Looking For A Refreshing, Guilt-Free Adult Beverage?
What’s better than something a little fruity and bubbly on a warm summer day? A refreshing summer cocktail is truly one of our favorite ways to cool down. Since we may be obliged to have more than one, we like our beverages as guilt-free as possible. These clean summer cocktails highlight fresh, in-season fruits, herbs and use better-for-you-ingredients like kombucha and ditch simple syrups and mixers which are often loaded with artificial colors, flavorings, and sugar. We’ll say cheers to that!
The 19 Best Summer Cocktail Recipes
Rosy Gin-Kombucha Cocktail from Bon Appetit
Gin, Campari, lemon juice, and ginger are stirred and topped with fizzy kombucha for an easy beverage with complex flavor.
Fresh Grapefruit Paloma from Zenbelly
Consider the Paloma the margarita’s sexy cousin. This version gets some smokiness from mezcal, which is balanced with sweet-tart grapefruit.
Orange Apricot Spritzer
Refreshing and lively on the palate, this white wine spritzer brings a lovely sensation of sweet citrus with a lingering flavor of apricot.
Limoncello Sangria
This bright and refreshing beverage is an ideal afternoon cocktail. Instead of pink lemonade concentrate considering powering up this beverage with a sugar-free, pink lemonade energy powder like this one.
Spiced Plum, Fig & Kombucha Cocktail from the green life
“Plums and figs are the real heroes here, naturally sweet and delicious. The fruits are lightly spiced with ginger and star anise, for some comfort and a bit of kick.”
Basil Fig Vodka Smash from with food + love
Basil and fig is a surprisingly complimentary flavor pair in delicious summer drinks. Here, they’re muddled with vodka and then splashed with club soda. “If the end of summer doesn’t taste like this, then I don’t know what does.”
Mango + Plum Sweet Tea Cocktail
Take your “adult” sweet tea to the next level with dried mango, dried plums and a splash of bourbon.
Rosemary Ginger Gin Cocktail from Nellie Bellie
Rosemary, ginger and lemon were basically made for each other. Make sure this clean, simple classic cocktail is in your repertoire.
Grape Kombucha Cocktail with Ginger and Vodka from The Chalkboard
Refreshing mid-day cooler or after-dinner aperitif? This Kombucha Cocktail beverage is great for both. Ginger is a natural digestion aid, which when paired with probiotic-rich kombucha, ups its gut-supporting powers.
Red Sangria
It’s honey, not simple syrup that gives this beverage a touch of sweetness and brings out the fruity flavors of calimyrna figs, cranberries, raisins, and apricots.
Lavender Kumquat Shrub from The Bojon Gourmet
Back in the day, shrubs were a way of preserving fruit by combining it with vinegar, sugar and honey. This summer drink uses apple cider vinegar in this tried-and-true technique for sweet-tart perfection.
Dried Pineapple Pina Colada
No sugar needed in this tropical favorite, just toasted coconut chips, coconut cream, dried pineapple and rum in this boozy beverage. Yum!
Cantaloupe Ginger Cocktail from Lexi’s Clean Kitchen
We love the cantaloupe in this drink, but if you don’t have a ripe one available go for any other kind of melon or even stone fruit for this cantaloupe cocktail.
Frozen Pineapple Mango Daiquiri from My Baking Addiction
A juicy pineapple and ripe mango are all that’s needed to power this sweetener-free mango and pineapple daiquiri.
Spicy Watermelon Margaritas from Zen Belly
Watermelon, lime, cayenne and salt is our favorite flavor combination to feel like we’ve gone south of the border – even when we’re just hanging in the backyard.
The All Night Bender from Yoga by Candace
Gin, fresh carrot juice, lime juice and honey combine in this cocktail that’s worth staying up for.
Guava Pineapple & Coconut Cocktail from Boxwood Avenue
We love any excuse to bring guava juice and pineapple together. Coconut LaCroix adds a nice sparkling finish. Consider this summer cocktail like paradise in a glass.
Strawberry French 75 from Catching Seeds
The French 75 is one of our favorite cocktails but is often loaded with sugar. We’re loving this version which gets its sweetness only from muddled strawberries to cut back on the sugar in the French 75 cocktail.
Blood Orange Gin Martini from Wild Orchard
This summer cocktail calls for Gin Mare, a liquor from the Mediterranean that has a unique flavor profile of rosemary, thyme, olive and basil. Blood orange pairs perfectly with this herbaceous liquor, but don’t worry if you don’t have it. Regular gin will do nicely as well.
