Food and Recipes Drinks Cocktails 27 Vibrant Cocktail Recipes Made For Spring Bring on the bubbles, we're celebrating warm weather! By Cameron Beall Cameron Beall Cameron Beall is a writer, marketer, photographer, and creative with over a year of experience with Southern Living in the realm of homes and home building. She was infatuated by home design from a young age, credit to her mother and grandmother. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on March 31, 2023 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Photographer: Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox We'll reserve the slushes and watermelon margaritas for the height of summertime heat, but spring means it's time for the light, refreshing spritzes and juleps to shine. Bright and boozy, these spring cocktails are made for the season when there's plenty to celebrate. They're ideal for everything from Mother's Day and Easter brunches to baby and wedding showers—or just celebrating the sunny and mild post-winter weather. Plus, we have plenty of springtime batch drinks to make hosting a breeze. Pop the bubbles and start squeezing lots of lemons for some of our favorite spring cocktails. 01 of 27 Aperol and Blood Orange-Mint Spritz Recipe Peter Frank Edwards Blood orange season is from December through April, making this an ideal early spring spritz, but if their tartness isn't your cup of tea, navel oranges work just as well. Don't want to waste the bottle of Prosecco? You can easily scale up the recipe for a crowd! 02 of 27 Hemmingway Daiquiri Photography: Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox We can thank Ernest Hemingway and his particular cocktail taste for this variation that leans to the stiffer side. It departs from the traditional daiquiri with a touch more sour, a double shot of rum, and the addition of grapefruit and maraschino liqueur for balance. 03 of 27 Grapefruit-Rosemary Mimosas Jennifer Causey, Prop Stylist Lindsey Lower, Food Stylist Torie Cox We gave the simple, but trusty mimosa an upgrade. This as-beautiful-as-it-is-delicious twist is one that will be sure to wow your brunch guests, from mothers-in-law to friends alike. 04 of 27 French 75 Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox With a 100+ year old history, there's a reason a French 75 is worthy to be enjoyed year-round. This bright and fresh lemony cocktail topped with rosemary is the perfect blend of gin, lemon juice, and bubbles. 05 of 27 Sweet Tea Min Julep Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen Mint Juleps and May go hand in hand to celebrate the Kentucky Derby, but we added an extra-Southern twist for a less-boozy version of the classic beverage perfect for sipping all season. 06 of 27 Cucumber-Mint Mojito Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Whether you're poolside or oceanfront, there's nothing more refreshing than a mint mojito. This garden-fresh cocktail invites the flavor of fresh cucumber. 07 of 27 Classic Margarita Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox When it starts to warm up, we want to take our dinners to the patio, and the best drink to sip outside is a Classic Margarita. Someone bring the chips and guacamole, too! 08 of 27 Elderflower-Champagne Cocktail Hector Manuel Sanchez; Styling: Katie Jacobs This batch cocktail is perfect for outdoor, springtime gatherings. All you need for this no-fuss recipe is brut rosé champagne, club soda or sparkling water, and elderflower liqueur. For an added detail, use edible flower or fruit infused ice cubes. 09 of 27 Grapefruit Margarita Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Ruth Blackburn Margaritas are seasonless right? Not quite a paloma, but more than a marg, this tequila-forward cocktail is full of fresh flavors. 10 of 27 Easter Punch Photographer: Greg DuPree, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn This pretty pink punch is just what the Easter menu was missing. Equally fizzy and fruity, it'll keep your crowd happy. 11 of 27 Garden Pleasures Cocktail Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Ruth Blackburn This herbaceous sparkling cocktail is made for garden parties and porch sits. Use the clear liquor of your choice for the refreshing, balanced beverage. 12 of 27 Aperol-Bourbon Fizz Becky Luigart Stayner Calling all bourbon lovers! Sometimes bourbon doesn't get the same appreciation in warm weather cocktails, but this simple drink deserves a shining moment. Be sure to rub the cut edge of an orange twist around the glass for a citrus note with every sip. 13 of 27 The Dogwood Cocktail Jennifer Davick Welcome spring with this citrusy cocktail with grapefruit and elderflower notes. Pour it in your favorite glass and garnish it with a fresh rosemary sprig and lemon slice. 14 of 27 Cucumber-Jalapeño Gin Coolers Photographer Jennifer Causey, Prop Stylist Lindsey Lower, Food Stylist Torie Cox This batch cocktail is garden-party ready. Slice cucumbers lengthwise for twirl-able ribbons for a picture-worthy presentation. 15 of 27 Azalea Cocktail Photographer: Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox When April rolls around, you know it's almost time for the Masters Tournament. Get ready for the big week by whipping up this golf-course-inspired pink cocktail made with pineapple juice, lemon, and a splash of grenadine. 16 of 27 Basil Bourbon Orange Smash Becky Luigart Stayner The key to this cocktail is to literally smash (or crush) the ice. This aromatic, zesty cocktail made with basil simple syrup tastes as fresh as it looks. 17 of 27 Texas Ranch Water Photographer: Fred Hardy II, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Props Stylist: Christina Brockman This lightened-up margarita made with Topo Chico entered the cocktail scene a few years ago and we can firmly say, it is here to stay—no matter the season. 18 of 27 Rosemary Tom Collins Hector Sanchez; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller The Tom Collins has been a favored beverage choice for many since the 19th century. While there are tweaks to it here and there, like a sprig of rosemary, none stray too far from its original form—gin, lemon, simply syrup, and club soda. 19 of 27 Mojitarita Cocktail Katie Jacobs We created a cocktail that is the best of both worlds for when you can't choose between a mojito and margarita. For an extra marg touch, salt your rim. 20 of 27 Shoo-Fly Punch Beth Dreiling Hontzas Loaded with bourbon, ginger, and bitters, Shoo-Fly Punch is great for any spring party. Ginger beer is the secret ingredient that gives the drink a slight fizz and hint of spicy ginger. 21 of 27 Lemon Drop Martini Photographer: Antonis Achilleos, Prop Stylist: Christine Kelly, Food Stylist: Ali Ramee There's rarely a time of year a martini isn't on the menu, and this fresh and tart rendition feels especially like springtime. 22 of 27 Classic Transfusion Cocktail Getty Images/JB325 Spring through summer, this golf-course cocktail will be making its name known. With only four simple ingredients—vodka, ginger ale, Concord grape juice, and lime juice—it's a cinch to make. 23 of 27 Mint Julep Southern Living No Derby party would be complete without one of the South's signature cocktails. Though it might have initially been made with rum, you'll only find bourbon in ours. 24 of 27 Spiked Arnold Palmer Ralph Anderson Spike the South's favorite non-alcoholic beverage, which combines iced tea and lemonade, with a splash of bourbon. This batch recipe is easy to make and requires no frills for serving at any backyard celebration. 25 of 27 Southern Living Bloody Mary Jennifer Causey; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Mary Claire Britton Weekend brunches wouldn't be complete without a Bloody Mary bar. With so many add-ins, from celery and pickled okra to bacon and shrimp, it's hard to go wrong with this complexly spice-and-tomato-forward staple. Except we highly advise going the extra mile with the Bloody Mary bacon salt. 26 of 27 Lemon-Basil Spritzer Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Whether you're serving this effervescent beverage cocktail or mocktail style, the simplicity of it is hard to beat. 27 of 27 Maple Bourbon Smash Becky Luigart Stayner We gave a classic bourbon smash an upgrade with earthy sage, sweet maple syrup, and fresh lemon. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit