World Cocktail Day: Experts share fun cocktail varieties you can easily make at home using summer staples
Raise your glass in cheers and celebrate World Cocktail Day today with these bevys that are easy to make with summer staples
To celebrate World Cocktail Day today, we bring you some easy-to-make cocktails made with summer staples, from raw mango to kokum and cucumbers. Here are 6 cocktails you can try:
Sip of Summer
Whether you’re hosting a summer party or simply winding down in your balcony, give your cocktail a desi flavour by adding ingredients like kacha aam (raw mango) and pudina (mint). Mixologist Akshay Bahera from Courtyard By Marriott Ranchi, Jharkhand, recommends: “Muddle raw mango with fresh mint, a splash of lemon juice, sugar, black salt, and topping it off with chilled soda. You can add in a splash of gin, Tequila or vodka. It makes for a hydrating, zingy, and perfect cocktail in the summertime.”
The Green Coast Cooler
Summer cocktails should be uncomplicated - “like a cool breeze in a glass,” says Asmita Rawal, mixologist at DPB Taj Cidade de Goa, Goa, adding. “I focus on bringing coastal elements into every sip. It is a simple drink with readily available ingredients like slices of cucumber, handful of mint leaves, coconut water and lime juice.” Mix all these elements and add a splash of gin along with some ice. Add some salt along the rim of a highball glass and serve with a sprig of mint.
Citrus Garden Spritz
With the summer sun shinning bright, this cooling cocktail can become your go-to. In a glass, muddle orange and lime wedges with some touch of kokum syrup. Add vodka or rum, and stir gently. Top it with some sparkling water and add lots of ice. Suparna Gawas, Mixologist, Wynk, Vivanta Goa, Panaji, says, “I like to use kokum in summer cocktails for a tangy twist that’s both cooling and antioxidant-rich. To add a touch of fancy to your drink, make floral ice cubes by adding hibiscus, rose or marigold petals into your ice tray with filtered water.”
Butterfly Blue Pea Cocktail with Mango and Ice Apple
Ingredients:
3 tbsp - Blue pea tea bags
1 cup - Hot water
2.5 tbsp - Sugar
A few Ice Cubes
60 ml - Vodka
1 - lemon wedge
60 ml - Lime-flavoured soda
1 tbsp - Mango pieces
1 tbsp - Ice apple chunks
Method:
Steep the blue pea tea in hot water. Add sugar and stir.
Once the tea has cooled, create the cocktail by pouring the tea and vodka in a highball glass and add ice.
Add mango and ice apple chunks. Squeeze in some lemon juice.
Top the drink off with some lime-flavoured soda.
Garnish with edible flowers or a twist of orange peel. Enjoy.
Inputs by Chef Virendra Rawat, founder, Good Food Concept
Watermelon Picante Cocktail
Ingredients:
60 ml of Reposado Tequila
25ml of Watermelon & King Chili Cordial
2-3 grams of fresh coriander
10 ml of fresh lime juice
Watermelon slice for garnish
Coriander salt for rim
Method:
Prep the glass:
Add salt and finely chopped coriander on a plate and coat the rim of your glass you’re your coriander infused salt; Take a rock glass and drop in a block of ice.
Mix the cocktail:
Pour 60 ml of your favourite tequila, however the mixologist recommends using Mexican tequila for a low-calorie option. Add 25 ml of watermelon & king chili cordial and 10 ml fresh lime juice for a fruity kick. Add in 2-3 gms of coriander for a fresh taste.
Shake and blend:
In a shaker, combined all the above ingredients in a shaker along with ice. Strain and pour the blend into your glass.
Garnish: Garnish your drink with a triangle cut watermelon and enjoy your seasonal cocktail!
Inputs by Madhumita Maltesh, Executive Mixologist, JW Marriott Hotel Bengaluru
The Himalayan Summer
Ingredients:
60 ml - Gin
15 ml - Cherry Blossom Tea
10 ml - Elderflower Syrup
15 ml - Rosso
10 ml - Citric
1 can –Soda
1 - Cherry (for garnish)
Method:
Barring the soda, add all the ingredients in a mixing glass. Add ice and stir gently.
Pour it into a Highball glass. Top it with soda.
Garnish with a cherry and enjoy.
Inputs by Siddhant Hule, brand ambassador, Himmaleh Spirits
Merlot Sangria
Ingredients:
1 bottle - Merlot
1 - Apple, sliced
1 - Pear, sliced
1 - Orange, sliced
1/2 cup - Strawberries, halved
2 tbsp - Sugar (adjust to taste)
1/2 cup - Orange juice
1 - Cinnamon stick (for garnish)
Orange segments (for garnish)
Method:
In a large pitcher, add the sliced apples, pears, oranges and strawberries, along with sugar.
Release the fruits’ juices by gently muddle them with the sugar using a wooden spoon.
Pour in the orange juice and mix everything.
Add the bottle of Merlot and stir gently.
Cover the pitcher and refrigerate the drink overnight to allow the flavours to deepen and blend together.
Before serving, garnish each glass with an orange segment and add cinnamon stick.
Inputs by Shrikant Sanglodkar, executive chef, Sula Vineyards
Mango & Passionfruit Mojito
Ingredients:
White Rum – 45 ml
Fresh Mango Purée – 30 ml
Passionfruit Purée – 20 ml
Fresh Mint Leaves – 8–10 leaves
Lime Juice – 10 ml
Simple Syrup – 10 ml (optional, depending on the sweetness of the fruit)
Club Soda – to top (approx. 60–80 ml)
Ice – as needed
Fresh Mint Sprig and Mango Wedge – for garnish
Method:
In a shaker, gently muddle the mint leaves—just enough to release their essential oils without bruising them.
Add the mango purée, passionfruit purée, lime juice, and simple syrup. Pour in the white rum and add a generous handful of ice. Shake well until the mixture is chilled and lightly frothy.
Strain into a tall glass filled with ice. Top with club soda, letting the fizz carry the tropical aromas to the surface.
Garnish with a fresh sprig of mint and a juicy wedge of mango. Sip slow—and let the flavours linger.
