Next-Level Summer Cocktails (That Are Not Mojitos or Piña Coladas)

Summer has arrived, bringing with it the perfect opportunity to elevate your cocktail game. Why stick to the usual mojitos and piña coladas when a world of innovative flavors awaits? Gather your crushed ice and the finest liquors and wines from your bar, and make some next-level summer cocktails to add to your poolside repertoire.

1. Moët Champagne Cocktail

Champagne by itself is always a party, but adding bitters and a little sugar syrup is another take on its festive profile.

Ingredients:

2 dashes Angostura bitters
20ml sugar syrup
75ml Moët & Chandon Moët Impérial Champagne

Instructions:

Pour bitters and sugar syrup into a glass half-filled with ice. Stir to combine. Fill the rest of the glass with crushed ice. Top with Moët & Chandon Moët Impérial Champagne. Garnish with a lemon peel.

Recipe courtesy of Moët & Chandon.

2. Pineapple & Martell VS CognacCognacA brandy distilled from white wine grapes in the Cognac region of France and aged in oak, graded by age categories such as VS, VSOP, and XO. Prestigious houses produceGo to Cognac Glossary

This cocktail is a perfect blend of cognacCognacA brandy distilled from white wine grapes in the Cognac region of France and aged in oak, graded by age categories such as VS, VSOP, and XO. Prestigious houses produceGo to Cognac Glossary’s depth balanced out with pineapple juice for a sweet and smoky drink.

Ingredients:

3oml Martell VS Cognac
90ml pineapple juice

Instructions:

Combine cognac and pineapple juice into a blender, and blend until frothy. Strain into a rocks glass and add ice. Garnish with a slice of pineapple on a cocktail pick.

Recipe courtesy of Martell Cognac.

3. Ombré

While port is not so often used in cocktails, its sweet and nuanced flavor make perfect sense in a cocktail, holding its own against many other flavors. A must-try.

Ingredients:

1.25oz dry port
.75oz fresh orange juice
.33oz fresh lime juice
.75oz sugar syrup
berry mix*

Instructions:

Fill a double rocks glass with crushed ice. Add dry port, orange juice, and lime juice. Stir gently. Pour the berry mix* to create an ombré effect. Garnish with a sprig of rosemary and blackberries.

*Berry mix: mix 400g of red fruits pulp (raspberries, strawberries, etc., or procure a store-bought product from Boiron) with 3.5oz of Campari and 10 3/4 oz of port. We recommend Churchill’s from Terroir Wines.

4. New York Sour

A fresh take on the whisky sour, the New York Sour may require a bit more finesse with the pouring of red wine against the back of a spoon to make sure the wine is on the top half of the drink. The visual impact is worth it.

Ingredients:

60ml rye or bourbonBourbonAn American whiskey made from at least fifty-one percent corn and aged in new charred oak barrels, noted for sweet notes of caramel, vanilla, and spice. Rare, limited bottlings haveGo to Bourbon Glossary whisky
30ml lemon juice
30ml simple syrup
15ml red wine (preferably fruity like Le Ferme de Sato Pinot Noir from Toka Wines)

Directions:

Combine the whisky, lemon, juice, and simple syrup in a shaker. Fill the shaker with ice, and shake well. Strain the mixture into a glass filled with ice. Gently pour the red wine over the back of the spoon held just above the drink’s surface, so that the wine floats on top. Garnish with a lemon peel.

Embrace the season with these sophisticated cocktails that are sure to impress at any summer gathering. Cheers!