7 Refreshing Cocktails to Cool You Down This Summer

Written by: Beth Deyo

There’s summer, and then there’s Florida summer. 

The kind where the sun is already aggressive by 9:00 a.m., your car feels like an air fryer, and even a quick walk to the mailbox starts to feel like a questionable life choice. It’s also the time of year when a cold, refreshing cocktail really earns its keep. 

When the temperature starts to rise, the best mixed drinks go heavy on ice, easy on effort, and big on flavor. Bonus points if they come with fresh fruit, bright citrus, and a little sparkle. 

Need some inspiration? Start here. 

Sarasota Mai Tai

Made with locally distilled Siesta Key Rum, the Sarasota Mai Tai will make you feel like you’ve been whisked away to a tropical tiki bar. Add a paper umbrella for the full experience. 

Ingredients 

• 1.5 oz. spiced rum
• 0.5 oz. Siesta Key Toasted Coconut Rum
• 3 oz. pineapple juice
• 2 oz. orange juice
• 0.5 oz. orgeat*
• 1 tsp. grenadine
• Orange wedge and cocktail cherry, for garnish
• Ice 

*Orgeat is a sweet, nutty syrup that you can buy at many liquor stores. If you can’t find it, substitute a splash of amaretto or a few drops of almond extract mixed with simple syrup. 

How to make it

Add the rums, pineapple juice, orange juice, and orgeat to a shaker with ice. Shake until cold, then pour into a glass filled with ice. Slowly add grenadine so it settles near the bottom. Garnish with an orange wedge and a cocktail cherry.

Peach Ginger Iced Tea

This cocktail is proof that easy doesn’t equal boring. It has juicy peach flavor, refreshing iced tea, and enough whisky to keep things interesting. Make it by the pitcher to keep guests happy without spending the whole afternoon behind the bar.

Ingredients

• 2 oz. Crown Royal Peach
• 3 oz. iced tea*
• 0.5 oz. fresh lemon juice
• Ginger beer
• Peach slice, lemon wheel, or mint, for garnish
• Ice

*Use unsweet tea for a lighter cocktail, or sweet tea if you want the full Southern-style sip. 

How to make it

Fill a tall glass with ice. Add Crown Royal Peach, iced tea, and lemon juice. Stir, then top with ginger beer. Garnish with a peach slice, lemon wheel, or mint.

Black Cherry Watermelon Spritz

This light summer cocktail has plenty of fruit flavor, but the lemon and club soda keep it crisp, and a few mint leaves add a cool finish. It’s perfect for sipping by the pool or at a backyard BBQ. 

Ingredients

• 2 oz. black cherry vodka
• Juice from 1 lemon
• 1 oz. watermelon juice
• Splash of club soda
• Fresh mint
• Ice

How to make it

Add the vodka, lemon juice, watermelon juice, and a few mint leaves to a shaker with ice. Shake well, then strain into a glass filled with fresh ice. Top with club soda and garnish with more mint.

Frozen Limoncello Spritz

A limoncello spritz is already a summer win. Making it frozen takes things to the next level. This version is bright, cold, and a little unexpected. It has the sparkle of a spritz, the tartness of lemon, and the texture of a grown-up slushie. 

Ingredients

• 2 oz. limoncello*
• 1 oz fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup ice
• 3 oz. prosecco
• Splash of club soda
• Lemon wheel, for garnish

*Bradenton-based Loaded Cannon Distillery makes a limoncello that works beautifully if you want to give your cocktail a local twist.

How to make it

Blend limoncello, lemon juice, and ice until slushy. Pour into a chilled glass, then top with prosecco and a splash of club soda. Stir gently and garnish with a lemon wheel.

Coconut Cucumber Gin Cooler

This one has spa-day energy, in the best way. When it’s 94 degrees and the humidity is doing its worst, a cucumber coconut gin cooler feels less like a cocktail and more like a survival strategy. 

Ingredients

• 2 oz. gin*
• 3 oz. coconut water
• 0.75 oz. fresh lime juice
• 3 cucumber slices
• 0.5 oz. simple syrup or honey syrup
• Club soda
• Fresh mint
• Ice

*A cucumber-forward gin works nicely here. Hendrick’s is a solid option if you like that garden-fresh flavor. 

How to make it

Muddle cucumber slices and mint in a shaker. Add gin, coconut water, lime juice, simple syrup, and ice. Shake well, then strain into a glass filled with fresh ice. Top with club soda and garnish with mint.

Grapefruit Crush

When it’s too hot to overthink your drink, the Grapefruit Crush comes to the rescue. This drink is fruity, but with a bit of an attitude. The grapefruit gives it a grown-up bite, while orange liqueur softens the edges, and the club soda keeps it light and refreshing. 

Ingredients

• 2 oz. vodka
• 0.5 oz. orange liqueur
• 3 oz. fresh grapefruit juice
• 0.5 oz. fresh lime juice
• Club soda
• Grapefruit wedge, for garnish
• Ice

How to make it

Add vodka, orange liqueur, grapefruit juice, and lime juice to a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a glass filled with fresh ice. Top with club soda and garnish with a grapefruit wedge.

Spicy Mango Paloma

A little heat, a little sweet, and enough citrus to cut through both. This one is for the person who always reaches for the hot sauce. The Tajin rim is optional, but you’ll be glad you did. 

Ingredients

• 2 oz. blanco tequila
• 2 oz. mango juice
• 1 oz. fresh grapefruit juice
• 0.5 oz. fresh lime juice
• Splash of simple syrup
• 2-3 slices fresh jalapeño
• Club soda
• Ice
• Tajin for the rim (optional, but do it)

How to make it 

Run a lime wedge around the rim of your glass and dip it in Tajin. Fill the glass with ice. In a shaker, muddle the jalapeño slices, then add the tequila, mango juice, grapefruit juice, lime juice, and a splash of simple syrup. Shake well and strain into the glass. Top with club soda and a slice of jalapeño.

Cheers to Surviving Summer

Florida summer isn’t for the weak, but a cold drink helps. So, stock up on ice, choose your first recipe, and raise a glass to pool days, patio nights, and surviving the heat in style.