Summer is the time for fun in the sun, vacations and lots of tasty, refreshing food and drinks. While I provide a variety of non-alcoholic drinks for the kids to enjoy, I also like to have a few boozy selections for the adults to enjoy during vacation or summertime gatherings.

Whether you’re hosting a summer party or just need to cool off on a hot day, a yummy cocktail is always a great idea. Mixing up your favorite cocktails, especially when using summer ingredients like strawberries, blueberries and watermelone, can be fun but there are also a few Canned Cocktails that are worth including in your summer activities. Canned Cocktails are super easy and convenient to take to the beach, or a backyard gathering with friends and there are so many flavors to choose from! Here are a few of my favorite:

Canned Sparkling Cocktails:

Half-Seas Sparkling Cocktails
Half-Seas Sparkling Cocktails are bubbly canned cocktails made with premium ingredients (like real distilled spirits and pure cane sugar) and a touch of effervescence. Craft cocktail quality anytime, anywhere— but best enjoyed in the company of friends.

Novo Fogo Sparkling Caipirinha

The Novo Fogo Sparkling Caipirinha combines freshness, deliciousness, and shelf stability by virtue of its natural ingredients that form a balanced, carbonated cocktail.It can be served straight from the chilled can, over ice in a glass, and with or without a slice of lime.

Stella Rose Aluminum Singles
Stella Rosa’s 8.5 ounce Aluminums put a twist on what you think wine is, or has to be!

Slow & Low Rock and Rye 100ml Cans
High proof, high quality cocktail in a can and made exclusively with aged straight rye whiskey.

Summer Cocktail Recipes:

Seagram’s Summer Tea Jam

• 2 ounces Seagram’s Sweet Tea Vodka
• 1 ounce lemon juice
• ½ ounce simple syrup
• 1 bar spoon strawberry jam

Method: Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice and shake hard to chill and combine ingredients. Strain into your glass over fresh ice. Garnish & Enjoy!

Watermelon Salty Dog

• 2 ounces Seagram’s Watermelon Vodka
• 4 ounces grapefruit juice
• Salt (for rim)

Method: Rim your glass with salt and add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake hard to chill and combine ingredients Strain into your glass over fresh ice. Garnish & Enjoy!

All American Texas Greyhound
Laurie Harvey, Beverage director of Cherry Pie Hospitality

• 1.5 oz Deep Eddy Ruby Red Grapefruit Vodka
• 1 oz Vanilla simple syrup *
• .75 oz Fresh lime juice
• .75 oz Fresh ruby red grapefruit juice
• Topo Chico Mineral Water
• Ruby Red Grapefruit slice for garnish

Directions: Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker, shake then and pour into tall glass and top with Topo Chico Mineral Water. Garnish with fresh Ruby Red Grapefruit slice.
*Vanilla simple syrup

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup water
• 2 Tbsp vanilla extract

Directions: Bring water to boil, add sugar and stir until sugar is dissolved, then remove from heat, add vanilla and let cool.

Pineapple & Blackberry Margarita

• 2 ounces Corralejo Reposado
• 1 ounce pineapple juice
• 1 ounce lime juice
• ½ ounce agave syrup
• 5 fresh blackberries
• Salt (for rim)

Method: Salt the rim of your glass and add all ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake hard to chill and combine ingredients and strain into your glass over fresh ice. Garnish & Enjoy!

The Deep Daly

• 1 part Deep Eddy Sweet Tea Vodka
• 1 part Fresh Lemonade
• Splash of club soda

Method: Mix all ingredients in a glass. Garnish and enjoy!

Strawberry Mint Julep (Bridge House Tavern Chicago)

• 1.5 oz Slow & Low Rock and Rye 84 proof
• 3/4 oz St Germain Elderflower Liqueur
• 1/2 Lemon Juice
• 3/4 oz strawberry puree
• 1/2 oz mint simple syrup
• Top with soda
• Garnish with mint

Method: Mix all ingredients in a glass. Garnish with mint and enjoy!

Blueberry Ginger Mule

Creator: Laurie Harvey, Cherry Pie Hospitality Group

• 1 oz Deep Eddy Lemon Vodka
• 1 oz Deep Eddy Straight Vodka
• 2 oz Blueberry cordial*
• Goya Ginger Beer

Directions: Combine all ingredients with in a copper mug filled with crushed ice.

*Blueberry Cordial:

• 1 lb. frozen blueberries
• Zest and juice of 1 lemon and 1 orange
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• ¼ cup white vinegar

Directions: Combine all ingredients in saucepan over medium heat until sugar is dissolved and blueberries burst. Cool and strain.

Bluth’s Fortune (available at Dino’s Tomato Pie in Seattle, WA)

• 2 oz Novo Fogo Chameleon
• 0.5 oz Giffard Creme de Banane
• 0.5 oz coconut cream
• 1 oz passionfruit syrup
• 3 dashes Scrappy’s Aromatic Bitters

Method: Mix all ingredients in glass. Garnish and enjoy!

Woodford Reserve Bourbon Stone Sour

• 2.oz Woodford Reserve distiller’s select
• ¾ oz orange juice
• ½ fresh squeezed lemon juice
• ½ oz sorghum simple syrup
• Woodofrd Reserve Bourbon Barrel Aged Cherry
• Woodford Reserve Spiced Cherry Bitters

Combine Woodford Reserve distiller’s elect, sorghum syrup, orange juice and lemon juice in an iced shaker and shake well. Strain into rocks glass over a spherical ice ball. Dash in the cherry bitters and drop in the barrel aged cherry. Enjoy!