Fun Summer Cocktail Recipes to Celebrate Happy Hour at Home

[Photo: Kelly Sikkema]

Summer is only a month away and what better way to start counting down the days than by mixing up some fun summer cocktail recipes? If you’re looking for some new libations to liven up your at-home bar, we’ve rounded up some excellent recipes courtesy of hotels from all over—including Hôtel de Crillon in Paris and Miraval Arizona Resort & Spa.

From a lavender aviation to a mango sangria, these cocktails are guaranteed to get you into the spirit of summer. Read on to learn how to whip up these up at home in your own kitchen and enjoy! 

The Pacific Spritz from Rosewood Miramar Beach (Montecito, CA)

Southern California’s most luxurious beachfront escape, Rosewood Miramar Beach, created a light and refreshing take on the traditional Aperol cocktail with the Pacific Spritz. The beachy concoction is easy to prepare and channels the breezy air of the Pacific Ocean with passion fruit and Lillet Blanc.

Ingredients:

• 1 oz. Aperol

• 1 oz. Lillet Blanc

• ½ oz. Passion Fruit Puree

• 1 oz. Club Soda

• 4 oz. Prosecco

• Garnish: Rosemary Sprig

Instructions: 

1. Fill up ¾ of a wine glass with ice cubes.

2. Add all the ingredients.

3. Stir gently and garnish.

Mango Sangria from Rosewood Little Dix Bay (Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands)

The iconic Caribbean retreat, Rosewood Little Dix Bay, offers a refreshing cocktail with simple and easily available ingredients such as mango puree and Grand Marnier, making it the perfect drink to recreate from afar. The cocktail offers a tropical take on traditional white sangria and brings a taste of the Caribbean to your home to celebrate the approaching warm weather and spring season.

Ingredients:

• 30 ml. Mango Puree Mix

• 20 ml. Gin of Choice

• 20 ml. Grand Marnier

• .5oz Agave mixture

• 120ml. White Wine of Choice

• Garnish: Mango and Dry Orange

Instructions:

1. Combine all ingredients into shaker tin.

2. Shake gently.

3. Pour into glass and garnish.

Rob Roy from The Flying Stag at The Fife Arms (Braemar, Scotland)

The iconic 19th century coaching inn-turned-hotel celebrates Scotland’s finest liquor—whiskey—with the Macallan Rare Cask Rob Roy, transporting those who taste it to the Scottish Highlands with a rich and full-bodied flavor. 

Ingredients:

• Macallan Rare Cask

• 1 part Martini Rosso

• One dash of Angostura Bitters

• Lemon Zest

• Cubed Ice

• To Garnish: A Whole Cherry

Instructions:

1. Add ingredients to mixing glass.

2. Gently stir.

3. Strain into chilled glass and garnish.

Lavender Aviation from The Mansion Bar at Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek (Dallas, TX)

Located in the luxurious Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek, The Mansion Bar has been a Dallas icon since it opened in 1980 and serves up signature cocktails, as well as new concoctions like the Lavender Aviation. The light mixture of gin, lemon and lavender is complimented by maraschino and crème de violette to create a refreshing cocktail that tastes as good as it looks.

Ingredients:

• 2 oz Gin of Choice

• ¾ oz fresh Lemon Juice

• ½ to ¾ oz Lavender Syrup*

• ½ oz Creme de Violette

• Luxardo Maraschino

• Amarena Cherries

Instructions:

1. Build over ice in a shaker.

2. Shake as much or as little as you like.

3. Pour into martini glass or cup.

4. Garnish with Amarena cherries, a lemon peel or fresh mint.

Lavender Syrup Ingredients:

• Simple Syrup (50/50 sugar and hot water)

• Honey (60/40 honey and hot water)

• Several drops of Lavender Extract

• 2 oz Luxardo Maraschino

• Several drops of purple natural food coloring

Pretty in Pink from Hôtel de Crillon, A Rosewood Hotel (Paris, France)

Located in the glamorous Hôtel de Crillon, A Rosewood Hotel, the Concorde Terrace opened in Fall 2019 and takes the property’s signature Bar Les Ambassadeurs experience to the next level with casual-chic décor that changes with the seasons and inventive cocktail and tasting menus—all set against one of Paris’ most awe-inspiring backdrops.

Whether dancing to the bar’s all-female resident band Les Ambassadrices or sipping on a signature Pretty in Pink cocktail created as an ode to the musical trio, guests will be met with an unparalleled entertainment experience.

Ingredients:

• 25ml Absolut Elyx Vodka

• 25ml Tawny Port

• 10ml Crème de Peche

• 10ml Peach Puree

• 20ml Honey Syrup

• 20ml Lemon Juice

• 3 dashes Peach Bitters

• Brut Champagne

• Dehydrated Lime Wheel

Directions:

1. Fill a glass with crushed ice and leave to the side.

2. Combine the vodka, port, crème de peche, peach puree and lemon juice in a shaker filled with ice and add three dashes of peach bitters.

3. Shake until the shaker is frozen cold to the touch.

4. Discard the crushed ice from the glass and replace with fresh cubed ice.

5. Using a strainer, double strain the contents of the shaker into the glass.

6. Top with Brut Champagne and a dehydrated lime peel.

Arizona Sunset from Miraval Arizona Resort & Spa (Tucson, Arizona)

The Arizona Sunset from Miraval Arizona Resort & Spa, the wellness retreat tucked away in Tucson, features five simple ingredients that result in layered flavors that are both low-calorie and delicious. The cocktail mindfully combines sweet and tart notes with a bit of heat, reminiscent of a desert getaway. 

Ingredients:

• 2 oz Orange-Flavored Vodka

• 1 oz Lemon Juice

• 1 oz Cranberry Juice

• 1 oz Simple Syrup

• 2 Jalapeño Rings

Directions:

1. Muddle 1 slice of jalapeño in mixing tin.

2. Fill mixing tin with ice and add vodka, lemon juice, cranberry juice and simple syrup to the mixing tin.

3. Shake and strain into coupe glass.

4. Garnish with the remaining jalapeño slice.

Just Peachy from Timbers Kiawah Ocean Club & Residences (South Carolina)

Guests can savor a taste of the South with this classic spiked iced tea recipe. Served as a welcome drink for guests at Timbers Kiawah, Just Peachy is easily recreated at home—with or without alcohol. The recipe can be pre-batched and the proportions of peach tea to black tea can be easily adjusted to each person’s preference.

Ingredients:

• 16 oz blended tea (peach tea and black tea)

• 2 oz lemon juice

• 2 oz simple syrup

• 3 oz Canon CAP Vodka

Directions:

1. Brew (or purchase) peach tea black tea.

2. Mix two parts peach tea and one part black tea (or adjust ratio to your liking).

3. Combine blended tea with remaining ingredients and mix with ice.

4. Serve in a Collins glass.

[Images courtesy of individual properties]

Kamala Kirk is a University of Southern California graduate and has been an editor/writer for more than a decade. She has written for E! Online, Total Beauty, TravelAge West, Malibu Times Magazine, and many more. She resides in Los Angeles and is a proud pug mom. Follow her on Instagram: @kamalakirk