The Coolest Summer Cocktails to Make with Your Friends

Like the sound of summer day drinking? Yeah, so do we. Keep your day job though, and on the weekend, make one of these mad-cool mixed drinks with ice cube percussion. Vacation can start after 5 o’ clock any day if you infuse your happy hour with chill vibes. It’s summer. And that’s pretty sweet.

So you’re tossing around ideas for your cocktail playlist to set the mood when your friends come over to hang at the pool, porch, yard, balcony, roof, (or OK, living room). Maybe you’re packing a picnic for the park or beach. We’ve got some drink recipes with just the right notes of citrus, rum, tequila—tropical-type ingredients—plus a couple surprises to keep things even more interesting.

Create cocktails that sing of summer.

Perfect Margarita

Chowhound

Our No. 1 cocktail for summer (based on the number of Chowhounds who read the recipe, saved it, loved it, used it, and rated it 4 stars) is this unblemished margarita, this epitome of summer-sipping excellence. Not to be relegated to Mexican or Tex-Mex meals only, the margarita is a go-to cocktail for anyone wanting to get into the summertime mood. But so many people and bartenders do it wrong. Don’t use sour mix. Please. Do it right. And that goes for generic triple sec. No. Use the good stuff: Cointreau. No packaged lime juice. Squeeze your own. It’s really not that hard. Those are a few tips toward perfection. The rest of our rules? Get our Perfect Margarita recipe.

Melon Dip

Chowhound

It’s not often you see ouzo in cocktails, but the powerful anise-flavored Greek liqueur marries well with massive amounts of fresh cantaloupe, plus lemon juice, simple syrup, and mint. Still, make sure to get a good-quality ouzo, because subpar stuff will definitely mar this melon marvel. If you really don’t like ouzo even when it’s top-shelf, then make this with your clear spirit of choice instead, whether white rum, vodka, or gin; the sweet, summery melon flavor will still shine, and you’ll still get a nice warm glow inside, even if the sun’s already gone down. Get our Melon Dip recipe.

Slushy Cherry Old Fashioned

Chowhound

With a blender and some ice, you can make all kinds of heat-beating slushy cocktails at home, from Frozen Pineapple Daiquiris to Slushy Strawberry Margaritas—but you don’t often think of the Old Fashioned as ripe for the frozen drink treatment. Whiskey often seems like more of a fall and winter spirit, after all. Add some fresh, juicy cherries and orange juice to the mix, though—plus ice to make it all slushy—and you have a brilliantly newfangled take on a classic, perfect for sipping in the warmer months. Get our Slushy Cherry Old Fashioned recipe.

Pimm’s Cup

Chowhound

The mint julep is to the Kentucky Derby what the Pimm’s Cup is to Wimbledon. Even if tennis makes you yawn, this fruity and fresh gin cocktail will make you yelp in delight. The key ingredient in this mixture is Pimm’s of course, Pimm’s No. 1, which is only about 25-percent alcohol so it’s more of a liqueur. That means you can quench your summertime thirst with a few of these without getting too sloppy. The rich amber hue of Pimm’s No. 1 comes from infusing lots of lovely gin with caramelized orange, herbal botanicals, and delicate spices. Served in a cup from a punch bowl to accompany shellfish, Pimm’s originated in a London oyster bar opened by James Pimm in 1823. Pimm’s Cup variations have spread from there across England, where it’s the indispensable item for a summer picnic basket. Across the Atlantic and beyond, the cocktail often blends Pimm’s No. 1 (not No. 2, 3, 4, etc., which use other liquors and spices) with fizzy lemonade, English cucumbers and summer fruit. Get our Pimm’s Cup recipe.

Beer and Watermelon Cocktail

Chowhound

Beer cocktails are underrated, yet plentiful once you start looking for them. From shandies and streamrollers to our Gridiron Punch, they’re full of refreshing flavors and fizz, and make a nice alternative to stiffer drinks (though they can certainly still pack a punch). This version blends white beer with fresh watermelon and Créole Shrubb liqueur—which is worth seeking out for its orange and baking-spice aromas and flavors—and stands as proof that fruity, refreshing drinks don’t have to be one-note. Get our Beer and Watermelon Cocktail recipe.

Moscow Mule

Chowhound

Wanna be on trend? Of course you do. Pretend otherwise, but we know the truth. You gotta at least grasp the trends before you can properly scoff at them. But while you’re grasping this Moscow Mule, you probably won’t want to let go before you down the whole thing. You can comfort yourself with the fact that this is a vintage drink that had gone out of style in the last few decades—until recently. It was born as vodka was born in the U.S., post World War II, when John Martin purchased the Smirnoff name and joined with a ginger beer maker and a copper mug collector to create this concoction. It was all the rage in the 1950s and ’60s, before sinking into obscurity. And now, yes, what’s old is new again. See why it worked so well more than a half century ago. Get our Moscow Mule recipe.

The Original Mai Tai

Chowhound

It doesn’t get more tropical than this. Those little drink-sized tiki umbrellas are a requirement for this fruity rum cocktail, as well as wearing an obnoxious Hawaiian-floral button-down shirt or a sarong and sandals. Shell necklaces are optional, but not ridiculed in this setting. The Mai Tai is a ridiculously obvious summer-appropriate drink to make for friends when you’re having a party. The recipe is based on “Beachbum Berry’s Sippin’ Safari” book by Jeff Berry. You’ll need to get some orange curaçao and orgeat, the latter being an almond-sugar syrup. Twirly or colorful straws get you bonus points. Get our The Original Mai Tai recipe.

Perfect Martini

Chowhound

The antithesis to the Mai Tai would be the Perfect Martini. It’s a drink for those who don’t want too much fuss and frivolity, at least in their glass. No shenanigans. Just clear, clean, crisp gin of the best kind and dry vermouth. The lemon twist garnish and olive are optional. You could take this cocktail even further from the tiki world by plunking in a cocktail onion. It’s the opposite of sweet. And you won’t have to mess with silly bubbles if you stir this drink rather than shake it. Because sometimes, you want your cocktail stirred, strained, chilled, and seriously pristine. Get our Perfect Martini recipe.

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The Best Summer Vegetarian Menu of All Time

Chowhound

The ideal summer menu for fans of meatless meals (that are so amazing omnivores won’t notice no animals were harmed) doesn’t follow one type of cuisine. It’s a combination of cuisines that fuse well: A little tropical, Indian, Mediterranean, Tex-Mex, Southwestern, and Southern. Basically, it’s all-American, the hodgepodge that makes eating throughout the U.S. so diverse and exciting.

And it is the best summer vegetarian menu Of. All. Time. We’re not over-selling this or anything. Noooo, we wouldn’t do that. (wink, wink) But really, we’ve curated nine of Chowhound’s most popular meatless dishes to chew and sip in the summertime.

You have spoken. See what you have to say.

The Original Mai Tai

Chowhound

Our Perfect Margarita recipe is even more popular in the summer cocktail category, but that’s so obvious. When’s the last time you made a Mai Tai? Exactly. Get ready for tiki party time with this recipe, which originates with Trader Vic in the 1930s. You’ll need a somewhat obscure item — orgeat, an almond-sugar syrup — as well as orange curaçao, and then the usual suspects, like rum and mint.  Get our The Original Mai Tai recipe.

Mint and Lime Iced Tea

Chowhound

The best menu of all time has to feature a nonalcoholic option that’s still interesting and refreshing. Throwing out the regular iced black tea with lemon is this recipe, which calls for green tea. It’s got all these health benefits, but what mostly matters to us is the winning flavor combination of tea, mint, lime, and sweetness. Get our Mint and Lime Iced Tea recipe.

Easy Guacamole 

Chowhound

Making this classic avocado spread has never been simpler. Get our Easy Guacamole recipe.

Spicy Oven-Roasted Chickpeas

You gotta have a snack for people to munch on straight away while you finish cooking and compiling. Think of these chickpeas like those little bowls of bar snacks. Instead of pretzels and peanuts (oh, wait…is that airplane food?), you have crunchy-on-the-outside, soft-and-creamy-on-the-inside chickpeas, coated with cumin, chili powder, cayenne, and sea salt. Get our Spicy Oven-Roasted Chickpeas recipe.

Sautéed Zucchini

Chowhound

This is our No. 1 most popular summer side dish of 2015, and we think you’ll love it in 2016 and beyond as well. Part of its appeal is how easy it is to make. You’ll have enough going on with this menu that everything can’t be labor-intensive. Zucchini is a summer vegetable that’s hard not to like, and a dash of red pepper flakes and shaved Parmesan go a long way. Get our Sautéed Zucchini recipe.

Fresh Corn and Tomato Salad

Chowhound

On the same note, this salad is pretty easy to make too. And it’s kinda light, which you’ll need when you see what’s coming next. The recipe highlights two of the best vegetables (or technically, a vegetable and fruit) in the summer. Both corn and tomatoes never taste better than when they’re fresh. Get our Fresh Corn and Tomato Salad recipe.

Chiles Rellenos

Chowhound

Now here come the heavy hitters on this menu.  First you make the roasted tomato salsa, and then you roast some smoky poblano chiles. Seed it, and stuff those babies with gooey, melty, stringy cheese. The coating is actually low-carb, if that matters to you. It’s just whipped egg whites and then egg yolks. It’s not a pretty dish, but man, does it hit the spot. Get our Chiles Rellenos recipe.

Cheesy Enchiladas

Chowhound

Who doesn’t like enchiladas? The beauty of this main course item is that you can make it ahead of time. If you’re entertaining guests, that can be pretty handy. And, you can freeze leftover or extra enchiladas for later! Enchiladas all the time! You start by making the chile gravy. End with happy bellies. Get our Cheesy Enchiladas recipe.

Peach Pie with Pecan Streusel

Chowhound

We’ve been visiting the Southwest and Texas lately, and now we’re steering south and east to Georgia territory. Those guys know their peaches and pecans. Peaches are a summer stone fruit that you gotta eat while it’s around. So juicy. So sweet. If crusts aren’t your forte, it’ll be less noticeable with a streusel top. Get our Peach Pie with Pecan Streusel recipe.

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

Chowhound

You absolutely cannot, we repeat, cannot, have a fruit pie without vanilla ice cream. It’s a rule. A good one. This high-rated ice cream isn’t an unusual flavor, but it’s a classic for a reason. Plus, you don’t want to detract too much from the peachy flavors next door. Those scraped vanilla beans really are wonderful. Get our Vanilla Bean Ice Cream recipe.

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Watermelon Pitcher Margaritas

When it comes to cocktails, the situation dictates the drink. If you’re having a swanky steak dinner, then that’s a martini sort of meal. Headed to a picnic and Shakespeare in the Park? That begs for the boozy Pomegranate Paloma, swigged from a flask. (Assuming you’re seeing a comedy. If it’s a tragedy, go with something bitter, such as a Dark and Stormy.)

But if the weather is sporting triple digits and I’m floating on a raft in the pool, then it’s time to go for something juicier and far more thirst quenching. Enter the watermelon margarita.

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Best Summer Side Dishes Worth Building a Feast Around

Barring a steak frites feast or Korean barbecue blowout, meat is not always the main attraction at a great meal—not even at a summer grilling bash. The focus may not necessarily be a vegetarian equivalent of a meaty main, either. The side dish can grab center stage instead, stealing the spotlight because it’s just so damn delicious. When you’ve got a stellar side dish on your hands, you start with that and then plan the rest of your meal by how well it will complement your star.

To come up with a side dish so compelling that it motivates the character of your whole meal, start with the current season. If it’s summer, you’ve got a bounty of potentials to choose: corn, tomatoes, peppers, herbs, summer squash, green beans, beets, avocado, celery, cabbage, peas, and radishes. Plus there are the usual carb players: potatoes, rice, pasta, bread, rice. And remember the rule that quality cheese improves almost everything. (That’s our rule, at least.)

As you set the serving plates on the table, watch out for that sidekick. Its impact can be powerful enough to earn all the accolades. But that’s fine with us. A starring side dish elevates the whole production.

Grilled Corn with Cayenne, Lime, and Cotija

Chowhound

If you thought fresh summer corn on the cob was plenty flavorful enough, well, that’s true. But there’s a way to make it unexpectedly better, so much so that the grilled steak or burgers won’t be the talk of the meal. It might be even better to have a Mexican-style main dish, such as tacos, tamales, chiles relleños, enchiladas, or fajitas to go with this side. Speaking of this side: Slathering each cob with mayonnaise, spice, crumbly Mexican cheese, and tangy lime juice is a combination that might not come to mind at first. But oh, does it work. There’ll be explosions of flavor in your mouth! Don’t take it from us that it works. Try it. Get our Grilled Corn with Cayenne, Lime, and Cotija recipe.

Grilled Watermelon, Feta, and Mint Salad

Chowhound

Grilled watermelon combines two of the best things about summer: cooking out and feasting on fresh, juicy fruit. Lots of summer fruit is great grilled, but there’s something especially appropriate about placing watermelon on the fire. Pair its smoke-kissed sweetness with salty, sharp feta cheese and refreshing mint for a sparkling summer salad that will outshine pretty much anything else near it. For that reason, you should keep your main course on the simple side; think grilled shrimp or grilled chicken, with understated seasonings, maybe with a Greek bent (lemon, thyme, oregano) to complement the feta. Get our Grilled Watermelon, Feta, and Mint Salad recipe.

Panzanella Tuscan Bread Salad

Chowhound

Summer tomatoes are the best because this is when they’re in season, and freshness is never more important in a vegetable’s taste than in a tomato. Have you tried those bland, watery types of tomatoes at the supermarket? Gather some ruby red tomatoes, or any vivid color if you can get your hand on the less common heirloom varieties. This is the time to harvest your garden or peruse the local farmers market. The salad is also useful as a vehicle for using up your almost stale Italian or French bread. It has to be that crusty kind though, to hold its own in the savory anchovy-laden lemon-garlic vinaigrette. Crunchy cucumbers and freshly torn basil provide even more texture and fragrance. Get our Panzanella Tuscan Bread Salad recipe.

Creamy Cucumber Salad

Chowhound

Really, a dish doesn’t have to be complicated to be the highlight of the meal. For example, our popular cucumber salad, which possesses one of our favorite textures of all time—creamy. To get that creaminess, you have to salt the cucumbers and let that salt draw out the excess water that’s inherent to cucumbers. Then the sour cream can do its magic. Fresh herbs, in this case dill, are the final touch that makes this simple salad wake up your senses to the bounty that summer provides. This would be a great side dish to salmon, fish, crabs, lobster, chicken, pork, or even beef. Get our Creamy Cucumber Salad recipe.

Grilled Sweet Potatoes with Sour Cream and Lime Sauce

Chowhound

Potato salad, roasted potatoes, mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, fried potatoes: We’re familiar with all these tuber techniques. Grilled sweet potato wedges? Not so much. Thick wedges of the vibrant orange potato are boiled, cooled, rubbed with a spicy-smoky mix of cayenne, cumin, and oil, and then grilled. The cooling sour cream, lime juice, and cilantro sauce can be dolloped on top or served as a dip. This is not your average preparation of sweet potatoes. It’s a summer version that couldn’t be further from the winter holiday variety with all that brown sugar, marshmallows, and cinnamon. It’s motivation to think of what other dishes you’d like to grill to accompany this sure-thing. Get our Grilled Sweet Potatoes with Sour Cream and Lime Sauce recipe.

Stuffed Poblano Peppers with Black Beans and Cheese

Chowhound

Don’t even think about it. It’s tempting. You might want to make this the main dish in your meal because it looks like it’s got it all. You’ve got your protein (black beans), your vegetable (poblanos and tomatoes), your carb (basmati rice), and your cheese (what, that’s not an essential food group?). But this would be great with chicken or even a marinated skirt steak and salad. You cut and gut the seeds and membranes out of the poblanos just like you would with a Halloween jack-o-lantern pumpkin. Poblanos are very mild peppers, by the way. Inside those peppers go the rice, tomatoes, scallions, Cotija cheese, sour cream, cilantro, and cumin. You secure the pepper lid back on with toothpicks and bake until the poblano skin is all blistery and wonderful. Get our Stuffed Poblano Peppers with Black Beans and Cheese recipe.

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Salute Summer with these 15 Gin and Tonic Variations

The tinkle of its ice cubes signals refreshing cocktail relief—something cool, dry, and clear. Modernized martinis and fruity beach cocktails all have their place, but a gin and tonic is everything we crave in the muggy, hot summer doldrums. Why is that?

For the same reason lemonade slakes our thirst, says Dianne de la Veaux, professional chef and mixologist in New York City. “Bitter and sour flavors are perceived as refreshing by the palate,” she says, “and with a gin and tonic, you usually have lime with it and just enough sweetness to make it easy to drink.”

When the classic G&T gets boring, there’s no end to the ways you can mix it up. De la Veaux created a new gin and tonic recipe by infusing her Dorothy Parker gin with leftover Key lime shells (the remains after being zested and juiced) and slices of ginger. Then de la Veaux added a touch of hibiscus flower Hella Tonic syrup, along with a squeeze of lime juice and Q tonic, a brand that uses agave nectar instead of high fructose corn syrup.

As for the basics: Gin is a clear alcohol made from distilled grain or malt that tastes predominately of juniper berries. Unlike other liquors, gin has a loose definition other than that, so the taste of gin among each distiller is enormously diverse and often has citrus, nuts, herbs, and cucumbers added to it. Tonic water is different from club soda and soda water because, while it’s also a carbonated water, it has quinine, a bitter-flavored cinchona bark that used to be a malaria drug for sailors visiting the tropics. Legend has it, gin was added to the quinine tonic water to make it taste less bitter. (Tonic water has a lot less quinine in there now.)

One ingredient just can’t be excluded from a gin and tonic, de la Veaux says.

“I probably wouldn’t bother if I didn’t have a lime,” de la Veaux says. “Sometimes with other drinks, the lemon or lime garnish is superfluous, but with a gin and tonic, the lime is essential.”

Our classic recipe has all the essentials, but as for the rest, well…see for yourself how we mix it up.

1. Gin and Tonic

Chowhound

When you want a classic gin and tonic, this is the recipe that gets it done. Take note of the ratios and technique. It’s simple, but a few things can be improved upon. Get our Gin and Tonic recipe.

2. Gin and Tonic, Barcelona Style

Chowhound

Spain is a gin and tonic swilling country. One of their most celebrated cities has its own angle on it too, involving a lemon twist, rosemary sprig, sea salt, caperberry, small, mild, aromatic olives, Plymouth gin, and Indian tonic water. Get our Gin and Tonic, Barcelona Style recipe.

3. Virgin Gin and Tonic

Chowhound

Making a nonalcoholic rendition of a cocktail that uses only two (or three, if you count the lime) ingredients actually takes a lot more ingredients. Get our Virgin Gin and Tonic recipe.

4. Glow-in-the-Dark Gin and Tonic Jelly

Leites Culinaria

Did you know if you shine a black light on tonic water, it will glow in the dark? The quinine in it is sensitive to ultra-violet light. Just add gelatin to your gin and tonic and make it in molds or little plastic cups for Halloween, a weird party, or you know, Tuesday. Get our Glow-in-the-Dark Gin and Tonic Jelly recipe.

5. Spiced Gin and Tonic

Chowhound

A dry gin like Bluecoat or Beefeater complements the homemade spiced tonic water needed in this cocktail. You’ll infuse the tonic water with juniper berries, orange peel, Sichuan peppercorns, and cardamom pods for a real full-bodied spicy flavor. Get our Spiced Gin and Tonic recipe.

6. Bloody Strawberry Gin and Tonic

Chowhound

London Dry gin is just buttoned-up enough for half of a blood orange and one large strawberry, along with the tonic. Get our Bloody Strawberry Gin and Tonic recipe.

7. A G&T with Juniper and Bay Leaf Syrup

Chowhound

Infuse your sugar syrup with juniper berries and bay leaves, which mimics the herbaceous and menthol taste of London dry gin. Then proceed with your usual gin and tonic, adding the syrup to taste. Get our Juniper and Bay Leaf Syrup recipe.

8. Tom Collins Cocktail

Chowhound

Admittedly, this has soda water instead of tonic so you don’t get that characteristic quinine flavor. It also uses a dash of superfine sugar and a lemon instead of a lime. Get our Tom Collins Cocktail recipe.

9. G&T with Mint Syrup

Chowhound

Some gins already have a menthol taste, so it’s no surprise that mint syrup would be a great addition to the classic. Get our Mint Syrup recipe.

10. Raspberry Rose Gin and Tonic

Hungry Australian

Fresh raspberries, rosewater, sugar, lime, and dried rose petals make this pretty (and pretty wonderful) cocktail. Get the recipe.

11. Melon Gin and Tonic

A Cozy Kitchen

Blend up some honeydew melon with sugar and water, and strain it so you can add it to your G&T. Get this recipe.

12. St. Germain Gin and Tonic

The Sweetest Occasion

The addition of St. Germain, an elderflower liqueur, is a fragrant, delicate French idea. Get the recipe.

13. Ginger and Lime Cocktail

The Little Epicurean

Fresh mint, lime juice, lime bitters and ginger syrup mix with gin, but not tonic. Here, it’s ginger beer. Get the recipe.

14. Hibiscus Gin and Tonic

The Girl on Bloor

This is not just the Jamaican flower in this G&T. There’s also cucumber and grapefruit here. And the hibiscus is infused through tea. Get the recipe.

15. Cucumber Rosemary Gin and Tonic

Eat Drink and Be Tracy

Cucumber is the natural foil to the herbaceous rosemary, which spruces up your ho-hum gin and tonic without adding any cloying flavors. Get the recipe.

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Beat Summer Boredom with Edible Crafts for Kids

Does the whiny pitch of “I’m booooored,” fill you with dread? You could be like my dad and answer with “Well, I’ve got some chores for you to do. Are you still bored?” and that solved that. Or you can take on the responsibility of entertaining your child 24/7. There’s a middle ground, of course. And some of it lies in the kitchen, where you can use food crafts to occupy your children, rather than the TV or whatever digital technology you use.

Try some of these tips. This food might not be the healthiest, but it’s not healthy for them when you lose your temper, either. You know what else is healthy? Fun. Relaxing a little. And engaging in new activities that require thinking in different ways. You can achieve all these virtues in one edible craft idea. Go ahead, see what happens.

1.  Easy Edible Construction Trucks

All Free Kids Crafts

Use wafer cookies, pretzels and Rolo candies to make these adorable trucks. Get the recipe.

2. Healthy Candy Bracelets

One Little Project

OK, forgive us this one healthy idea. You can still use jelly beans or M&Ms if you insist. Or do like this recipe suggests and gather dried fruit, yogurt-covered raisins, and Cheerios. Get the recipe.

3. Homemade Edible Finger Paint

Mommypotamus

Use yogurt or sour cream and spices for color. Your toddler can play with the paints in her or his diaper, and your older children can paint actual pictures, or modern abstract art if that’s their thing. Get the recipes.

4. Edible Marshmallow Play Dough

One Little Project

I (almost) want to make this for myself! So much better than the nontoxic store-bought play dough. Sure, your kid won’t be poisoned from it, but this stuff is actual food, although very sugary food. Get the recipe.

5. Rainbow Jar Kids’ Science Experiment

PlayDough to Plato

OK, most of these activities have to do with art, but science is important too. A couple of this recipe’s items are not edible, but the others are. Your kid can learn about density, and how different liquids have different weights. Cool. Get the recipe.

6. Rainbow Bread Painting

Kids Craft Room

A little gel food coloring, granulated white sugar, white bread, and paint brushes do can provide a novel way to have fun that regular painting can’t. Get the recipe.

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