The Summer Cocktails of 2026
Sunshine, ice and good spirits — your guide to the freshest drinks of the year
Summer is the season that cocktails were invented for. Long evenings, heat you can feel on your skin, the kind of warmth that makes an icy glass sweat the moment you pour it — every element conspires to make a great drink taste even better. Here are the cocktails we reach for when the temperature climbs.
The Mojito: Cuba's Gift to Summer
If you had to design the perfect summer drink from scratch, you'd probably end up with a Mojito. White rum for depth, lime for brightness, sugar to balance, mint for that hit of fresh green — and soda water to make everything sparkle. It's a masterclass in how a few ingredients, treated with care, can produce something that feels effortless.
The secret is the muddling. Press the mint leaves gently — you want to bruise them, not shred them. Torn mint turns bitter; bruised mint releases its oils in the most delicious way possible. Use fresh lime juice, never bottled, and crushed ice for the full experience.
Featured Drink
Mojito
Cuba's most beloved export: a refreshing blend of white rum, fresh mint, and zesty lime that tastes like a Caribbean breeze.
Use a good white Cuban rum like Havana Club 3 or Bacardí. The rum is the backbone — don't cut corners here.
Hugo Spritz: The Alpine Newcomer That Took Over Europe
While the Aperol Spritz was conquering the world, the Hugo Spritz was quietly becoming the most-ordered drink in the Alps. Elderflower cordial, prosecco, fresh mint and a splash of soda — it's lighter than an Aperol, sweeter, and utterly disarming on a terrace somewhere warm.
Invented in 2005 by Roland Gruber in South Tyrol, the Hugo went from a local curiosity to a pan-European phenomenon. You'll find it in every bar from Oslo to Sicily now. The floral elderflower note makes it feel special without requiring any bartending skill.
Featured Drink
Hugo Spritz
Born in the South Tyrol mountains of northern Italy, the Hugo is a delicate, floral alternative to the Aperol Spritz — elderflower liqueur, Prosecco, mint, and soda.
Paloma: Mexico's Favourite (That Most People Haven't Tried Yet)
In Mexico, the Paloma outsells the Margarita by a wide margin. Tequila, fresh grapefruit juice, a squeeze of lime, a pinch of salt and grapefruit soda — it's everything a summer drink should be. Tart, a little bitter, faintly salty, and ice cold.
The grapefruit does the heavy lifting here. It's more complex than lemon or lime, sitting at the intersection of sweet and bitter in a way that makes you want another sip immediately. Use fresh juice if you can; Jarritos grapefruit soda if you can't.
Featured Drink
Paloma
Mexico's most popular cocktail (more beloved there than the Margarita) — blanco tequila, fresh grapefruit juice, and fizzy water over ice with a salted rim.
Tajín salt on the rim — a Mexican chilli-lime salt — takes the Paloma from great to extraordinary.
The Malibu comeback
I don’t think it has every been out of style, more like under appreciated. The sweet and gentle coconut rum mixed great with other tropical fruit-juices, and is a must have for the summer bar!
We keep pushing it, but it is a banger! Is the sun shining? What to create both a fresh tasting drink that also looks great?
Malibu Sunset is the one to choose!
Featured Drink
Malibu Sunset
A tropical layered beauty that captures the colours of a Caribbean sunset — coconut rum, bright citrus, and a slow sink of grenadine that paints the glass in amber and crimson.
The Summer Punch Bowl
No summer party is complete without a punch bowl. The formula is simple: a base spirit (or two), citrus, sweetness, something sparkling, and an aromatic element — herbs, flowers or spice.
A crowd-pleasing recipe for Rum punch! Just 3x, 5x or 10x the recipe!
Don’t skip on the ice and garnish here! Its as much about the visual as the taste!
Featured Drink
Rum Punch
One of sour, two of sweet, three of strong, four of weak — the Caribbean's simple ratio punch formula makes a balanced, fruity, perfectly refreshing rum drink every time.