Summer Cocktails Come Together Quickly Thanks to Kitchen Staples

Keep it relaxed, informal and Seriously Simple. (Yvonne Duivenvoorden/TNS)

Summertime is relaxed and informal. I often find my friends like to stop by for a casual visit in the late afternoon or early evening. They often ask me how I can throw together a last-minute cocktail visit. It’s pretty easy.

Some quick bites are Seriously Simple to serve since there is no cooking involved and all that is required is putting them in dishes. And the drinks are a cinch, as I usually have certain items at the ready. For example, I keep fresh mint in my garden year-round, and the other ingredients are staples from the bar, pantry, or fridge.

You’ll notice I prefer sparkling wine like prosecco for my cocktail recipes, particularly in the summer. I find it is a refreshing, light alternative to stronger alcoholic drinks. So, my advice? Keep the ingredients mentioned in the following recipes in your pantry, fridge, or bar. Then you’ll be able to make a few of my favorite chilled cocktails that really hit the spot on hot days.

Quick bites I like to serve with these cocktails include: green Castelvetrano olives; truffled, or herb-flavored Marcona almonds or mixed roasted nuts; cut-up carrots and celery, slices of cucumber, and baby red and yellow tomatoes; and blocks of Parmesan or other hard or soft cheeses, plus crackers for the cheese.

Lemon-Blueberry Spritzer

Light and citrusy, this is a good cocktail to serve in the afternoon or for a prolonged cocktail hour. It is festive, with its bubbly bite, and colorful, with blueberries hugging the bottom of the cocktail glass.

Serves 6

• 1 (750-milliliter) bottle chilled prosecco
• 1 cup chilled sparkling water
• 1/2 cup limoncello
• 1/4 cup blueberries

In a glass pitcher, combine all the ingredients and stir to blend. Pour into Champagne flutes and serve immediately.

Summer Cooler

This is refreshing and potent. Cucumber and fresh mint add a cooling touch. Muddling (or bruising, but not crushing) the cucumber helps release the juice and essential oils. A muddler is a handy tool to tackle this task, but you can also use a pestle or even an ordinary spoon in a pinch.

Try to estimate how many drinks you will be serving, and have containers of cucumber, lime juice, and mint ready to go. You can use a cocktail shaker if you prefer to make a batch. I make these individually and keep 1- and 2-ounce measures close by.

Serves 1

• 2 tablespoons thin European cucumber strips (about 3 inches long)
• Ice cubes
• 2 ounces vodka
• 1 ounce St-Germain (elderflower liqueur)
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 3 fresh mint leaves, torn
• Sparkling wine or sparkling water to top off the drink

Put the cucumber in a cocktail glass and muddle it.

Add ice cubes to the glass and then pour in the vodka, liqueur, and lime juice. Add the mint leaves and stir to combine.

Top off the drink with sparkling apple cider, wine, or sparkling water and serve.

Sparkling Wine With Peach Nectar and Liqueur

You can serve this year-round, but I particularly like to serve it in the warm summer and early fall months. The double dose of peachiness could make it your summer go-to drink. You could also alter this with raspberries. If you prefer a non-alcoholic drink, use sparkling water instead of sparkling wine.

Serves 1

• 1 tablespoon peach nectar
• 1/2-ounce peach liqueur (I use Mathilde, from France)
• Chilled sparkling wine to top off the drink (use a moderately priced bottle, like prosecco or cava)

Combine peach nectar and liqueur in a Champagne flute. Slowly pour the sparkling wine into the flute to fill it three-quarters full. Serve immediately.

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