With Memorial Day behind us, it’s basically summer already, despite what the calendar says. That means it’s time for sipping beachside cocktails and enjoying rooftop happy hours once again, but what will everyone be ordering this summer? Bartenders and mixologists have a few ideas.
The cocktail experts are revealing the drinks they expect to be everywhere this summer:
- Gimlets - These refreshing cocktails are made with just a few ingredients - gin, lime juice and simple syrup - so they’re easy to make at home. Mixologist Sanwar Mal Kokhar expects a seasonal twist on the classic to be popular this year, sharing, “We’ll see cucumber gimlets, especially since cucumbers are in season during the summer months.”
- Passion-fruit margaritas - This fruity version of the popular warm-weather cocktail will be big this summer, according to Carlos Hugo Meza, beverage director at BearLeak in Denver. He says passion-fruit margs are a drink “people can enjoy year-round, but especially on a hot day.”
- Palomas - This summertime favorite is made with tequila, grapefruit soda, and lime juice, so they’re light and refreshing and Kokhar expects them to remain a summertime favorite.
- Spritzes of all kinds - Linda Douglas, a bartender at Donna’s in Los Angeles, believes these cocktails will continue being popular, especially the Hugo Spritz. She says some bartenders call spritzes the “supermodels” of the cocktail world because as soon as someone sees one, they want one, especially during the summer.
- Lychee martini - Made with vodka or gin, lychee juice or liqueur, and fresh lemon or lime juice, these drinks are sweet and subtly tropical, which is why Douglas predicts they’ll become a seasonal bar favorite.
- Diet Coke with a shot - This budget-friendly drink is just Diet Coke with a shot of vanilla vodka or reposado tequila and Douglas thinks they’ll surge in popularity as an accessible, affordable summer drink.
- A twist on vodka lemonades - With strawberries in season during the summer, Meza expects to see them used in the already popular vodka lemonade cocktail.
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