No matter what spirit you prefer—from vodka to mezcal to bourbon and a whole lot in between—we’ve got the perfect cocktail for you to mix up this summer. During the dog days, we largely put away our Old Fashioneds and flips for lighter fare, opting for mixed drinks that will add a dose of refreshment to your seasonal imbibing. Here are the 25 best cocktails to mix this summer, from a Kentucky Buck to the classic Margarita.
Created by bartender Erick Castro at Rickhouse in San Francisco, the Kentucky Buck is a bourbon, ginger and strawberry cocktail that’s great with a ginger beer, but even better with fresh ginger syrup and sparkling water. If it sounds like a Moscow Mule with bourbon and strawberries it’s because that’s exactly what it is, but the mule was passé by that point in San Francisco, so Castro reached deeper into history for the name. A “Buck” is a style of cocktail that dates back to the 1890s—long before the Mule or the Dark ‘n Stormy—and was composed of just a spirit (usually whiskey) and ginger beer, so named because the ginger and alcohol together would give quite a kick (the Moscow Mule is named similarly, for the kick).
Muddle the strawberry in the bottom of a cocktail shaker. Add bourbon, lemon, ginger syrup, and bitters, and shake for six to eight seconds. Strain over fresh ice in a tall glass and top with soda water.
Garnish with a half strawberry or a lemon wheel or a mint sprig or all three. ith a name like “El Diablo” (“th.
