Summer is time to kick back and have fun – and here are the potent cocktails add to the mix!
Alcohol consumption tends to increase during the summer months. This is often attributed to increased socializing, outdoor activities, and the association of alcohol with summer celebrations like barbecues and beach days. So when the sun blazes and you need a drink with serious punch, only the boldest cocktails will do. From tiki classics to modern mixes, these are the strongest summer cocktails which are not just refreshing—they pack a serious kick.
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Zombie
Invented in 1934 by Donn Beach, the Zombie was crafted to cure hangovers—ironically with a wallop of alcohol. It’s a tiki icon known for sneaking up on unsuspecting drinkers.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ oz light rum
- 1 ½ oz dark rum
- 1 oz overproof rum
- ¾ oz lime juice
- ½ oz falernum
- ½ oz grenadine
- Dash bitters
Create
- Shake all ingredients (except the overproof rum) with ice
- Strain into a tall glass filled with crushed ice
- Float the overproof rum on top
- Garnish with mint and fruit
- Sip slowly—this one hits hard
Long Island Iced Tea
Allegedly born in the 1970s in Long Island, New York, this drink was designed to look like iced tea—but sneak in a heavy mix of spirits.
Ingredients
- ½ oz vodka
- ½ oz gin
- ½ oz white rum
- ½ oz tequila
- ½ oz triple sec
- 1 oz lemon juice
- 1 oz simple syrup
- Splash of cola
Create
- Shake all spirits, lemon juice, and syrup with ice
- Pour into a highball glass
- Top with cola
- Garnish with a lemon wedge
- Tastes light, but hits like a truck
The Sazerac
One of America’s oldest cocktails, the Sazerac was first crafted in 19th-century New Orleans, originally using cognac before switching to rye whiskey.
Ingredients
- 2 oz rye whiskey
- 1 sugar cube
- 2 dashes Peychaud’s bitters
- Absinthe rinse
- Lemon twist
Create
- Rinse a chilled glass with absinthe, then discard
- Muddle the sugar and bitters in a mixing glass
- Add rye and ice, and stir until chilled
- Strain into the prepared glass
- Garnish with a lemon twist
- It’s refined, but don’t be fooled—it’s potent
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Mai Tai
Invented in 1944 by Victor Bergeron (Trader Vic), the Mai Tai became a tiki staple and spread globally thanks to its tropical flair.
Ingredients
- 1 oz light rum
- 1 oz dark rum
- ½ oz orange curaçao
- ½ oz lime juice
- ¼ oz orgeat syrup
- ¼ oz simple syrup
Create
- Shake all ingredients with ice
- Strain into an old-fashioned glass filled with crushed ice
- Garnish with lime and mint
Pain Killer
History: First served at the Soggy Dollar Bar in the British Virgin Islands in the 1970s, it’s a rich, rum-heavy tropical delight. And did you know, Bacardi promotes August as “Rum Month,” aligning it with peak summer party season.
Ingredients
- 2 oz dark rum
- 4 oz pineapple juice
- 1 oz orange juice
- 1 oz cream of coconut
Create
- Shake with ice
- Pour into a tall glass
- Top with grated nutmeg and garnish with pineapple or orange slice.
