Refreshing Summer Cocktails To Make At Home

Whether you prefer an aromatic aperitif or a creative take on a glass of rosé, stave off the summer heat by crafting refreshing cocktails at home. Shea Homes Colorado offers stunning kitchens with ample storage space and beautiful covered patios to help you develop your mixology skills while enjoying a cool adult beverage. Read on for delicious recipes to try this season.
 
Fruity
Without taking a tropical vacation, enjoy one of the best parts of your trip: the perfect Piña Colada. Created in Puerto Rico in 1954, this classic cocktail requires only coconut cream, pineapple juice, and both light and dark rum. Simply combine all ingredients in the blender — with plenty of ice — and garnish with a pineapple slice and an adorable umbrella.

While entertaining your wine-drinking friends, consider whipping up a pitcher of red or white sangria. The key to a spectacular sangria lies in soaking sliced fruit — like lemons, limes, oranges, and green apples — in brandy before adding the other ingredients. Top with a crisp and dry white wine like Sauvignon Blanc or a bold and dry red wine like Pinot Noir for an appealing color and complex flavor profile.
 
Blow your guests away with a frosty serving of Frosé (a fancy name for frozen rosé). With a bit of lemon and several hours in the freezer, you’ll enjoy a pop of strawberry, watermelon, cherry, and raspberry flavor in your frozen treat — perfect for your alcoholiday.
 
Herbaceous
A bitter beauty with a bite, the Negroni is your new summer go-to. Fragrant and easy to make, all you’ll need is gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth. After stirring with ice in a cocktail shaker, strain into a glass of ice and garnish with an orange peel for an authentic experience without the pricey trip to Italy.
 
Using fresh mint from your patio herb garden, muddle a minty Mojito or a Moscow Mule. With light rum, sugar, lime, and club soda, sip a zesty Mojito after mowing the lawn or milling around the house. While you’re already using mint and lime wedges, an ice-cold Moscow Mule will provide an invigorating beverage with just vodka and ginger beer. Show off your bartender knowledge — and keep your cocktail ultra-cool — by serving your Mule in a traditional copper mug. Invite your pals to your patio and kick back with a chilly, aromatic cocktail!

Spicy
For those who prefer cocktails with a kick, the Michelada is a stellar choice on a hot day. Combine tomato juice, lime juice, Worcestershire sauce, dried spices, and your favorite hot sauce to turn up the heat. Pour over ice, top with a flavorful Mexican beer, and serve with a lime wedge for your next Taco Tuesday.
 
Using traditional ingredients like tequila, lime juice, simple syrup, and orange liqueur, imbibe an icy-meets-spicy drink thanks to a frozen Jalapeño Margarita. In a spacious kitchen from Shea Homes, bust out the blender to combine each ingredient and garnish with fresh jalapeño slices from your own vegetable garden.
 
Begin your brunch with a bang by opting for a savory and tangy Bloody Mary. Highly customizable, you’ll love skewering cubed cheese, pickles, bacon, cooked shrimp, or olives to accompany your summer bloody. Stir in your favorite vodka and tomato juice, then add lemon or lime juice, a celery stalk, spices, and one gigantic straw.

To make the most of your summer staycation, enjoy a warm Colorado evening with an iconic Sea Breeze. This simple mix of vodka, cranberry juice, and grapefruit juice will liven up your patio party as a crushable cocktail. Garnish with a lime wheel and a mini-umbrella for a tropical take.
 
If you want something a bit sweet and a bit sour, pucker up with a Grapefruit Paloma. In a pitcher, stir together light tequila, fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice, lime juice, ice, and club soda for a fizzy finish.
 
The beer-drinkers in your life will appreciate a new take on their favorite wheat beer when you introduce them to the Meyer Lemon Shandy — a mixture of water, lemon juice, sugar, and beer. They’ll love the kick of citrus combined with smooth wheat beer on a toasty summer evening!

Staying cool is easy with scrumptious summer cocktails you can make at home. Shea Homes Colorado offers marvelous kitchens and lovely patios that provide the perfect place to unwind and cool off with a refreshing cocktail in hand.