Summer on Ice: Easy Garden-Inspired Drinks for Your Next Get-Together – Gardenista
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When it comes to entertaining, we are fans of low-lift, high-payoff recipes, particularly in the summer, when our time is better spent outdoors, preferably on a hammock, with a drink in hand. If you feel similarly, read on. We’ve searched our archives for the best summer drinks and cocktails. These delicious fresh-from-the garden concoctions are easy to make—and easy to love. (For non-alcoholic ideas, scroll down to the second half.)
Cocktails
Raspberry Sparkler
Above: Perfect for a Fourth of July celebration, this refreshing Raspberry Sparkler cocktail uses raspberries, lemons, limes, and mint–plus gin and vinho verde, the slightly effervescent Portuguese wine. Photograph by Olivia Rae James for Gardenista, from DIY: Raspberry Sparkler for the Fourth of July.
Elderflower Cordial
Above: If you have elderflowers on your property, consider this recipe for elderflower cordial, a syrup that’s the basis for a delicate, old-fashioned floral drink long beloved in Europe. This takes a little bit of planning as you’ll have to steep it for 24 hours. Once ready, you can dilute the cordial to taste, using flat or sparkling water, and add lemon slices. Or add it to a gin and tonic, a vodka and soda, or even Champagne. Photograph via Makers & Brothers, from A Family Recipe for Elderflower Cordial via Dublin.
The Honeysuckle Rose
Above: Gardenista contributor Justine Hand created this recipe that uses gin, lemon, and a simple syrup featuring rose geranium leaves. Photograph by Justine Hand, from DIY: Summer Cocktail with Rose Geranium Simple Syrup.
Basil Pomada
Above: Love basil? Consider making a basil pomada, a slushy frozen drink that hails from Menorca, Spain. Gather basil, sugar, lemons, and gin. Then read Basil’s Last Stand: A Garden-to-Table Frozen Cocktail Recipe for the complete directions. Photograph by Laura Silverman for Gardenista.
Non-Alcoholic
Lavender Soda
Above: A lavender infused simple syrup yields a sophisticated fizzy drink. Photograph by Marla Aufmuth for Gardenista, from DIY: Lavender Soda.
