For many, Labor Day marks the unofficial end of summer, but it’s not as if it really switches so abruptly into fall on the first Tuesday in September. Instead, it’s a gradual shift from one season to the next: day by day, the sun sinks earlier, the wind gets chillier, the vivid abundance of summer produce begins to dwindle and disappear. Before it’s gone, grab up all the best summer fruits and vegetables remaining and wring out every last bit of their beautiful flavor. You can do it literally too, by squeezing out their essence into your cocktail glass, because even corn, chiles, and tomatoes make great drinks.
Try one of these unique cocktails featuring seasonal summer produce to capture the last traces of its peak-of-perfection taste, and remember, there will be lots to love about fall too. But it can be hard to let go, we know. So grip your glass tight and drink in all the glorious sweetness of summer while you still can.
Zestful Kitchen
Summer corn has a natural sweetness that makes it just as marvelous as any fruit in margaritas, and its starch lends a delicate creaminess to drinks. This one only adds tequila, agave syrup, and lime juice. If you’re unsure about cilantro, skip it, but consider a skewer of kernels as a garnish (as seen in these sweet corn and limoncello cocktails, which are another great way to get more of summer’s golden ears before they’re gone). Get the recipe.
What Should I Make For…
Grilling fruit intensifies its flavor and adds a lovely smoky dimension—and it’s the appropriately summery thing to do, of course. Here, lightly charred strawberries are blended with vodka and a sprightly lime-thyme simple syrup (strawberry thyme prosecco is another nice iteration of this fruit/herb pairing). A sturdy straw makes hulling strawberries a cinch. Get the recipe.
Golden Beet and Yellow Tomato Bloody Mary
The Forked Spoon
Sunlight takes on a more honeyed golden glow as we slide into fall, and these Bloody Marys seem to hint at that richer, softer light, while staying firmly planted in summertime. Golden beets and yellow tomatoes make for a more mellow, sweet, and earthy cocktail, but it still packs plenty of bright acidity and a punch of spice and salt. Get the recipe.
Set the Table
As with so many other fruits and vegetables, zucchini is available all year, but the infamous abundance of summer zucchini is much sweeter since it’s in its prime season. Its juice adds a verdant freshness to a simple vodka soda with a sparkle of sea salt, and the shredded green flesh left behind is great for making zucchini fritters to snack on alongside. Get the recipe.
Rum and Peach Cocktail with Chile Syrup
Kitchen Sanctuary
Juicy late-summer peaches are ripe for turning into cocktails. Here, they’re grilled and paired with a spicy peach-jalapeño simple syrup, rum, and bubbly ginger beer, for a refreshing cocktail with a bit of sweet heat. Get the recipe.
Salted Plains
Liberate your honeydew melon from the fruit salad bowl and put it in a glass instead. Fresh honeydew margaritas are a great option, but while the evenings are still warm enough, why not blend up a frozen daiquiri with this pale green fruit on the cusp of fall? Get the recipe.
Watermelon, Gin, and Basil Cocktail
A Spicy Perspective
One of the most iconic farm stand fruits of summer, watermelon is also one of the most inherently refreshing. If you prefer bubbles, our Beer and Watermelon Cocktail is a great alternative, or you can just spike an entire watermelon with vodka (or tequila), but this cooling gin cocktail also makes use of basil, one of the best summery herbs around. Get the recipe.
Blueberry, Lemon, and Cucumber Gin Mojitos
Killing Thyme
Cucumbers and blueberries are both in their prime through August, which would be an ideal time to sip this beautifully floral lemon and gin drink, but it will still induce a sigh of wistful appreciation on the edge of September. The amethyst hue comes from a honey-based blueberry simple syrup. Get the recipe.
Chowhound
Avocados are actually pretty great all year, but domestic production peaks in summer, so it’s also a great time to try a naturally creamy avo-based cocktail. Ours includes fresh thyme, silver tequila, lime juice, and agave syrup, but one commenter suggests a splash of lemon-lime soda if you’re a fan of fizz. Get our Copa Verde Avocado Cocktail recipe.
Hatch Chile and Raspberry Moscow Mule
Gastronom
Hatch green chiles have become something of a sensation well beyond their native New Mexico, and while their season fluctuates depending on the weather each year, it usually starts sometime in August and lasts through September. Here, roasted Hatch chiles are simmered with raspberries in a simple syrup that makes for an especially kicky Moscow Mule. Get the recipe.
Pequito Verdecito (Tomatillo Pineapple Cocktail)
Chocolate + Marrow
Tomatillos are particularly good in August and on through early fall, but they’re not just for salsa verde. Try pairing their bright tang with pineapple and lime juice, tequila, a little jalepeño hot sauce, and a lot of cool fresh mint, for a sweet, spicy, and rather brilliant cocktail with all the vibrancy of warm summer sun. Get the recipe.
Related Video: How to Crush Ice for Cocktails
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