Refreshing Cocktails

By Food & Wine
Updated December 22, 2016
From classic mojitos to watermelon-tequila cocktails, here are Food & Wine's best refreshing cocktail recipes.
Start Slideshow

1 of 11

Coco Cooler

© David Malosh
Go to Recipe

"This cocktail is a riff on one of my favorite cold-pressed juices: a light-pink, super-hydrating concoction called Aloe Vera Wang," says San Diego bartender Lindsay Nader.

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 11

Uprising Sun Refresher

Go to Recipe

The Good News This tangy drink is flavored with mint and antioxidant-rich pomegranate juice. The vibrant colors resemble those of a brilliant sunrise.

3 of 11

Red Grape & Coconut Refresher

© Tina Rupp
Go to Recipe

Kittichai • New York City

Top bar chef Albert Trummer, who makes many of his own mixers, is the cocktail consultant at this elegant Thai restaurant in SoHo.

Advertisement

4 of 11

Shorter, Faster, Louder

© David Malosh
Go to Recipe

"I love this drink because it's this really weird pina colada variation," says bartender Sara Justice. When guests order it at The Franklin Bar in Philadelphia, she says, "it's fun to see them get excited about a drink that tastes different from the classic flavors they're expecting."

5 of 11

Edna's Lunchbox

CON POULOS
Go to Recipe

Edna’s is a legendary bar in Oklahoma City with dollar bills stapled to the walls. Its signature drink is an unlikely mix of three ingredients: fresh orange juice, amaretto and light beer. Key to the surprisingly tasty cocktail: a frosty mug.

6 of 11

Mojito

© Wendell T. Webber
Go to Recipe

The oldest-known recipe for the mojito appeared as the Mojo de Ron in a 1929 Cuban guide called Libro de Cocktail (The Cocktail Book).

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 11

Watermelon-Tequila Cocktails

Go to Recipe

When watermelon is in abundance, this is a great way to use it. Bobby Flay purees seedless watermelon chunks, then strains the juice through a sieve and mixes it with silver tequila, sugar syrup, blueberries, mint and fresh lime juice.

8 of 11

Watermelon Sangria

Go to Recipe

Sangria, a Spanish variation on traditional punch composed of wine, fruit and brandy, was formally introduced to America at the 1964 World's Fair in New York City. Del Toro Café in Chicago features classic Spanish sangria alongside seasonal versions such as this recipe, which chef Andrew Zimmerman created for the summer with vodka instead of brandy.

9 of 11

Descanso Beach Smash

TINA RUPP
Go to Recipe

While vacationing in 2008 with his wife's family on a boat near Catalina Island, California, John Coltharp was dismayed to see that all the beach bars focused on sweet drinks like piña coladas. Back on his father-in-law's boat, he came up with this pleasantly bitter and refreshing concoction—with Aperol from the well-stocked bar.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 11

Tabernacle Crush

© John Kernick
Go to Recipe

This light and refreshing cocktail is as reminiscent of the American South as it is of the South of France.

11 of 11

Pimm's Iced Tea

Go to Recipe

Pimm's No. 1, a gin-based aperitif invented by London bar owner James Pimm in 1823, is the quintessential English summer-afternoon drink (and the traditional drink of Wimbledon). Here, Jamie Boudreau combines it with tea, another beloved British beverage.

Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Up Next

Advertisement
© Copyright . All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.foodandwine.com