20 summer-friendly cocktail recipes worth preparing at home

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cocktail recipes (Photo by David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images for Absolut Vodka UK) /

Even if you’re still spending most of your days at home, summer 2020 is right around the corner. Here are some summer-friendly cocktail recipes, as compiled from top brands and acclaimed mixologists.

The first few months of 2020 have not been easy for most of us, to say the least, as hundreds of millions of us — if not billions of us — are still stuck at home more of the day than not. And when you’re keeping a home-based existence, there ought to be plenty of time and opportunity to utilize that home bar of yours for some top-tier cocktail recipes.

But Summer 2020 is just around the corner, and plenty of celebrating ought to be ahead. In turn, on behalf of Guilty Eats, I have gathered 20 cocktail recipes from a mix of top spirit brands and well-respected American mixologists.

Here are 20 summer-friendly cocktail recipes worth preparing at home:

Mexican Mule

Espolòn’s award-winning tequilas are made from 100 percent pure Weber Blue Agave. Espolòn crafts three expressions of tequila that are available globally, Espolon Blanco, Espolòn Reposado and Espolòn Añejo. This recipe is a fun take on the classic warm weather favorite, the Moscow Mule.

Ingredients:

1½ parts Espolòn Reposado
½ part lime juice
Ginger beer

Method:

Combine ingredients in a mule cup on the rocks.
Top with ginger beer..
Garnish with a lime wedge.

Seagram’s Watermelon Twist Gin & Tonic

As at-home bartending continues to rise, Seagram’s Watermelon Twisted Gin aims to give consumers the ability to create their own summer inspired gin cocktails year-round in the comfort of their homes and within budget. Seagram’s Watermelon Twisted Gin can be enjoyed on the rocks, with soda water or tonic, or with a favorite juice or mixer.

Ingredients:

Seagram’s Watermelon Twisted Gin
Tonic water
Watermelon
Ice
Lemon (optional)
Mint (optional)

Method:

In a glass highball or rocks glass, add ice then a sliced watermelon wedge.
Combine 1 part Seagram’s Watermelon Twisted Gin, 3 parts tonic water and pour over ice
Garnish with lemon slices & a sprig of mint

Grilled Grapefruit Paloma

Hornitos was founded in 1950 in honor of Mexican Independence Da in Jalisco, Mexico. Founder Don Francisco helped put the “Reposado” kind of tequila on the map.

Ingredients:

2 parts Hornitos Plata Tequila
1 part fresh lime juice
¾ part ginger sage syrup
2 dashes Angostura bitters
Top with grapefruit beer (appx. 1 part)
Grapefruit
Sage sprigs

Method:

Combine equal parts sugar and water with 1 ginger slice and 4 sage sprigs and bring to a boil to create ginger sage syrup.
Allow the mixture to cool, combine all ingredients except grapefruit beer in a shaker with ice and shake vigorously.
Strain the mixture into a highball glass filled with ice and top with grapefruit beer.
Garnish with a grilled grapefruit slice.

Courvoisier Avant-Garde Old Fashioned

Earlier this year, Courvoisier launched Maison Courvoisier in Chicago, an “immersive luxury experience” curated by rapper Pusha T. The brand also announced the release of its new limited-edition Bourbon Cask expression in 2020.

Ingredients:

2 parts Courvoisier Avant-Garde
0.25 parts simple syrup
1 dash orange bitters
1 dash Angostura bitters

Method:

Build in glass, add ice, and stir.
Serve in an Old Fashioned style glass.
Garnish with orange wwath.

Absolut Juice Pear Spritz

Absolut recently added a new flavor to its Juice lineup, Absolut Juice Pear & Elderflower. The new sip-with-a-spritz blend is made with a fun balance of Absolut Vodka and 5 percent real fruit juice.

Ingredients:

1 part Absolut Juice
1 part club soda
1 part sparkling dry white wine

Method:

Mix in wine glass over ice.
Garnish with sliced fruit (optional).

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