Summer is officially here and it’s time to kick it off with some sweet summer drinks to help cool you off in the heat. Whether you are at home, relaxing by the pool, or having a backyard BBQ party, refresh yourself and your guests with some sizzling summer drinks!

Dive into a glass of a delicious drink from cocktails for the ladies to seasonal beers and specialty drinks for the guys. Of course, we can’t forget about the sweet treats for all ages which will be featured in the next series. This is the summer cocktail guide focusing on fruity mixed drinks for the adults and we’ve got the full recipes here for you.

So whip out the blender and take out those drink shakers for these fun, easy to make and affordable drinks! Make sure you’ve got what you need before the fun begins - ingredients can be found in your own kitchen, the supermarket, or by hitting the liquor store!

Check out a few juicy drinks we found to be our favorite flavors for this summer!  

Blend, shake, pour, and go!

1. Bikini Martini
Sit by the pool in your favorite bikini with this lusciously mixed martini.  

For one serving, you will need:

•     one ounce of coconut rum

•     ¾ to one ounce of vodka

•     one ounce of pineapple juice

•     a dash of grenadine.

Shake rum, vodka, and pineapple juice together in a shaker, pour into a glass and add the touch of grenadine or you can just pour and mix everything in a glass and sip!

2. Sex on the Beach
This fruity mix can sure hit the sweet spot.

For one serving, make sure to have:

•     1 ounce of vodka,

•     1 ounce of peach schnapps

•     approx. 3 ounces of cranberry juice

•     3 ounces of orange juice

Fill the glass with a desired amount of ice. Pour in vodka and peach schnapps. Then, fill half of the glass with orange juice and the other half with cranberry juice.

3. Strawberry Daiquiri
Love strawberries and citrus? This daiquiri includes a little bit of both! Since it’s frozen, it sure will hit the spot on a hot day.

For eight servings, combine into a blender:

•     six cups of ice

•     3/4 cup rum

•     ½ cup of sugar

•     four ounces of strawberries

•     ½ cup of lemon juice

•     ⅛ cup of lime juice

•     ¼ cup of lemon-lime soda

Blend until the mix becomes smooth, pour into glasses and enjoy! This recipe can also be made without the rum.

4. Watermelon Fizz
It simply doesn’t feel like summertime without watermelons. With some pink in your drink, don’t miss out on this watermelon based cocktail.

For four servings, you will need:

•     5 cups diced watermelon

•     6  ounces gin

•     8 tablespoons lime juice

•     1 ⅓ cups of ginger ale

•     Lime wedges (optional)

Freeze one cup of watermelon which will be used to garnish the drink at the end. A blender can be used to puree the other four cups. Then strain and divide the juice among the four servings (four glasses). Mix 1 ½ ounces of gin, two tablespoons of lime juice, and ⅓ cup of ginger ale into each glass (depending on number of servings). The glasses can then be topped off with the frozen watermelon and some lime wedges (according to preference). Drink away!

5. Orange Splash
Citrus! Citrus! Citrus! Enjoy the tangy taste of orange mixed with lime and a citrus based vodka.

For one serving, prepare:

•     2 ounces Absolut Citron vodka

•     1 ounces Cointreau or triple sec

•     fresh lime juice

•     orange juice

•     Sugar

•     Orange slice

Pour the vodka, cointreau (or triple sec), lime juice and orange juice together over ice in a shaker or large glass. Shake thoroughly. Dip the rim of a glass into sugar. Use an orange slice for decoration and extra flavor.

6. Piña Colada
This traditional tropical drink is easy to make and enjoyable! Don’t go overboard because you may feel like you are in the Bahamas.

For one serving, combine in a blender:

•     1/4 cup coconut milk

•     1/4 cup pineapple juice

•     2 tablespoons rum

•     1 tablespoon white sugar

•     2 ice cubes

Blender until mixture is smooth. Serve immediately.

7. Cosmopolitan
Feeling fancy? This classic and popular mixed drink - also known as a cosmo for short - is the perfect way to go.

For one serving, you will need:

•     1 (1.5 fluid ounce) jigger vodka

•     1/2 fluid ounce cointreau

•     1 teaspoon fresh lime juice

•     1 1/2 fluid ounces cranberry juice

•     1 twist lime zest, garnish

Double the ingredients for each additional serving. With lots of ice, pour everything into a shaker. Shake the mix thoroughly for several seconds before straining into a glass, preferably a martini glass. For a little touch, add a lime twist to the rim of the glass or in the drink.

8. Margarita
For those who like it plain and simple with citrus and tequila, this margarita is for you.

For one serving, you need:

•     1/4 (6 ounce) can frozen limeade concentrate

•     3 tablespoons tequila

•     1 tablespoon triple sec

Fill a blender with crushed ice and mix in the limeade concentrate, tequila, and triple sec. Blend until the mixture becomes smooth. Pour and serve!

Margaritas can even be prepared on the rocks! Follow the same steps as above. However, rub the rim of the glass with a lime. Pour salt (some may prefer sugar) onto a small plate. Take the glass and dip the rim in the salt (or sugar). Then pour in the margarita mix. Now you have a margarita on the rocks!

9. Sangria
Looking for some adventure in making a drink? Sangrias are more time consuming but you can make it to your own preference and perfection! They are great for serving at parties and for those looking to wind down with this wine-based cocktail that everyone is sure to love.

For a six cup serving, you will need:

•     1/2 cup

•     1/4 cup lemon juice

•     1/3 cup frozen lemonade concentrate

•     1/3 cup orange juice

•     1 bottle dry red wine
   
•     1/2 cup triple sec

•     1 lemon, sliced into rounds

•     1 orange, sliced into rounds

•     1 lime, sliced into rounds

•     1/4 cup white sugar (optional)

•     8 maraschino cherries

In a large bowl, or pitcher, mix together the brandy, lemon juice, lemonade concentrate, orange juice, red wine, triple sec and sugar. Throw in the slices of lemon, orange, lime and cherries and let them float in the mixture. Place the bowl, or pitcher, in the refrigerator and keep it in there for the night, or the most part of the day. For some fizz, add club soda, or ginger ale for a sweet taste, before serving.

10. Long Island Iced Tea
We can’t forget Long Island’s own - Long Island Iced Tea.

For one serving:

•     1 slice of lemon

•     1 ½ ounces of sour mix

•     ½ ounce of Vodka
   
•     1 can of Coke

•     ½ ounce of Triple Sec

•     ½ ounce of Tequila

•     ½ ounce of Rum

•     ½ ounce of Gin

Take a glass and fill it with ice. Add the different liquors and the sour mix. Top it off with the splash of coke. Serve with a slice of lemon.

These recipes are basic. Don’t be afraid to add your own twists to them. Feel free to add or remove ingredients as desired based on your own preferences to get just the taste you like.

Other Summer Favorites

Not a fan of fancy cocktails? Not everyone is fit for these drinks, so we’ve got you covered across the board for a variety of both alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages. There are plenty of laid back drinks for everyone to enjoy this summer.  With breweries all around Long Island, you can also enjoy yourself with some beer.

Check out this new sensation - Shandy. Is it beer? Is it lemonade? It’s lemonade beer! Shandy is a lemonade flavored beer perfect for someone who loves both lemonade and beer. If you are interested in making some of your own Shandy, check out this recipe:

•     1 bottle (12 ounces) of pale ale beer

•     ½ to 1 cup of prepared lemonade

Pale ale is ideal for this drink. However, any type of lager can be used in your preference. Pour the beer into a glass of your choice. Then, slowly add the lemonade while mixing.

Check out a local distributor for other choices such as ales, gluten-free beverages, and ciders. Ciders are becoming more and more popular. Through a recent bill passed by Cuomo, a new license will be available for farm cideries - similar to the current licenses for farm wineries, breweries and distilleries. This will make it a lot easier for local establishments to produce hard cider which, in turn, may make it more available to Long Islanders in the near future.

This is just the first installment of LongIsland.com's 2013 Sips of Summer Drink Recipes Series - be sure to keep an eye out for the upcoming 2013 Sips of Summer: Family Friendly Mock-Tail Guide.

Have an interesting drink you made that you would like to share? Let us know what you think of these yummy cocktails and what you have made on our Summer Drinks Discussion Forum!

Whatever you are drinking, remember to always keep yourself safe and  hydrated with water!

Enjoy and drink responsibly this summer!