The Perfect Refreshing Summer Cocktails!

With the start of June, we can officially say Summer is upon us. Although the mornings are clouded in the signature San Diego “June Gloom” that lingers until mid-afternoon, by the time Happy Hour rolls around, the sun is out! That’s when a chilled beverage is exactly what we need. We’ve gathered a few of our favorite summer-inspired cocktails that should put anybody in the right headspace to enjoy a classic San Diego summer.

Green Tea Sangria

 Author Brewing Happiness

Refreshing, subtly sweet, and flavored with lemon and mint, this is a cocktail even grandma would approve of. 

This is a cocktail meant for those lazy Sundays where a spiked iced tea might be ok to start enjoying way before 5 pm. The prep time might take a bit from start to finish, but the effort is minimal, which is our favorite part. Brew this sangria up at your leisure in the AM, and it’ll be ready by the early afternoon. Just in time for your guests to arrive for “Sunday Funday.”

(Servings 4 -5)

Ingredients

• 1 bottle white wine (We suggest using a Reisling)
• 4 cups water
• 6 bags green tea
• 1/3 cup honey
• 3 lemons, sliced
• 20-25 mint leaves

Instructions

1. In a large pot or kettle, bring 4 cups of water to a boil.
2. After boiling, take off heat, and add in 6 green tea bags. Let steep for 5 minutes.
3. Remove tea bags, and stir in 1/3 cup of honey. (Let cool for 30 min-1 hour before mixing sangria.)
4. When the tea is slightly cooled, add it to your pitcher along with 1 bottle of white wine, lemon slices, and fresh mint leaves.
5. Refrigerate for 2-4 hours before serving!

Strawberry Basil Gin Jammer

Author: CaliGirl Cooking

Who would’ve thought to put jam in a cocktail?

Late spring to early summer is strawberry season here in San Diego. At the beginning of June, we’re about neck-deep in the delicious stuff and just had to include a strawberry-inspired drink to this list. This tasty beverage is perfect for those summer outings at your favorite picnic spot. Or those days when you need to satisfy a sweets craving but have no juice in your fridge. Muddled strawberries, basil, and a healthy glob of strawberry jam are all you need to complete this refreshing, picnic-perfect drink!

Ingredients

• 2 fresh strawberries, sliced
• 3-4 fresh basil leaves
• 1 tablespoon strawberry jam
• 2 ounces gin
• More whole strawberries for garnish (if desired)

Instructions

1. In a rocks glass, muddle the strawberries and basil.
2. In a cocktail shaker filled with about ¾ cup of ice, combine the strawberry jam and the gin.
3. Shake vigorously for about 20 seconds and then pour contents of shaker (including ice) into the rocks glass.
4. Garnish with a fresh strawberry and enjoy.

Tequila Mockingbird

Author: Liquor.com, Image: Tim Nusog.

A book, a pun, and–most importantly–a cocktail with many surprising variations.

If you were to google how to make a Tequila Mockingbird, you’d find around four or five completely different recipes that all claim to be the same drink. This spicy margarita variation is our favorite and screams summer with its watermelon base. It’s easy to make, and prep only requires slicing up a few ingredients! We can see this enjoyed by the pool or even at an upscale summer bbq. Book lovers and mixologists alike will rave about this one.