Sometimes you just need a drink. And whether it’s after a stressful day at work or as part of a regular happy hour gathering with friends, you won’t regret a tasty summer-inspired cocktail – whether it’s actually summer or not.
Here are our picks for our favorite summer cocktail recipes. Visit the restaurants or make them at home.
Juniper Fusion/Yard House ($8.95)
Ingredients:
1/2 oz. gin
1 oz. homemade citrus agave blend
Dash of orange bitters
Preparation:
Shake ingredients with ice
Use strainer to pour in glass
Garnish with cucumber slice on rim
Yard House locations in Costa Mesa, Brea, Irvine, Newport Beach :: yardhouse.com
Orange Dreamsicle/RA Sushi Bar Restaurant ($8)
Ingredients:
1.5 oz. Pinnacle Whipped Vodka
2 oz. orange juice
1 oz. lemon-lime soda
1 oz. soda
.25 oz. cream of coconut
1 lemon slice, squeezed
Orange slice and whipped cream for garnish
Preparation:
Combine with ice and shake all ingredients, except for soda
Pour into iced glass and top with soda
Garnish with an orange slice and whipped cream
Coconut Mojito/RA Sushi Bar Restaurant ($8)
Ingredients:
Half a lime, squeezed
6 mint leaves
1 oz. Ciroc Coconut Vodka
.5 oz. coconut rum
1 oz. pineapple juice
.25 oz. cream of coconut
Splash of soda
Sprig of mint and lime wedge for garnish
Preparation:
Muddle mint leaves
Combine with ice and shake all ingredients, except for soda
Pour into iced glass and top with splash of soda
Garnish with a mint sprig and lime wedge
Key Lime Martini/RA Sushi Bar Restaurant ($8)
Ingredients:
Squeeze half lime
1 oz. Ciroc Coconut Vodka
1 oz. Pinnacle Whipped Vodka
.5 oz. pineapple juice
.25 oz. cream of coconut
Crushed graham cracker, whipped cream and lime slice for garnish
Preparation:
Combine all ingredients with ice
Shake and strain into chilled martini glass rimmed with crushed graham cracker
Top with whipped cream and a slice of lime
RA Sushi Bar Restaurant locations in Tustin and Huntington Beach :: rasushi.com
Summer Blossom Wine Cocktail/McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurant ($8.95)
Ingredients:
1 fresh strawberry (halved & quartered)
3 apple slices
1 oz. simple syrup
¼ oz. fresh-squeezed lemon juice
3 oz. Ecco Domani Pinot Grigio
1 oz. lemon-lime soda
Fresh strawberry slice for garnish
Preparation:
In a cocktail shaker, combine the first five ingredients
Shake and pour into a stemless wine glass filled with ice
Top with lemon-lime soda and garnish the glass with a fresh strawberry slice
McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurant locations in Santa Ana, Irvine, Anaheim :: mccormickandschmicks.com
Guinness Stout Milkshake/T.G.I. Friday’s (prices vary by location)
Ingredients:
3 scoops vanilla ice cream
3 oz. Guinness beer
2 tbs. chocolate syrup (or more for any choco-holics)
Preparation:
Blend ingredients
Pour into chilled shake glass
Add whipped cream
Top with a dash of Guinness
Mandarin Dreamsicle/T.G.I. Friday’s (prices vary by location)
Ingredients:
1 scoop orange sherbet or ice cream
1 scoop vanilla ice cream
1 ¼ oz. orange liqueur
3 to 4 segments of fresh mandarin or navel orange (optional)
Preparation:
Blend ingredients
Pour into chilled shake glass
Top off with whipped cream
T.G.I. Friday’s locations in Costa Mesa, Orange, Yorba Linda, Buena Park, Brea, Laguna Niguel :: tgifridays.com
