5 Refreshing Summer Cocktails to Get Your Party Started

Last Updated on June 22, 2015

Add a refreshing twist to your summer gatherings with these five cocktail recipes that are sure to get the party started!

Sparkling Strawberry Cocktail

Ingredients

• 2 cups hulled strawberries
• 2 tablespoons water
• ¼ cup orange juice
• 1 bottle chilled Prosecco or other dry sparkling wine
• 1 orange, sliced in rounds
• Mint sprigs, for garnish

Directions

In a blender, puree 2 cups of hulled strawberries and 2 tablespoons of water until smooth. In a pitcher, combine strawberry puree, 1 bottle of chilled Prosecco and sliced oranges. Garnish with mint sprigs and serve.

Source: Martha Stewart

Rum Punch

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups light rum
• 3 cups freshly squeezed orange juice
• 3 cups fresh pineapple juice
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
• 2 tablespoons cranberry juice
• 2 tablespoons grenadine
• Ice cubes
• 1 lime, thinly sliced for garnish

Directions

In a large pitcher, combine rum, juices and grenadine. Stir until well blended. Fill glasses with ice and divide mixture among glasses. Garnish with lime and serve immediately.

Source: Martha Stewart

Red Sangria

Ingredients                                                         

• 1 bottle (750ml) dry red wine
• ¼ cup brandy
• ¼ cup orange liqueur
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 sliced oranges
• 1 sliced green apple
• 1 ½ cups seltzer

Directions

Mix the wine, liqueur and sugar in a pitcher, stirring to dissolve the sugar, and then add the fruit. Finally, add the seltzer just before serving.

Source: “Food Network Kitchen”

Mojito

Ingredients

• Ice
• 6 ounces light rum
• 12 mint sprigs, or spearmint, 8 roughly broken apart
• 6 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• Club soda
• 4 slices lime

Directions

Place ice in beverage shaker. Then, add rum, broken mint sprigs, lime juice and sugar. Shake well and serve over ice in high ball glasses. Top off each glass with a splash of club soda. Garnish each with a slice of lime and a sprig of mint.

Source: “Food Network” (Recipe courtesy of Alex Garcia)

Limoncello

Ingredients

• 10 lemons
• 1 (750ml) bottle vodka
• 3 ½ cups water
• 2 ½ cups sugar

Directions

Using a vegetable peeler, remove the peel from the lemons in long strips. (Reserve the lemons for another use.) Using a small sharp knife, trim away the white pith from the lemon peels; discard the pith. Place the lemon peels in a two-quart pitcher. Pour the vodka over the peels and cover with plastic wrap. Steep the lemon peels in the vodka for four days at room temperature.

Stir the water and sugar in a large saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. (This should take about five minutes.) Cool completely. Pour the sugar syrup over the vodka mixture. Cover and let stand at room temperature overnight. Strain the limoncello through a mesh strainer. Discard the peels. Transfer the limoncello to bottles. Seal the bottles and refrigerate until cold, at least four hours and up to one month.

Source: “Food Network” (Recipe Courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis)