Summer Sips to Savor and Beat the Heat with Homemade Mixed Drinks – Cocktails & Mocktails

Sip on a special drink this summer. . . Whether you prefer alcoholic beverages or stick with the virgin, enjoy summer cocktails and mocktails that offer refreshment in every sip! Tired of the bar scene? Whip together your fav mixed drink you can enjoy from home. Cool down from the summer heat and get refreshed!

THE PERFECT PAIRINGS

The sky’s the limit. Use your senses as your guide to put together the perfect mixed drink that pleases your palette. Possible ingredients: coconut milk, coconut water, seltzer/club soda, tonic water, kombucha, fruit juice, vegetable juice – even cold tea and coffee! Consider adding elements that are citrusy, minty, nutty, sweet, spicy, floral, bitter, tart, tangy, or creamy.

DRESS IT UP

Choose the perfect garnish, whether it’s olives for your martini, a celery stick for your Bloody Mary, a sliced strawberry for your margarita, fresh mint leaves for your mint mojito, a maraschino cherry for your Shirley Temple, or a pineapple and parasol for your pina colada – have fun and be creative! Depending on the type of drink, you can line the rim of the glass with salt or sugar and decorate a toothpick with olives, berries, other fruit or herbs.

TOOLS

Cocktail shaker

Fork for mashing berries

High-powered blender

Tropical Pina Colada

Ingredients (for 2 servings):

½ cup pineapple slices, frozen

2 ounces pineapple juice

2 ounces coconut milk

1½ ounces rum + 1 ounce tequila (optional) OR leave out for mocktail

2-3 ice cubes (for desired coldness)

Combine ingredients in blender and mix until smooth.

Recipe adapted from: foodnetwork.com/recipes/pina-colada-recipe

Sparkling Berry Cucumber

Ingredients (for 1 serving):

8 fresh blackberries or 10 fresh blueberries (leave some to garnish)

3-4 slices cucumbers

1-1.5 ounces gin or blackberry whisky OR leave out for mocktail

1 cup tonic water or seltzer/club soda

1 mint sprig to garnish

Put 5 or so berries in the bottom of the glass and mash with a fork until desired, add liquids and then cucumber slices, additional berries and garnish with mint.

Recipe adapted from: thewoodenskillet.com/blackberry-cucumber-gin-and-tonic/

Citrus White Wine Sangria

Ingredients (for 4 servings):

1 bottle white wine (or rose) OR substitute tonic water/seltzer/club soda for mocktail

1 lemon (thinly sliced)

1 lime (thinly sliced)

1 orange (thinly sliced)

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons water

4 mint sprigs to garnish

Mix water and sugar together in a saucepan and heat until sugar is dissolved. Let cool. Add 1 tablespoon sugar mixture into each wine glass. Squeeze the lemon, lime and orange slices into each glass before adding the wine or sparkling water. Garnish each glass with citrus slices and mint.

Recipe adapted from: minimalistbaker.com/mint-and-citrus-white-wine-sangria/

Berrylicious Margarita

Ingredients (for 2-4 servings):

8 ounces fresh strawberries (hulled)

8 ounces fresh blueberries

1 cup tequila OR leave out for mocktail

¼ cup Cointreau or Triple Sec (or any orange liqueur) OR leave out for mocktail

1/3-1/2 cup honey or agave (for desired sweetness)

3-5 ice cubes

Sea salt to rim glass

Extra fresh strawberries, lime or 2-4 mint sprigs to garnish

Combine all of your ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a salt rimmed glass and garnish with berries and mint.

Recipe adapted from: gimmesomeoven.com/fresh-strawberry-margarita-recipe/

Spicy Belizean Barbacoa Bloody Mary

Ingredients (for 1 serving):

¾ cups spicy tomato juice (e.g. V8)

2 dashes Worcestershire sauce

2+ dashes hot sauce (e.g. Maya Mike’s Belizean Barbacoa or other hot sauce)

1 jigger vodka OR leave out for mocktail

3-5 ice cubes

Dash or more sea salt (plus some to rim glass) and ground black pepper

1 stalk celery and green olives(s) to garnish

Salt the rim of a tall glass by pouring salt onto a small plate, moistening the rim of the glass with a damp towel and pressing on the salt. Fill glass with ice cubes. Mix together ice, juice, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, vodka, salt and pepper. Shake vigorously and strain into glass. Garnish with celery stalk and olive(s) on a toothpick.

Recipe adapted from: allrecipes.com/recipe/65037/classic-bloody-mary/

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Susan B. B. Schabacker

Susan B. B. Schabacker is a proud writer, team member, and fan of Forsyth Magazines and writes multiple articles every month for Forsyth Woman and Forsyth Family. She loves writing and is also pleased and honored to write for National Geographic and National Geographic Kids. Susan is a co-author of a children’s book, Huckleberry Robin, based on a three-generation true family story and hopes to write more children’s books. Susan is also a local singer/songwriter/musician (and aspiring artist) working on recording her third album about COVID-19 (Coronavirus), called Beyond the Virus, that has become both a local and international collaboration. Currently, she lives in the Winston-Salem, Piedmont Triad area of NC, where she has resided for over 20 years. Susan graduated with a B.A. in Corporate Communications and a minor in dance from Elon University. She has had the opportunity to travel internationally to Budapest, Hungary for classical ballet, when she attended UNCSA (University of North Carolina School of the Arts); London, UK; and Beijing, China, where she studied abroad through Elon University. In Stockholm, Sweden, she had a marketing internship at Hachette-Filipacchi, publisher of Elle and other magazines. She also had another marketing internship in London with the Bramah Museum of Tea. Susan is the founder, owner, and master tea blender of a local tea business, Tea-lation! (@Tealation on FB + IN), which she has designed ads for in Forsyth Woman. She hopes to share her love for life + teas and encourages everyone to share, sip, and savor their cuppa happy! Susan looks forward to writing more articles and books and embarking on a long and successful career in music. Susan’s other passions include: photography (@SBBSPhotography on FB + IN), acting, cooking, and arts + crafts.

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