18 Summer Cocktail Recipes & Hacks You Need To Try

Whenever I have friends over, I find myself constantly making drinks. So when I discovered make-ahead cocktails, they were a game-changer. You can get creative and make your favorite concoctions like a summertime sangria or easy margarita. Although you can serve them in any cup or glass of choice, Mason jars make these extra handy because you can just screw on the lids and toss them into a big bucket of ice. They’ll stay delightfully cold for hours.

Mix together wine, simple syrup and orange liqueur. Add the liquid to popsicle molds and drop a bunch of chopped fruit into each. You can use any type of wine and play around with different liquids from peach schnapps or flavored vodka to fruit juice, depending on how boozy you want your pops to taste. Let them sit in the freezer over night and the next day, you’ve got adorable sangria popsicles.

All you need is wine, unflavored gelatin powdered, fruit juice (or liqueur), and your favorite fruit. Simmer some wine (I’d go for rosé or white wine here) and add it to the gelatin. Then, add even more wine and the fruit juice of your choice and pour it over chopped fruit in small plastic cups. Refrigerate the Jell-O cups over night.

Freeze lemonade into ice cube trays until solid. Once frozen, place the lemonade ice cubes in a blender with frozen raspberries and vodka. Blend it all up, adding more ice or lemonade if necessary to reach your desired consistency. Be careful though: this stuff is so tasty, you could probably add an entire handle of vodka and still not really notice it.

Let’s be honest: There will be moments this summer where you’re going to want a portable cocktail. That’s where this homemade, adult Capri Sun comes into the picture. Just whip up your favorite cocktail, pour it into plastic baggies (or these reusable drink pouches), and bring it anywhere. You can make them in five minutes. I can recommend this recipe for three-ingredient kiwi-strawberry-vodka cocktails, but you can get creative.

If you’re in a pinch for simple syrup or another sweetener, know that drink flavoring packets or mixers (like Crystal Light or Mio) can pull double duty when added to things like cranberry vodka sodas or spiked lemonades.

Grab your favorite hard seltzer — like White Claw or Truly — a cup of fruit, a handful of ice, and any additional alcohol or mixers you want to add. Blend it all up and serve. I would actually recommend using frozen fruit instead of fresh because it makes the slushy a better consistency, and adding a bit of your favorite spirit with take things up a notch without drastically changing the flavor.

You’ll need orange-flavored gummy bears, gin and Campari (you could add red vermouth, but the gummy bears already add plenty of sweetness). In a large bowl of baking dish, soak the gummies in equal parts gin and Campari for at least six hours until plump and firm. Don’t let them sit for so long that they get mushy. You can refrigerate them, but I find boozy gummy bears taste best when left at room temperature.

If you want a fancy cocktail but don’t want to go through the motions of making simple syrup, look no further than the jar of jam in the back of your fridge. Both sweet and fruity, any jam can replace any fancy juices and expensive sweeteners.

Have some fun with it and play around with different concoctions. I’ve made jam cocktails with gin + triple berry jam + lime; tequila + raspberry jam + lime; and vodka + peach jam + lemon. I personally like topping mine with a bit of club soda at the end.

Using a small spoon, ice cream scooper, or melon baller if you happen to have one, scoop little balls out of watermelon, cantelope, honeydew, or a combination of all three. Cover the melon in a mixture of vodka or tequila and some fruit juice for a little sugar. Add some fresh basil and mint if you’re feeling fancy (or don’t), and let them soak covered in the fridge for a few hours. These taste delicious on their own or added to a cocktail for double the booze.

Hangover “cures” are a dime a dozen — we’ve highlighted many that readers swear by, as well as tried several of our own. Everyone has a different way of trouble-shooting the morning after, but the important thing is that you think (and hopefully prep!) ahead.

Personally, I’ve tried everything — pedialyte, Liquid IV hangover patches, etc — and my favorite, most effective thing so far is BIOLYTE, a hydrating electrolyte drink. What works for you? Tell me in the comments!