The best cocktails to quench your thirst and generate party buzz.
Champagne Punch
Recipe: Champagne Punch
Recipe: Mint-Lime-Champagne Punch
Recipe: Blueberry-Lavender-Champagne Punch
Recipe: Strawberry-Ginger-Champagne Punch
While the simple Champagne Punch is tasty on its own, the fruity stir-ins add an extra flavorful touch. For a nonalcoholic option, have lemon-lime soda or seltzer water on hand.
Pink Cadillac Margaritas
Recipe: Pink Cadillac Margaritas
Fast Flourish: Rub rims of chilled glasses with a lime wedge, dip in a saucer of coarse salt and sparkling sugar, and twirl to coat.
Whiskey Sour
Recipe: Whiskey Sour
You can make a "sour" with any combination of your favorite liquor, sugar, and citrus juice shaked with cracked ice. But down South, whiskey seems like the perfect fit.
Sazerac
Recipe: Sazerac
Said to be The Big Easy's first cocktail, it was originally served at the Sazerac Coffee House.
Pear-Basil Sipper
Recipe: Pear-Basil Sipper
You can't beat the refreshing combination of muddled fresh basil and sweet pear-flavored vodka and nectar. Great for holiday entertaining or even a summertime libation.
Green Tomato Bloody Mary
Recipe: Green Tomato Bloody Mary
Use an assortment of fresh herbs, such as basil, parsley, dill, and cilantro. Make this drink a day ahead to allow the flavors to fully develop.
Chucktown Sunrise
Recipe: Chucktown Sunrise
Bourbon and ginger ale combine to make a cool, colorful drink.
Pineapple-Peach Punch
Recipe: Pineapple-Peach Punch
This makes a great virgin punch too; simply substitute an additional liter of club soda for the vodka.
Mississippi Bourbon Punch
Recipe: Mississippi Bourbon Punch
Muscadine wine stars in this spirited concoction of grenadine, bourbon, and a variety of fruit juices and sodas.
Shoo-Fly Punch
Recipe: Shoo-Fly Punch
Ginger beer is a nonalcoholic fizzy beverage with a pop of spicy ginger. It's the flavor secret in this spicy but refreshing cocktail.
Spiked Lemonade Sweet Tea
Recipe: Spiked Lemonade Sweet Tea
Spiked with bourbon or rum, this sweet tea is just for the adults. Garnish with fresh sugarcane and pineapple slices for a sophisticated presentation.
Cava Sangria
Recipe: Cava Sangria
For a light and quick poolside drink, Cava Sangria is the way to go. Refreshing and fruity, this 5-ingredient sangria has the perfect combination of flavors from the strawberries and mint leaves. After the first sip, you’ll feel like you’re on vacation.
Grapefruit Tequila Fizz
Recipe: Grapefruit Tequila Fizz
You'll want to make a whole batch of this citrusy spritzer. It's perfect for outdoor gatherings and kicking back on the porch.
Bloody Mary Punch
Recipe: Bloody Mary Punch
Instead of stirring all the ingredients together, serve optional shots of vodka on the side, and let your guests add it or not.
Cranberry Mojito
Recipe: Cranberry Mojito
Introduce the tart fall flavor of cranberries to your favorite minty cocktail.
Autumn Sweater
Recipe: Autumn Sweater
The secret to this drink's success are bitters. Cocktail bitters (Angostura, Peychaud's) are the salt and pepper of the beverage world. Digestive bitters (Campari, Fernet Branca) give a botanical quality to drinks.
Mississippi Mudslides
Recipe: Mississippi Mudslides
A little bourbon makes these mudslides perfectly rich and flavorful. For a dramatic and delicious effect, use a small kitchen torch to brown the marshmallows topping.
Satsuma Old-Fashioned
Recipe: Satsuma Old-Fashioned
The classic Old-Fashioned cocktail gets a Southern twist with homemade Satsuma-Cello liqueur. The results are a citrusy Satsuma Old-Fashioned.
The Slapping Incident
Recipe: The Slapping Incident
This cocktail is named after a famous incident involving General Patton in Italy during WWII. Like the controversial leader, the drink is crisp, strong, and gets the job done.
Black Currant Champagne
Recipe: Black Currant Champagne
Celebrate with this simple and sophisticated cocktail. Fill a Champagne flute or tall glass with equal parts chilled Champagne and black currant nectar. Don't forget to garnish this spritzer with fresh blackberries.
Hibiscus-Mint Margaritas
Recipe: Hibiscus-Mint Margaritas
Flowery hibiscus and cooling mint add a flavorful kick to this margarita.
Sparkling Rum Punch
Recipe: Sparkling Rum Punch
You'll see smiles all around when these signature cocktails are offered at your festive fete.
Ginger Beer
Recipe: Ginger Beer
Grab a pilsner glass and drop in a fresh cherry to complete this refreshingly fizzy cocktail.
Umatilla Smash
Recipe: Umatilla Smash
Kumquat and whiskey come together to create this sweet-and-sour refresher.
Apple-Pie Infused Bourbon
Recipe: Apple Pie-Infused Bourbon
Turn a plain bottle of hooch into a top-shelf indulgence, infused with sweet autumn flavor. At 7 ounces, these cute corked bottles are the perfect size for gifts ($2.09 each; specialtybottle.com). You can also use mini mason jars or any other food-safe glass container with a lid.
Heirloom Bloody Mary Mix
Recipe: Heirloom Bloody Mary Mix
Because canning tomatoes requires extra care, try this refrigerator variety for your Bloody Mary. Trust us: You'll want to drink it immediately anyway.
Pepper Jelly Margaritas
Recipe: Pepper Jelly Margaritas
As the name implies, these unique drinks are mixed with green pepper jelly. Make this Southern-style margarita your signature cocktail at your next get-together.
The Corduroy Jacket
Recipe: The Corduroy Jacket
For a slightly more potent version of this retro-inspired cocktail, substitute hard cider or champagne for the sparkling apple cider.
Fig-and-Bourbon Fizz
Recipe: Fig-and-Bourbon Fizz
Choose Black Mission figs or another purple-skinned variety to give the drink a pretty tint.
Honeysuckle-Watermelon Cocktail
Recipe: Honeysuckle-Watermelon Cocktail
We used Mississippi's Cathead Honeysuckle Flavored Vodka to give the cocktail a delicate floral note, but plain vodka works too.
Sazerac
Recipe: Sazerac
Featuring rye whiskey, bitters, and Herbsaint, this NOLA staple is said to be the first cocktail. And now it's hip to be nostalgic.
Sweet Tea Spritzer
Recipe: Sweet Tea Spritzer
If iced tea is the house wine of the South, consider this our summer sangria.
Mexican Sangria
Recipe: Mexican Sangría
If you order sangría below the border, you may be surprised to find it's not laden with chunks of fruit and lacks the extra liqueur kick usually expected from Spanish sangría. Mexican Sangría is light and refreshing, like a grown-up wine cooler.
Peach Mojitos
Recipe: Peach Mojitos
Enjoy this sparkling cooler all summer long. Use the back of a wooden spoon to muddle the mint.
Berry Bubbly Punch
Recipe: Berry Bubbly Punch
This recipe is adapted from a Champagne punch found in the first-ever cocktail book published in the United States in 1862, The Bartender's Guide by Jerry Thomas.
Bourbon-Peach Cocktail
Recipe: Bourbon-Peach Cocktail
Treat guests to a beverage that oozes charm. This sweet sipper features two regional favorites—bourbon and peaches.
Orange-Cranberry Gin and Tonic
Recipe: Orange-Cranberry Gin and Tonic
Orange juice and cranberries lend a bit of festive flair to the classic gin and tonic.
Vieux Carré
Recipe: Vieux Carré
Offer this classic 1930s cocktail after dinner. Vieux Carré (voo cah-RAY) means "old square," referring to the French Quarter.
Julian's Old Fashioned
Recipe: Julian’s Old Fashioned
For the Kentucky Bourbon afficionados in your bunch, make Julian's Old Fashioned the go-to cocktail for your next gathering.
Cherry Frost
Recipe: Cherry Frost
This refreshing drink is composed of black cherry liqueur, brandy, crushed ice, and then topped off with sparkling white wine. Of course, no cocktail is complete without a maraschino cherry on top!
Strawberry Margarita Spritzers
Recipe: Strawberry Margarita Spritzers
Club soda, fresh whole strawberries, and frozen daiquiri mix set these margarita spritzers apart. Serve on sultry summer days and enjoy the fizzy sweetness of these colorful cocktails.
Cajun Lemonade
Recipe: Cajun Lemonade
Add a Cajun kick to your lemonade with some hot sauce and rum. Rinse gallon milk jugs and use as a spill-proof way to transport your drinks.
Mint Julep Sweet Tea
Recipe: Mint Julep Sweet Tea
This iced cocktail features the best of two classic Southern drinks: the mint julep and sweet tea. For best results, sip in a rocking chair on a front porch somewhere.
Beer 'Garitas
Recipe: Beer 'Garitas
Mixing beer with a classic margarita recipe makes this drink less tart than the regular margaritas. We can promise that these will be a hit, so make them by the pitcher to keep the party going!
Garden Cocktail
Recipe: Garden Cocktail
You can substitute bottled juice for Garden Tomato Juice to save time. But if you make it fresh, don't use an aluminum saucepan—it will react with the tomato acid. Store in the fridge up to 1 week.
Sherry Cobbler
Recipe: Sherry Cobbler
Our latest drink obsession: This low-proof, retro-inspired sipper that combines fortified wine (port, Madeira, sherry) with sugar and fruit over ice.
Bacon-Infused Bourbon
Recipe: Bacon-Infused Bourbon
Welcome to the Southerner’s perfect cocktail: bacon-flavored bourbon. All you need is a bottle of your favorite bourbon and some warm bacon grease.
Watermelon Bellini
Recipe: Watermelon Bellini
Whirl up any summer melon in this refreshing sipper. For a nonalcoholic option, replace the sparkling wine with sparkling white grape juice, sparkling cider, or club soda.
Rosemary-Satsuma Julep
Recipe: Rosemary-Satsuma Julep
The Southern citrus burst of homemade Satsuma-Cello liqueur delivers a festive twist to the classic julelp cocktail.
Sparkling Autumn Chianti
Recipe: Sparkling Autumn Chianti
A blanc de noirs, with its fruity, hint of vanilla flavor, is a great sparkling wine choice for this recipe. We also suggest using Lady or Gala apples.
Coke® Cocktails: Pause that Refreshes
Recipe: Pause that Refreshes
This sparkly cocktail is balanced with sorghum and delivers on its name.
Strawberry Basil Pineapple Ade
Recipe: Strawberry Basil Pineapple Ade
This riff on lemonade is most refreshing. It makes for a pretty presentation too.
Tailgate Sipper
Recipe: Tailgate Sipper
While this sipper makes for the perfect tailgate cocktail, we have a feeling you'll be mixing up this delicious combination when the season is over too.
Pineapple Cranberry Wassail
Recipe: Pineapple Cranberry Wassail
This delicious cocktail is full of fall flavor.
The Dogwood
Recipe: The Dogwood
This citrusy beverage is mixed with grapefruit juice, vodka, and elderflower liqueur. You'll want to garnish with fragrant lemon and fresh rosemary.
Pineapple-Rum-Tea Punch
Recipe: Pineapple-Rum-Tea Punch
Pineapple has long been a symbol of hospitality, so welcome party guests with this springy punch.
Palafox Fizz
Recipe: Palafox Fizz
Patrick Bolster, head bartender at 5 1/2 Bar in Pensacola, gave us the recipe for this delicious cucumber and basil refresher.
West Indies Paintbrush
Recipe: West Indies Paintbrush
Up-and-coming bartender Patrick Bolster of Pensacola's 5 1/2 Bar created this version of a West Indies Paintbrush—a refreshing drink with exotic floral notes.
Woodshed Margarita
Recipe: Woodshed Margarita
This backyard cocktail gets its smoky flavor from cedar-infused tequila.
Basil-Lemon Moonshine
Recipe: Basil-Lemon Moonshine
This fresh cocktail is great on the rocks or combined with fresh summer fruit juices.
Moonshine-Cherry Blush
Recipe: Moonshine-Cherry Blush
Fresh mint leaves, lemon slices, and maraschino cherries garnish this tasty summer sipper.
Pimm Bob
Recipe: Pimm Bob
What happens when an Old Fashioned meets a Pimm's Cup with a touch of Sazerac Flair? A Pimm Bob!
Cucumber Gin & Tonic
Recipe: Cucumber Gin & Tonic
Fresh cucumber and a lime wedge give this refreshing sipper a pretty presentation.
Mint-Champagne Shrub
Recipe: Mint-Champagne Shrub
Shrub cocktails get their tart pucker from vinegar.
Tomato-Tequila Fizz
Recipe: Tomato-Tequila Fizz
It's not just for looks; garnishing adds fragrance and flavor to any cocktail. Here, grape tomato halves with a spring of mint bring color and a note of freshness.
Last-Word Fizz
Recipe: Last-Word Fizz
This frothy cocktail was adapted from the new book Pickles, Pigs & Whiskey by chef John Currence.
Lost in Texas
Recipe: Lost in Texas
This refreshing beer cocktail balances a malty bock-style beer with fruit-tinged apricot brandy.
Blackberry Pisco Sours
Recipe: Blackberry Pisco Sours
Pisco is a South American grape brandy popular in Peru and Chile. If you can't find it in your area, feel free to substitute white tequila, grappa, or vodka. Don't be alarmed by the strength of this new classic; it's a cocktail that's meant to be sipped and savored.
Apple Butter Sparklers
Recipe: Apple Butter Sparklers
For a kid-friendly version, substitute sparkling apple juice for the Prosecco.
Judy's Bloody Mary Mix
Recipe: Judy's Bloody Mary Mix
Limit Bloody Mary garnishes to celery or pickled okra. Who wants a salad to come between them and a drink?
