5 Summer Cocktails If You’re Not Ready For Pumpkin Spice Season Yet

Time doesn’t stop and the seasons change. And as we see summer drawing to a close, we want to cling to the nice weather and refreshing drinks for just a little longer before we embrace all things pumpkin, apple, and spice. Which, some of those drinks are already out, so this article is really for those who aren’t ready to say goodbye to summer. 

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We’ve collected a few of the most popular summer cocktails that floated around social media this year and put them together for you to try and have a little piece of summer while people try to kickstart fall a little early. These cocktails are full of island vibes and will be sure to remind you of lazy days by the pool. These drinks are in no particular order and have all been tested by us to ensure they are as good as social media claimed. 

Mango Dragon Paradise

It seems like it’s really just not summer without mango. And this summer in particular has been big for layered drinks and dragon fruit. This cocktail is a perfect reflection of this summer’s new hits. For the first layer, mix 1oz of mango juice, 2oz coconut water, and 0.5oz of lime juice. Pour into a glass with ice. For the second layer, muddle a couple of pieces of dragon fruit (the pink gives the best layered effect, but if you can’t find the pink interior dragon fruits, just regular are fine―dried dragon fruit works too and is a little easier to come by) with 2oz of coconut rum. Then pour over the first layer. Now you’ve got a fruity drink that tastes like island life. It’s the perfect reminder of summer and all the limited runs we had this year that are gone or leaving soon. 

Tipsy Mermaid

What better to make you think of beaches and the ocean than a mermaid themed drink? This one is sure to turn you into a tipsy mermaid. Maybe just stay away from water unless you have someone watching you? The tipsy mermaid is a strong girl, so drink with caution. For this cocktail, mix 2oz each of tequila, vodka, and coconut rum with pineapple juice. Pour over ice and top with a splash of blue curacao. This teal delight will keep you happy and firmly in those summer vibes. 

Malibu Sunset

Now Malibu rum and coconut rum are practically synonymous with summer drinks and the islands. For good reason. It’s the perfect mix of alcohol and one of the most iconic island fruits, the coconut. Obviously, if you’re not a coconut fan, you can switch to any white rum. This cocktail will still provide summer without the coconut. For this, mix 2oz of coconut rum, 2oz of pineapple juice, and 2oz of orange juice and pour over ice. Top with a half ounce of grenadine for that perfect beach sunset look. 

Spiked Blue Raspberry Lemonade

There’s very little more summer than lemonade. Kids are out selling it. The fairs have their fresh squeezed stalls. It’s a go-to summer drink. So why not make it a little adult too. This is a great cocktail for batch making. So if you’ve got an end of the summer party ready, this may be just the thing. It’s also good if you just want a pitcher of cocktails on hand. This was a particularly popular social media drink, so the measurements are a bit… well you’re just gonna measure with your heart. 

Most take a premade bottle of lemonade, such as Simply lemonade. Pour some out, pour in 2 packets of blue raspberry Kool-aid mix, shake. Then add vodka. And you’re done. Now this is just the simple way that saves you having to make dishes. You can easily make this in a pitcher or punch bowl. But the real draw here is that simplicity. Three ingredients with little effort but you still end up with a refreshing summer sip. You can’t beat that. 

Watermelon Cooler

We’ve touched mostly on the tropical fruits that we think of during the summer, but there’s one other fruit that’s wildly popular during this time―watermelon. So it seems only right to have a watermelon cocktail on the list. The melon makes for a refreshing and light cocktail. Perfect for BBQs or just sitting out and watching the sun set. For this, mix 2oz vodka, 0.5oz lime juice, 0.5oz simple syrup, and 6oz watermelon juice with a few mint leaves. Shake, strain, and pour over ice.