4 fresh, light cocktail ideas to celebrate summer
After a few months of grey skies, summer is (finally) back! This is the perfect opportunity to sit out on the terrace with your sunglasses and a cool cocktail.
A cocktail? Yes, but which one? To help you find your inspiration, here are 4 recipes for light, ultra-delicious cocktails.
But what would a cocktail be without the glass it's served in? To enhance your aperitifs all summer long, Duralex® has come up with some elegant glasses... And just as durable as ever.
- The Daiquiri: a delicious Cuban cocktail
This rum-based summer cocktail originated on the beaches of Cuba. It was one of the favorite drinks of the famous American writer Ernest Hemingway, nicknamed 'Papaby the islanders. And it wasn't long before the Daiquiri recipe crossed the ocean to France, where its success has never waned!
Ingredients
- 6 cl white rum
- 2.5 cl lime juice
- 1 cl cane syrup
- Crushed ice
Preparation:
In a shaker, add the crushed ice. Then pour in the white rum, the juice of a squeezed lime and half a teaspoon of cane syrup.
Stir vigorously. Serve chilled in a glass of your choice. You can decorate your Daiquiri with a slice of lime or a few mint leaves.
Recommended glass:
The Manhattan - Transparent Cocktail Glass (22 cl)
With the Manhattan range and our elegantly curved glasses, immerse yourself for a few sips in the trendy atmosphere of New York cocktail bars.
- Gin Fizz revisited: a refreshing summer cocktail
Perhaps you're already familiar with the Gin Fizz, with its fresh, tangy taste? Here's a revisited version of this timeless summer cocktail classic: Gin Fizz with melon and cucumber. An opportunity to showcase seasonal fruits. And surprise your guests with a (truly) original cocktail.
Ingredients for 20 cl melon syrup :
- 10 cl water
- 120 g sugar
- 200 g melon
Ingredients for the cocktail :
- 6 cl melon syrup
- 4 cl gin
- 3 cl sparkling water
- 3 melon balls
- 2 slices cucumber
- 1 sprig fresh mint
- Ice cubes
Preparation:
Pour the water and sugar into a saucepan and heat until boiling. Wait 30 seconds, then remove the saucepan from the heat and leave your syrup to cool.
Add the syrup to a blender with the melon flesh. Blend until smooth.
Take a shaker and add the ice, melon syrup and gin. Shake well and serve chilled. Then pour in the sparkling water to finish off your Gin Fizz.
To decorate your glass, you can also add a few slices of cucumber, a sprig of mint and melon balls.
Recommended glass:
Jazz - High Clear Glass (26 cl)
With their pop design, inspired by the keys on a piano, the cocktail glasses in the Jazz range add pep to all your summer drinks.
- Blue Lagoon: a colorful cocktail
With its bright blue color, the Blue Lagoon is instantly recognizable. But it's not just for its aesthetic qualities that this drink features on our list of the best cocktails for summer. Because not content with pleasing your eyes, Blue Lagoon will also tantalize your guests' taste buds.
Ingredients
- 4 cl vodka
- 2 cl blue curaçao
- 1 cl lemon juice
- Ice cubes
Preparation:
Fill your shaker halfway with ice cubes. Then add the vodka, blue curaçao and squeezed lemon juice.
Stir for about 15 seconds. Then pour your summer cocktail into a long-drink glass, and enjoy well chilled.
If you'd like to lighten your Blue Lagoon, you can add a splash of sparkling water to your glass.
Recommended glass :
Jazz - High Clear Glass (26 cl)
- Grapefruit and Rosemary: an original mocktail
Fancy a non-alcoholic cocktail? We've got just the thing! This time, we're taking you south to the Mediterranean basin. In this little-known mocktail, you'll discover the unlikely marriage of grapefruit and rosemary. It's fresh, light and terribly thirst-quenching.
Ingredients:
- 20 cl grapefruit juice
- 20 cl sparkling water
- 10 cl water
- 10 g cane sugar
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- crushed ice
Preparation:
Heat 10 cl water in a small saucepan. Then add the cane sugar. When the sugar is diluted, remove the pan from the heat and add the 2 rosemary sprigs.
Leave the syrup to cool. Pour two tablespoons into a tall glass. Add two spoonfuls of crushed ice.
Finally, pour in 10 cl grapefruit juice and 10 cl sparkling water. You can add a sprig of rosemary to decorate your alcohol-free summer cocktail.
Recommended glass:
Le Picardie® - Transparent Cocktail Glass (36 cl)
To enjoy your non-alcoholic summer cocktails in style, choose our Le Picardie cocktail glass® with its finely chiselled facets.