5 Cocktail Recipes You Need to Try This Summer

We’ve partnered with Fever-Tree to share our favourite summer-inspired cocktails to sip, enjoy and escape the heat this season. 

The arrival of summer brings many good things: longer days spent lounging by the water, holiday season catch-ups with friends and family and, for some, a sigh of relief that a well-deserved period of rest is on the horizon. 

The perfect companion to this time of sun, surf and leisure? A cocktail, of course. Sipping on a well-crafted, refreshing drink often puts the cherry on top of a perfect, summer day. 

Of course, using the very best ingredients to make your drink of choice also makes a massive difference. That’s the ethos behind Fever-Tree’s range of mixers: if three-quarters of your drink is the mixer, shouldn’t you mix with the best? Fever-Tree goes to the corners of the earth to source the finest ingredients for their range of tonic waters, sodas, gingers and colas to bring quality, choice and flavour back to mixers.

Here are five cocktail recipes on our “must try” list this summer, from old-school classics to spritzes with modern twists, all made using Fever-Tree’s award-winning range of mixers.

1. Vodka, Lime and Yuzu Spritz

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Fresh and fast, this recipe puts a tangy twist on the classic spritz – all in a matter of moments. Fever-Tree’s Lime & Yuzu Soda is made with Tahiti lime from Mexico and pressed oil extract from the floral Japanese yuzu for a mouth-wateringly zesty and refreshing finish. 

Ingredients

Fever-Tree Lime & Yuzu Soda50mL premium VodkaSlice of lime to serve

Method

Fill a wine glass half full of ice cubes, pour in the vodka and top up with Fever-Tree Lime & Yuzu Soda. Garnish with a fresh slice of lime and enjoy!

2. The Perfect Gin & Tonic

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The mixer that made Fever-Tree a household name, the Premium Indian Tonic Water blends luscious botanical oils with spring water and quinine of the highest quality from the “fever trees” of the eastern hill ranges of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Delicious and award-winning, it’s made to enhance the varied flavour categories of your favourite gin. 

Our tip? Make like the Spanish and serve this fresh and fragrant tipple in a Copa glass that allows the aromas of the drink’s botanicals to be released for an extra level of flavour.

Ingredients

150mL Fever-Tree Premium Indian Tonic Water50mL of a classic London Dry ginFresh iceA twist of lime peel to serve

Method

Fill a Copa glass with ice (preferably large, clear cubes) and pour over a measure of gin. Top up the glass with the Premium Indian Tonic Water and serve with a peel of lime. For the best release of flavour, twist the peel over the top of the glass to spritz the oil into the drink, then drop it into the cocktail.

3. Paloma Spritz

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A beloved Mexican classic, the Paloma embodies the essence of a sun-soaked afternoon. Combining the bright, tangy flavours of freshly squeezed grapefruit (thanks to Fever-Tree’s Pink Grapefruit Soda made with handpicked red and pink grapefruit from the province of Alicante, Spain) and zesty lime juice, the sweet and slightly bitter notes perfectly compliment the earthy richness of tequila. Crisp and citrusy, it’s the ultimate summer thirst-quencher.

Ingredients

Fever-Tree Pink Grapefruit Soda 50mL premium blanco tequilaFresh grapefruit to serve

Method

Fill a large glass (we suggest a high-ball or wine glass) with ice.Add the tequila and top with Fever-Tree Pink Grapefruit Soda.Garnish with a fresh slice of grapefruit.

4. Watermelon & Ginger Cooler

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A celebration of the very best of summer, this cooling cocktail marries the juicy essence of watermelon with the subtle heat of ginger. For this, we recommend Fever Tree’s Dry Ginger Ale, made with a unique blend of three of the world’s finest naturally sourced gingers: a warm and spicy variety from Cohin in India, a fresh green ginger from the Ivory Coast, and a deep, intense variety sourced from Nigeria. With a burst of coolness from fresh watermelon, this cocktail is sure to become a summer favourite.

Ingredients

800mL Fever-Tree Dry Ginger Ale150mL premium vodka50mL Cointreau½ watermelon (deseeded)2 limes, quarteredMint sprigs, to garnish

Method

Fill a large pitcher ¾ full with ice cubes, then add vodka and Cointreau. Place wedges of watermelon into the pitcher, squeeze over the lime juice and add in.Top with Fever-Tree Dry Ginger Ale and garnish with mint.

5. Italian Blood Orange Spritz

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A firm favourite, this Italian classic epitomises effervescence and vibrance. Combining the bittersweet notes of Aperol with the complex flavours of Fever Tree’s Italian Blood Orange Soda, this cocktail dances between fruity and herbal in a delightfully drinkable way. Made with juicy blood oranges from Sicily, the soda also includes a beautiful herbal blend, with aromatic wormwood and delicate balsam for a refreshing mixer like no other. 

Ingredients

Fever-Tree Blood Orange Soda50mL AperolFresh orange slice to serve

Method

Pour Aperol into a wine glass filled with ice. Top up with the Fever-Tree Blood Orange Soda.Garnish with a slice of fresh orange, sit back and sip away. Best paired with a gorgeous sunset view.

With flavour and quality of the utmost importance, explore Fever-Tree’s range of premium mixers now. From tonic waters to gingers, sodas and colas, cocktail-making has never been more delicious. 

18+. Drink responsibly. Keep in mind the ABV and standard drink measures of spirits when mixing. As a rough guide:

Vodka: 40% ABV

Gin: 37.5% ABV

Tequila: 40% ABV

Aperol: 11% ABV