Exceptional Sips: 4 Unique Summer Cocktails To Try

Nothing beats a cool beverage when the temperatures rise. As August hits, kick back and beat the heat with these quaffable cocktail recipes from some of the world’s best bartenders.

For Sunny Days: Summer Bliss

This cocktail is delicate and refreshing, perfect for summer. The ingredients bring an intense freshness that transports you to a Greek island or, with the right soundtrack, a walk along the Ibizan coastline. Vasilis Sgouromallis and Dimitris Karapanos head up bar direction for the Juls restaurant group operating out of Athens and Ibiza, with plans to expand to London in 2025 (Londoners, mark your calendars and come thirsty). They also lend their expertise and explosive creativity to Liquid Elements, a consulting firm dedicated to pioneering and elevating bar services. Basil and strawberry play on the botanicals, and lemon zest sparkles like sunshine on the Aegean shoreline.

In a highball glass, combine and stir:
40ml Axia Aegean Spirit**
30ml Basil Strawberry cordial*
20ml lemon juice
80ml soda

Garnish with a lemon zest.

*Basil Strawberry Cordial:
250g strawberries, thinly sliced
30g basil leaves
250g sugar

Combine ingredients in a jar and let them rest for three days in the fridge. Strain before using and keep for up to two weeks.

**Axia is a dry version of a rare Greek spirit derived from the healing resin of the mastic tree that grows exclusively on Chios island. The flavour is reminiscent of eucalyptus, mint and coconut. As a substitute, Vasilis and Dimitris recommend using the most botanical dry gin you can get your hands on.

For Intoxicating Afternoons: Devil’s Milk

This creamy summer cocktail comes courtesy of Lefteris Lisgaras, part of the all-star team behind Athens’ Baba Au Rum. Consistent chart-topper and world-famous mecca for rum lovers, this Athenian hotspot merits a stop in the Greek capital en route to the islands. Their exhaustive rum list and sumptuous cocktails are a pleasure for the senses, with Devil’s Milk headlining, according to Lefteris, as a favourite of both guests and regulars. Jamaican coconut rum combined with chilli pepper and chocolate, fresh lime juice and the bar’s unique, homemade Falernum liqueur adds complexity and balance. This recipe requires some legwork, but it’s worth the reward. 

60 ml Jamaican Coconut Rum
20 ml Fresh lime juice
8 ml Chilli Syrup*
10 ml Falernum Liquer**
5 dash Chocolate Bitters

Put all the ingredients together and shake. Fine strain and serve in a coupe glass with fresh lime peel and grated nutmeg.

*For Chilli Syrup
500gr. Water
500gr. sugar
65gr chilli pepper
2gr dehydrated chilli pepper 

**For Falernum liqueur
700ml Jamaican over-proof rum
200 gr lime peels
20gr cloves
60 gr chopped ginger
80 pieces of roasted almonds
1 cinnamon stick
1550ml simple syrup
50ml orgeat syrup

Infuse all the spices into the rum for 24 hours. Fine strain, then add simple syrup and orgeat syrup, or other creamy almond syrup like orzata. Before serving: add 25ml fresh lime juice per 100ml of liqueur.

For Idle Evenings: Bright Moon

Beloved dive bar El Batey is the oldest continuously operating establishment in Viejo San Juan, Puerto Rico. While they serve up their share of rum shots (don’t skip Don Q and Ron del Barrilito) and Medalla beer bottles, they also mix a world-class cocktail; bar manager Mario Seijo Rivera brings nearly two decades of experience at award-winning industry hotspots like La Factoría and Santaella. For a lower-alcohol option that conjures laid-back summer evenings, Mario shared a recipe he’s been working on all season. Based on crème de violette, a violet-infused brandy base, the Bright Moon combines the potent earthy and floral aromas of pure Austrian violet with piquant citrus and the sparkle of soda water or the tang of tonic. A wide wedge of lemon gleams amid the blue like a glowing crescent moon. 

30 ml Creme de Violette (Rivera like Rothman & Winter)
1 Lemon wedge (squeezed)

Top off with either soda water (like Perrier) or a tonic water of your preference. Stir and drop in a large lemon wedge for visual effect.

For Steamy Nights: Oriental Scent

Even on the most scorching days in Rome, the vibe is breezy and transcendent at newcomer Masa – a year-old rooftop bar at the Major Hotel. Here, cocktails compliment a menu that spans Mediterranean cuisine from East to West. Exotic spice blends meet fruit, flowers and a botanical burst of sakura gin in this refreshing recipe courtesy of bar manager Alessandro Guaschi. 

4.5 CL Roku Sakura Gin
1.5 CL Mancino Sakura Vermouth
1.5 CL 7 Japanese Spice Infusion*

Top up with a splash of elderflower liqueur (Saint Germaine or Monini) or peach tonic.

*For 7 Japanese Spice Infusion:
1 litre water
100 ml sugar
20 grams of Japanese spice blend

Combine and sous vide for four hours, or macerate for 24 hours. Strain before using.