World-Class Cocktails You’d Want To Sip All Summer Long!

If summer is all about the scorching sun, then it's as much about cooling drinks, lounging in the shade, and taking off on beach vacations aplenty! Summer is when you encounter the most luscious of seasonal fruits, when you seek out hydrating juices, when get-togethers with friends and loved ones cast a warm glow over your days. And since summer's here, and what better way to enjoy the long, lazy days than by crafting some truly special cocktails? Let’s stir things up a bit with unique ingredients and a little DIY flair that goes beyond your usual mix. Here’s how to whip up some refreshing drinks with a twist, using top-notch spirits and some homemade magic!

Tropical Vibe with Ketel One

First up, let’s talk about the Garnished With Good, a cocktail that's all about bringing those tropical flavours to your backyard. Start with Ketel One Vodka, renowned for its crisp and smooth finish. Now, the kicker: homemade Community Soda. This isn’t your off-the-shelf soda; it’s a mix of coconut water and pandan leaf, infused together to create something uniquely refreshing. You’ll want to sous vide the chopped pandan in coconut water with a bit of acacia honey. It’s a bit of effort, but believe us, it’s worth it for that extraordinary flavour infusion. Once it’s all cooled down and charged with CO2, you've got a sparkling mixer that elevates the vodka beautifully.

READ PART 2 OF THIS SERIES: More World-Class Cocktails For Easy Summer Sipping!

Pour 60 ml Ketel One into a highball glass over ice, top it up with 120 ml of your crafty soda, and for that final touch, garnish with honey and coconut pollen wrapped around a pandan leaf. It’s sweet, it’s refreshing—it’s summer in a glass.

A Floral Twist with Tanqueray

Next, let's give a classic gin a new lease of life. Make it Ten uses Tanqueray No. Ten, a gin celebrated for its vibrant botanicals. We’re pairing it with a vetiver-infused aperitif and homemade jasmine tea soda. The aperitif blend involves a little pre-planning—you’ll need to infuse vetiver with Martini Bianco and Martini Extra Dry, chilled for two days. This brings out a deep, earthy note that complements the gin’s crispness.

For the jasmine tea soda, it’s all about the floral notes. Cold-brew some jasmine tea with jasmine flowers, then sweeten it with multifloral honey, adding just a touch of citric and malic acids for that perfect zing. Combine 40 ml Tanqueray No. Ten and 20 ml of your vetiver aperitif in a glass, top with 90 ml of jasmine tea soda, and you have a cocktail that’s refreshingly aromatic.

Reinvented Classics with Don Julio

Finally, for a tequila twist, the Banta Paloma is a playful take on the classic Paloma, using Don Julio Blanco. This cocktail brings together grapefruit and celery in a homemade shrub—mix these with sugar and apple cider vinegar, let them infuse, and you’ve got a base with a kick. For the soda, blend the shrub with water and a pinch of black salt, charge it up with CO2, and mix it with the tequila in a highball glass. Add a dash of celery salt for garnish, and you’re all set. This drink is vibrant, a little tangy, and perfect for those who like their cocktails with a bit of character.