Summer is here and who doesn’t love a good cocktail or mocktail out on the patio of your house or your favorite restaurant. This is the time to invite some friends over and whip up a signature drink whether it’s alcoholic or non-alcoholic.

It’s vacation season also, so if you’re going to a summer getaway, try one of these drinks and sit back and relax.

Rum Drinks

Rum just evokes lazy summer days on the beach with blue skies and the smell of ocean air. I’ve been to many islands and you can’t get more summery than a rum based drink. Try these and you might have to clean out the sand from between your toes. Hypothetically, of course.

The Pina Colada

The pina colada is my all time favorite and I make a mean one. The trick is to use cans of Coco Lopez, crushed pineapples and pineapple juice.

This is my personal recipe; 1 can of crushed pineapple, 1 cup of pineapple juice, 1 can of Coco Lopez cream of coconut, ½ cup of white or dark rum and 2 cups of ice. Blend it all together and it’ll change your life.

The Daiquiri

I was in St. Lucia, WI recently and they were serving daiquiris which I haven’t had in decades it seems like. They’re known for their bananas so that’s what we were drinking most of the time. I haven’t made one at home yet, but I suspect if you freeze the bananas, it would be even better.

One banana, 1 ounce of dark rum, 1 ounce of white rum, 1 tbs lime juice, 1 ½ cups of crushed ice, 1 ounce simple syrup. Simple syrup is a 1:1 ratio of sugar and water melted in a pot until the sugar is dissolved. Blend all of the ingredients together. There are a lot of cocktails that require simple syrup, so you could make up a batch and keep it in the refrigerator.

The Mojito

I started drinking mojitos when I lived in South Florida. One of my favorite restaurants on the beach served them with seafood. I fell in love with them and have been a fan ever since. The one thing about mojitos is that you can use different fruits like mangos, blueberries, raspberries, to name a few, muddle with the mint and concoct different versions. I like the classic, but go crazy.

Add a bunch of mint leaves and 2 lime wedges to the bottom of a glass and muddle them together a few times. Muddling is when you take the bottom of a wooden spoon and gently press down on the ingredients to get the juice out of the lime and release the oils out of the mint. Next add

The Punch

Rum Punch is a summer staple and makes you feel like you’re on an island in the Caribbean.

2 cups of pineapple juice, 1 ½ cups of orange juice, 1 cup of dark rum, 1 cup of white rum, 1tbs grenadine and ¼ cup of fresh lime juice. Pour all of the ingredients into a pitcher and serve over ice.

Margaritas

Margaritas aren’t only for Mexican food, but they taste mighty good with it. I love limes, so there’s nothing like a lime heavy drink.

The Spicy Jalapeno

I had to include this one because it’s my favorite margarita. The jalapeno margarita is what I always get when I’m eating Mexican food which I love.

Six ounces of tequila, 12 ounces of margarita mix, ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves chopped, 1 lime and 1 jalapeno. Mix the cilantro leaves with the margarita mix and ½ of the jalapeno and let it steep for 2 hours. Drain and discard the cilantro leaves and jalapeno. Put the infused margarita mix in a cocktail shaker with 1 cup of ice and the tequila. Shake and strain over fresh ice. Garnish with more cilantro leaves and the 2nd half of the jalapeno cut into slices.

The Pineapple

This version of the margarita is wonderful when it’s frozen. If you’re a fan of pineapples, like me, you’ll love it and the chili-lime salt rim adds a great touch.

In a blender, place 1 lb frozen pineapple chunks, ½ cup white tequila, ¼ cup lime juice, ¼ cup triple sec, 2 tbs sugar if needed. Blend and pour into rimmed glasses.

The Strawberry Basil

I love strawberries and basil together so I knew I was going to like this margarita. It’s sweet, tart and perfect for the summer.

In a blender place ½ pint of strawberries, ½ cup white tequila, 1 ½ ounces of Cointreau, the juice of 1 lime and 1 tbs honey. Blend together. Finely chop 2-3 sprigs of basil and place in the bottom of a cocktail shaker. Muddle together to release the oils, then pour the blended ingredients on top and stir. Pour into glasses filled with ice and enjoy.

Refreshing and Fun Cocktails

Sometimes you want a cocktail that’s refreshing, especially in the summer. What qualifies for me is a drink where you don’t feel as if you need a glass of water after.

Fun cocktails are anything where the garnishes are different or the ingredients are ones you wouldn’t necessarily put together.

The Peach Bourbon Thyme Smash

This drink packs a wonderful peach punch coming from the fresh peach juice. You would think that the bourbon would be heavy, but this is a very refreshing drink.

In a martini shaker, mix 2 oz of bourbon, 1 oz of lemon juice and 1 oz of simple syrup. Cut a peach in half, remove the pit and squeeze the peach juice in your hand over the shaker letting the pieces fall in. Add 2 sprigs of thyme and shake vigorously. Pour over ice and garnish with thyme and a peach wedge.

The Grapefruit Greyhound

This is the epitome of refreshing drinks. Citrusy and sweet and oh so good. Top with a spring of lime and it’s perfection.

Mix 2 oz of vodka, 2 oz of simple syrup or to taste and the juice of one grapefruit (about 6oz) in a cocktail shaker then pour over two glasses of ice. Top each one with 3 oz each of club soda.

Garden Fresh Cocktails for Spring

The Kumquat Basil Gin and Tonic

Until I had one of these, I didn’t even know what a kumquat was but it’s delicious. Take my word for it, you’ll flip for this drink.

In a shaker add 3-4 kumquats, 2 oz of gin, ¼ tsp vanilla extract, 2-3 large basil leaves and 1 tsp of simple syrup. Muddle all of the ingredients together, then shake vigorously. Strain into a glass filled halfway with ice. Add 3-4 oz of tonic to top it off.

Mocktails

Mocktails are trending right now because a lot of people are looking for ways to cut their alcohol consumption for health reasons. So this is a great option and you can be just as creative if not more because you don’t have to consider the flavor of the alcohol.

The Watermelon Lime Agua Fresca

Watermelon is my favorite fruit for the summer. So refreshing and the best part is there’s almost no calories. So this drink is a real winner.

In a blender, add 1 small seedless watermelon chopped into pieces, the juice of 2 limes and 3 tbsp honey to taste. Strain the juice and add to a glass over ice with a sprig of mint.

The Golden Glow

This will literally have you glowing. With all of the spices adding some aspect of health for your body and then the cayenne for a kick, this drink will become a favorite.

In a shaker, mix 1 cup of water and 1 tsp each of turmeric, ginger & cayenne pepper, ½ tsp molasses, 2 tsp honey and the juice of one lemon. Shake vigorously and chill until ready to serve. Add ice to two glasses, pour the mixture evenly into both glasses and top both with sparkling water.

The Cucumber Lime

You can’t have a list of mocktails without having one with cucumbers in it. It’s a classic mocktail ingredient and the addition of lime and mint gives it such a refreshing taste.

In a blender combine 1 cucumber peeled and diced, 1 cup of water, the juice of 2 limes, 3 tsp of chopped mint leaves, 2 tbsp of maple syrup and a pinch of salt. Blend until smooth and strain into a pitcher. Add 1 cup of sparkling water and  2 cups of ice cubes. Pour into glasses and there you go.

The Carrot Clementine

I’m not a big fan of carrots but this changed my mind. Both refreshing and healthy, this gets a big thumbs up from me.

Get a 3 pound bag of peeled baby carrots and put ⅓ of them in a blender. Then take ⅓ of 6 clementines that have been peeled, chopped and seeded. Put both of those in a blender with 1 cup of water and repeat 2 more times. Strain everything into a pitcher, stir in 2 tbsp lime juice and honey to taste.

Well, that’s my list and I’m sticking to it. Any one of these drinks would be a good addition to a summer party or just a drink to make for yourself as you lay in your hammock in the backyard. Whether alcoholic or non-alcoholic, let me know in the comments if you love a good cocktail.