the easiest, most popular, and most delicious summer cocktails to make at home this summer. You can easily host a social distancing gathering in your backyard, have people bring their favorite bottle of booze, and make these fun summer drinks together in the sizzling heat.

If you found this article helpful, check out more like this under the lifestyle section of our blog.