The 10 best summer cocktails

With summer in full swing, enjoying a refreshing drink with friends is an essential ritual. But which summer serves are the most enticing to order at your favourite bar or shake up at home for guests? We at Flawless have gathered the finest recipes for a toast scented with exotic destinations and sunsets by the sea.

Balancing spicy, sweet and tart notes, we selected the 10 best summer cocktails for an aperitivo or an after-dinner drink, exploring an international mixology scene that spans Mexico to Kentucky and California to Italy. Ready to mix?

Here is our hand-picked selection of easy-drinking serves that transport you to a tropical paradise in a single sip.

Mai Tai

An icon of Tiki culture and the allure of the tropics, the Mai Tai has a legendary pedigree. Created with an aged Jamaican rum base at California’s Trader Vic’s Restaurant in Oakland, it was first served to guests from Tahiti who famously exclaimed ‘Maitai roa ae!’—meaning out of this world. A silky serve that celebrates sunshine flavours, it brings together orgeat, fresh lime juice and Jamaican rum. In its contemporary recipe by Appleton Estate, it features Appleton Estate 8 Year Old and Appleton Estate 12 Year Old, lending impeccable balance across rich spiced, mellow and fruity notes. To make a textbook Mai Tai at home, follow these steps:

• fill a cocktail shaker with ice;
• pour in 30 ml of Appleton Estate Reserve 8 Year Old;
• add 30 ml of Appleton Estate Rare Cask 12 Year Old;
• add 15 ml of Grand Marnier;
• add 22.5 ml of lime juice;
• add 15 ml of orgeat;
• add 1 tsp of sugar syrup;
• shake vigorously until cold;
• strain into a collins glass over fresh ice;
• garnish with half a lime shell and a mint sprig.

Espolòn Paloma

A signature serve of popular culture that captures modern, authentic Mexico: the Espolòn Paloma. Contrary to widespread belief, the Paloma—not the Margarita—is Mexico’s most ordered drink. Its bright profile pairs crisp grapefruit notes with an Espolòn Blanco Tequila base and the effervescence of grapefruit soda, making it remarkably drinkable. Tradition and flair unite in this pale pink drink with a distinct Mexican spirit and an inventive character. Balanced between sweet and tart, it makes for an invigorating modern pour. To make it:

• pour 15 ml of lime juice into a tall glass;
• add 10 ml of agave syrup;
• add 60 ml of Espolòn Blanco and fill with ice;
• top up with Thomas Henry Pink Grapefruit soda and a grapefruit zest.

Close your eyes: Mexico has never felt closer.

Aperol Spritz

Essential to any summer drink lineup, rising from a Venetian staple to one of the most ordered cocktails on the planet, the Aperol Spritz is synonymous with convivial, carefree gatherings. The quintessential summer aperitivo, its radiant orange hue combines sparkling freshness with bittersweet balance. Its origins date back to the 19th century, when Austro-Hungarian soldiers stationed in the Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia diluted local wines with sparkling water. With the arrival of Aperol in 1919 and its subsequent fame came the classic 3-2-1 serve:

• fill a wine glass with ice;
• pour in 3 parts Prosecco DOC;
• add 2 parts Aperol;
• add 1 splash of soda or sparkling water;
• stir gently;
• garnish with an orange slice.

If you prefer Campari to Aperol, opt for a crisp Campari Spritz: bold, bitter and aromatic, lifted by the fizz of Prosecco for an unmistakable touch of red passion.

Wild & Ginger

A highball that packs genuine depth into a straightforward build, blending fresh and spicy notes with the roundness of Wild Turkey Bourbon and the kick of ginger ale. The Wild & Ginger showcases classic American whiskey flavours, leaving a crisp, gently spiced finish on the palate. Here is how to build it:

• pour 50 ml of Wild Turkey Bourbon into an ice-filled highball glass;
• top with ginger ale to enhance the whiskey aromas with subtle spice;
• add two dashes of aromatic bitters;
• stir gently;
• garnish with an orange zest.

Bulldog Tonic

Dedicated to lovers of one of the world’s most appreciated spirits, gin, the Bulldog Tonic is a cocktail with a bold, sophisticated personality, created by pairing tonic water with an outstanding London Dry Gin, Bulldog Gin. Born from the intuition of former JP Morgan banker Anshuman Vohra and his desire to create a modern gin, this distinctive spirit is made from Norfolk wheat. Made unmistakable by its unique bouquet of 12 botanicals sourced from around the world, it gives its signature drink, the Bulldog Tonic, a pleasantly fresh flavour, smooth and floral, adding that characteristic edge sip after sip. Making your drinking experience truly distinctive is the exclusive black copa used to serve Bulldog Gin Tonic, a special glass that highlights the striking contrast with the liquid’s smoothness and contemporary character. To make a perfect Bulldog Gin Tonic, you will need:

• fill a copa glass with ice;
• pour in 5 cl of Bulldog Gin;
• add 15 cl of tonic water;
• stir gently with a bar spoon;
• garnish with a pink grapefruit zest.

Pisco Sour

Sipping an authentic Pisco Sour takes you on a sensory tour of Peru, where the cocktail is celebrated every February with its own national holiday. Created by Victor Morris, who moved from Salt Lake City to Peru in the early 20th century and opened Morris Bar in Lima in 1916, this twist on the Whisky Sour quickly won over the local elite. The recipe evolved over the years until bartender Mario Bruiget refined it in the 1920s by incorporating egg white and bitters. At its core is Pisco, a crystal-clear grape spirit distilled from local white or red grapes. To prepare it:

• pour 4.5 cl of Pisco into a cocktail shaker;
• add 2 cl of sugar syrup;
• add 3 cl of fresh lemon juice;
• add 1 egg white;
• add ice;
• shake vigorously for at least one minute to emulsify the egg white;
• strain into a chilled glass;
• top with 4 drops of Angostura bitters (or Peruvian Amaro).

Tommy’s Margarita

The Tommy’s Margarita has dual heritage: created in San Francisco, it draws on the flavours of the Yucatán through the use of pure agave nectar. This variation of the classic Margarita was invented by Julio Bermejo at Tommy’s Restaurant, who swapped triple sec for agave syrup, crafting a cleaner, more agave-forward serve that swiftly spread to cocktail bars worldwide. Officially recognised by the IBA (International Bartenders Association) in 2011, it offers a crisp, bold taste that is ideal for summer. Here is how to mix it:

• pour 6 cl of Espolòn Tequila into a shaker;
• add 3 cl of fresh lime juice;
• add 2 cl of agave syrup;
• shake with ice and strain into a coupe.

Mojito

A true summer staple, the refreshing Mojito whisks you away to the beaches of Cuba, where lore credits bartender Angelo Martinez at Havana’s historic La Bodeguita del Medio with its creation. Loved by Ernest Hemingway, the traditional recipe calls for white sugar and yerba buena, a gentler variety than standard spearmint. Local folklore even claims that pirate Francis Drake sampled an early version in the 16th century. Named after ‘mojo’ (a spell in local Afro-Cuban traditions), it is simple to assemble at home for a warm summer evening:

• add 2 tsp of brown sugar to a highball glass;
• add the juice of ½ lime;
• stir to dissolve;
• add a few fresh mint leaves;
• pour in ½ glass of sparkling water;
• press the mint gently to release its aroma;
• fill with ice cubes;
• pour in 4 cl of rum;
• stir gently again;
• garnish with a mint sprig.

Basil Smash

A drink tailored for aperitivo, fragrant and easy to drink, dating back to 2008 when it was created by Jörg Meyer at the elegant Le Lion cocktail bar in Hamburg. Basil Smash reveals itself as a simple drink, yet refined, where fresh basil is muddled with sugar and lemon, then lifted by gin in a refreshing burst of flavour. A delicate invitation for the palate, teased by the vibrancy of basil and a subtle citrus acidity, perfect for a sunset toast and easily made in just a few steps:

• place fresh basil into a shaker with 5 cl of gin;
• add 2.5 cl of lemon juice;
• add 1.5 cl of sugar syrup;
• muddle gently;
• fill with ice;
• shake hard for about 10 seconds;
• fine strain into an ice-filled tumbler.

Daiquiri

Named after Cuba’s sun-drenched Playa Daiquirí, the Daiquiri is a clean, elemental serve highlighting fresh lime juice, sugar syrup and rum—the signature spirit of the Caribbean. The recipe here favours Trois Rivières from Martinique, optionally split with 10 ml of rhum agricole for extra vegetal complexity. Story has it that in 1898 an American engineer near the beach mixed rum with lime juice and sugar to quench his thirst, creating the classic later adopted by Hemingway. A timeless drink built on crisp simplicity, made as follows:

• pour 2 cl of fresh lime (or lemon) juice into a shaker;
• add ice cubes;
• add 10 cl of Rhum agricole Trois Rivières;
• add 0.5 cl of sugar syrup;
• shake well and fine strain into a chilled coupe.