There’s nothing like the long days of summer, especially when you’re surrounded by friends, great food and tasty drinks. To help make sure you get every drop of fun out of the extra hours of sunlight, the pros at Colonial Wines & Spirits have put together some easy batch cocktails for all your summer entertaining.
Cheers!
Summer Shandy
Serves 4-6
- 2 12-oz. bottles of chilled Fever Tree Ginger Beer
- 3 11.2-oz. bottles of chilled Weihenstephaner Lager (or your favorite lager)
- 1 lemon, thinly sliced
- mint sprigs for garnish
In a large pitcher, combine the lager with the ginger beer. Stir in most of the lemon slices and mint sprigs.
Fill six rocks glasses with ice. Add the remaining lemon slices to the glasses and pour in the shandy. Garnish each drink with a mint sprig and serve.
Summer Sangria
Serves 10-12
- 2 750 ml.-bottles Tres Picos Garnacha
- 3/4 cup Presidente Spanish Brandy
- 1/2 cup Grand Marnier
- 1 cup strained fresh orange juice
- 1 large orange, sliced into wheels
- 1 lemon, sliced into wheels
- 1 quart strawberries, hulled and halved
- 1 750 ml-bottle San Pellegrino Water
Combine everything except the San Pellegrino in a large pitcher and stir. Cover and refrigerate 12 -24 hours prior to serving
Mix the sangria. Fill rocks glasses with ice. Pour about half to three quarters full. Add some of the fruit from the pitcher. Top off with San Pellegrino and enjoy.
Hot Summer Lemonade
Serves 4-6
- 5-6 lemons
- 2 cups lemon simple syrup (see recipe)
- 1 1/2 cups Jack Daniels
- water
Juice all lemons and set the fresh juice aside. If making lemon simple syrup, reserve one of the lemon peels.
To make the lemon simple syrup: Cut up the rind of one lemon, place in a medium saucepan along with 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat. After the sugar is dissolved, turn off heat, strain and let cool.
In a two-quart pitcher, combine lemon simple syrup, lemon juice and Jack Daniels. Fill pitcher with ice and top off with water, then stir well to combine.
Serve in a rocks glass. Make sure each glass gets plenty of ice cubes from the pitcher. (If preparing in advance, don’t add the ice until just before serving.)
Pimm’s Cup Perfect Summertime
Serves 6-8
- 1 small cucumber, sliced
- 1 quart fresh strawberries, thinly sliced
- 1 orange, thinly sliced
- 1 lemon, thinly sliced
- 1 green apple, thinly sliced
- 2 cups (16 oz.) Pimm’s No. 1 Cup
- 6 cups (48 oz.) Sprite
- mint sprigs to garnish
In a large pitcher, layer fruit slices. Add Pimm’s and Sprite. Stir gently to combine. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Use rocks or collins glasses. Fill the glasses with ice. Pour the mix over the ice, making sure to get fruit in each glass. Garnish with mint and serve.
Yellow Submarine
Serves 8-10
- 3 cups Citadelle Gin
- 3 cups grapefruit juice
- 1 cup St. Germain
- 1 cup Agalima Sweet N Sour
In a large pitcher, combine all ingredients and stir until combined. Serve in a well-chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a slice of grapefruit and sprig of rosemary (optional).
Find more patio-perfect batch cocktails on the Colonial Wine & Spirits website.