Summer cocktail recipes submitted by readers in Southern California, including Mezcalito, Pepper Daisy, and Bees Knees. (Courtesy of Rebecca Lucas, Hoda Malone, Austin Buescher, Emma Schuler, and Emily St. Martin)
Pack your swimsuit, blender and cocktail shaker.
We reached out to several professional and amateur bartenders in the Southern California area and asked them to send us their favorite summer cocktail recipes, and these drinks do not disappoint.
Whether you’re lounging poolside, hosting a dinner party, or relaxing under the stars, these refreshing summer cocktails will perfectly capture the seasonal spirit and they’re not that hard to make either.
cheers!
Pepper Daisy
Orange liqueur and citrus are typical flavors of hot weather, making the Daisy the perfect summer drink. The habanero vodka in this drink brings a spicy note that complements the herbal and honey notes of the Strega. Austin Bucher, bar manager (aka Duke of Spirits) at Walters in Claremont
Ingredients: 2 oz habanero vodka, 1 oz orange liqueur, 1/4 oz Strega liqueur, 3/4 oz lemon juice. Shake in a cocktail shaker with ice, pour into a coupe and garnish with a pretty flower.
Improved Sinar Spritz
As the weather starts to warm up, my entire hierarchy of desires is replaced by one desire: sitting on the patio and sipping a spritz. While there’s no amaro (an herb-flavored Italian liqueur) I can dismiss as acceptable to mix into a refreshing spritz, one of my favorites is this juice version of the Cynar Spritz. It has all the depth and richness of Cynar (a more delicate, sweet variety of artichoke amaro) and is punched up with the fruity flavor of Chinola passionfruit liqueur for a summery twist. — Emma Schuler, author and bartender at Accomplice Bar in Mar Vista, Los Angeles
Add the following ingredients to a wine glass: Add 1.5 ounces of Cynar, 0.75 ounces of Tinola, and ice to a glass, stir gently, and top with equal parts dry sparkling wine and soda water. Garnish with grapefruit peel.
Fresh Mango Mescalito
Mangoes are at their best in the summer. This fresh, flavorful fruit is perfect for blended cocktails. Blended mezcalitos are perfect for summer days spent poolside with picanha smokers and friends at a backyard tiki bar. Feel free to swap out the mezcal for tequila if you like. Thomas Upton, scientist, amateur mixologist, 10-year Trager Nation member, Huntington Beach
To make 2 Mescalitos, add the following ingredients to a blender: Add one fresh mango, two shots of mezcal, plenty of orange juice, the juice of one lime, fresh agave syrup to taste, ice, and garnish the rim with chamoy or tajin if you want it savory, or miguelito if you want it sweet and sour.
Charmcraft Negroni
With the summer solstice fast approaching, the bittersweet and herbal notes of this cocktail perfectly represent the duality of Gemini. It pairs perfectly with the bittersweet tones of the Tarot. Some people love summer days, but for me, nothing beats a summer night sipping a Charmcraft Negroni and drawing the Major Arcana under the stars. If I’m lucky, I might even get a visit from the High Priestess. — Hoda Malone, author from Manhattan Beach
Ingredients: 1 oz gin, 1 oz sweet vermouth, 1 oz Campari (I like more gin and slightly less Campari, but everyone has their own preferences.) Garnish with an orange peel and serve over ice.
Old Blue Eyes
Named after Frank Sinatra, this cocktail will take you back to the top this June. Enjoy it my way with some freshly baked pizza drizzled in hot honey, or by the fire with some jukebox tunes and a cigar. Giuseppe “Joey” Mancuso, owner of Barcuso’s in Downtown Upland
Add the following to a cocktail shaker: Combine 2 oz Empress Gin, 1 oz lemon juice and 1 tablespoon blueberry puree in a shaker, shake, strain over ice, top off with Sprite and add 2 blueberries as a garnish.
Beads Needs
Bee’s Knees is my go-to drink in the summer. There’s a reason it’s a classic drink: it’s simple, easy to make, and as refreshing as an adult lemonade. It’s also a fun cocktail to experiment with, adding lavender or thyme to the honey syrup, or substituting Bärenjäger (a spicy, honey-flavored liqueur made in Germany) for the honey syrup. Rebecca Lucas, audiobook narrator from Pasadena and our bartender (sister)
material: 2 oz gin, 3/4 oz lemon juice, 1/2 oz honey. Add ice to a cocktail shaker, combine ingredients, shake, strain into a coupe and garnish with a lemon wedge.
