Top 5 Summer Cocktails

As summer approaches and the Covid restrictions begin to ease - allowing bars, restaurants and pubs to reopen, the one thing that has been on my mind is that first sip of an icy cold cocktail (shaken not stirred) and lapping up the sun with friends as life slowly returns to normal. Therefore, I have compiled a list of my top five summer cocktails ranging from sweet and sour to minty and fresh and those in between as well as some of the best places that you can enjoy them!
 

1. The Passionfruit Martini

This concoction is made up of passionfruit puree, vanilla vodka, sugar syrup and lime Juice. The mixture is then and strained into a coupe glass along with a shot of prosecco and garnished with a passionfruit halved. This cocktail is very sweet and fruity and holding one will make you feel uber classy. One of my favourite places to grab a passionfruit martini is Zozimus bar, located Just off Grafton Street in Annes Lane, Anne Street South Dublin 2. This drink is incredibly instagrammable, so it's a win win really. 

2. The Mojito

What a classic! A Mojito is one of the freshest cocktails on this list and is definitely a winner with the rum lovers. Consisting of white rum, sugar, lime Juice, soda water and of course plenty of mint leaving the drinker refreshed and trying to get the bartenders attention to order another round. You can enjoy a minty fresh mojito this summer in the Blackrock Bar located in the Salthill Hotel Co. Galway with the added bonus of uninterrupted views of the beautiful promenade. If you're looking for a refreshing drink without the "spike", the mojito can also be enjoyed as a mocktail - simply remove the rum and up the soda water. Bottoms up!
                                                     
                                   

3. Aperol Spritz

Even if you don’t get to travel to Tuscany, Venice or Rome this Summer, you’ll still feel like you’re in Italy with an Aperol Spritz in hand. This wine based cocktail consists of aperol (An Italian Bitter aperitif), prosecco and a splash of soda water stirred in a wine glass served with plenty of ice and an orange wedge. Get your hands on this taste of Italy in Soho Bar in Grand Parade, Cork where you can lap up an Aperol Spritz and many of their other marvellous creations right in their garden terrace.
                                                

4. The Classic G&T

How can you go wrong with a fishbowl of gin and tonic loaded with ice and garnished with some juniper berries or a wedge of grapefruit? Even more so now with such a wide variety of the spirit on the market to taste and test there’s guaranteed to be something out there for everyone. In the last few years, gin has sky rocketed in popularity and in turn gin companies have been popping up all over the world and Ireland is no exception. Lucky for us, the Emerald Isle is home to the world-renowned Dingle Gin from Kerry and Gunpowder gin from Dunshambo In Co. Leitrim. You can visit both distilleries to see exactly how the gin is made and as an added bonus, you can enjoy a refreshing G&T at the end of your tour.
 
 

5. Amaretto/Whiskey Sours

Not the most common cocktail to find on the menu, however, if you do get a chance make sure to order one as you’ll want one every time you hit the bar. The ingredients are the same for these cocktails, the only difference is your choice of spirit. The Amaretto Sour has a sweeter taste while the Whiskey Sour is definitely more woody. These cocktails consist of the key spirit – Amaretto or Whiskey, Sweet and Sour Mix, Egg Whites and Angostura bitters. The mixtures are dry shaken (Without Ice) and then poured into an Ice Filled Rocks glass. This frothy goodness is perfect when garnished with a maraschino cherry or an orange slice. My all-time favourite place to get a Sour is Rudy’s Restaurant located in the heart of Blanchardstown Village in Dublin 15. Again, these cocktails can be equally enjoyed as mocktails by substituting the alcohol for 10ml of pomegranate juice, a tablespoon of vanilla extract and three tablespoons of maple syrup. Yum!

And if you've read this far, here's one more for "good measure"...
 

6. Non-Alcoholic Sangria

Fancy the taste of summer without the headache the next day? Then why not whip up a batch of non-alcoholic sangria? Grab yourself a large glass pitcher and fill it with grape juice, apple juice, orange juice, lemon juice and sparkling water. Secondly choose your favourite summer fruits (We recommend oranges, lemons, limes, mango and strawberries) and cut them up into chunks. Add the fruits to your juice and mix well. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. Enjoy!


If this blog has left you thirsty for a tipple or two, then treat yourself to a night out in one of the bars and restaurants mentioned above. Just pop the name into our free location app GeoFindIT here for the directions to get you there. And don't forget to have one on us!

Do you agree with our choices? We'd love to hear what you think so be sure to let us know via our Twitter page. You may also want to see our Top 11 ice-cream choices to see which classic made it to the top spot!