Summer’s here and the time is right for sipping on a refreshing beverage. But while warm weather and cocktails go hand in hand, hot days and high alcohol don’t always make a good mix. These festive drinks to suit every taste will ensure your time in the sun doesn’t leave you with a terrible headache.

Limoncello spritz

The spritz is well and truly the drink of summer. Light, refreshing and low in alcohol, it’s the go-to beverage for picnics and parties, brunches and long afternoon lunches.

The Aperol version has long been the undisputed king of the spritzes, but here’s one to try if you feel like trying a zestier, more refreshing alternative. This lemony concoction will transport you to the Amalfi Coast in a heartbeat.

Ingredients: 

Americano

Negronis are absolutely delicious, but they’re not designed for long afternoons in the sun. The Americano takes all the best elements of the popular drink and lightens it up for the warmer months, replacing the punch of gin with soda bubbles. Add a splash of dry gin if you do feel like taking it up a notch – we won’t tell.

Ingredients: 

• 45 ml Campari
• 45 ml Cinzano 1757 Rosso Vermouth di Torino
• soda water

Method:

Pour all ingredients, except soda water, into a highball glass filled with ice cubes. Add soda water and garnish with orange slice and lemon peel.

White sangria

The beautiful thing about this drink is that it’s so completely customisable. Don’t like peaches? Use mango or berries. Choose whatever white wine you like; moscato, albarino, sauvignon blanc. Just follow a few basics – white wine + fruit + liqueur – and you have a delicious summer punch.

Ingredients: 

• 1 bottle white wine
• brandy or orange liqueur such as Cointreau
• fruit of your choice to macerate and for garnish
• a sweetener such as agave or simple syrup

Method:

• Slice up all the fruit and toss it in a tall pitcher. Pour the liqueur and the bottle of wine into the pitcher. Then stir everything together until well combined. Depending on the fruits you have chosen, you can add some sweetener to the mix. Macerate in the fridge for at least three hours to let the flavours meld together. Serve in tall glasses with ice and garnish with mint leaves and more fruit.

Paloma

Pretty in pink – the Paloma is actually considered Mexico’s national drink, which may come as a surprise to margarita lovers everywhere. But with its perfect combination of flavours, it shouldn’t. With sweetness from the agave, sour lime and grapefruit, the tickle of bubbles and a kick from the tequila, it’s very simple to make – perfect for any fiesta.

Ingredients: 

Gin fizz

It’s zesty, it’s frothy, it’s fluffy – it’s simply an unbeatable summer cocktail for gin lovers.

Ingredients: 

• 60ml gin
• 20ml fresh lemon juice
• 15ml simple syrup
• egg white
• soda water

Method:

• Shake together the gin, lemon juice, simple syrup, and egg white in a cocktail shaker without ice first (dry shake). Then add ice and shake it again until cold.
• Strain the drink into the glass. Top off the glass with soda water; the carbonation combines with the egg white to make its frothy foam topping.

Espresso tonic

Get the party started – or keep it going. It may sound like a strange combination but this simple, buzzy little non-alcoholic cocktail has garnered quite a following. With the espresso floating on top of bubbly tonic, and a little orange peel to make it look like you put in a lot of effort, making it an excellent choice for entertaining – refined, bittersweet and very sippable.

Method:

Making an espresso tonic couldn’t be easier. Simply pour tonic water of your choice in a glass with an ice cube, and top with a shot of espresso. Garnish with an orange or lemon twist, and enjoy.

Pomegranate martini 

Add a touch of class to your gathering with this fresh and fruity take on a classic.

Ingredients:

• 60ml fresh pomegranate juice
• 45ml vodka
• 15ml orange liqueur
• 15ml fresh lemon juice
• pomegranate seeds, rosemary sprig for serving

Method:

• Pour the pomegranate juice, vodka, orange liqueur, and lime juice into an ice-filled shaker. Shake hard until the shaker feels cold and strain into a martini glass (a coupe works equally well).