Start putting your bulky sweaters and heavy boots back into storage, because spring is officially on the horizon, my friends. That's right, the days of 4 p.m. sunsets and seeing your breath on the way to work are almost over, and I, for one, couldn't be more thrilled about it. And as with most of the finer things in life, the return of warm weather calls for a drink—more specifically, a delicious spring cocktail (or mocktail!).
In my opinion, the best spring drinks are colorful, packed with fresh fruit and delicious spirits, and taste like a vacation. (FYI, they should also be served in chic glassware, if you really want to get the full effect.) Sound refreshing? Thought so. Lucky for you, I put together a list of 27 spring cocktail recipes to whip up next time you feel like sipping in the sun (is tomorrow too soon?). If I were you, I'd scroll down and get my bar tools (and Insta Stories) ready...
Ray of Sunshine
Fill a shaker with ice and add 2 oz. vodka, ½ oz. triple sec, ½ oz. lime juice, ¼ oz. cranberry juice, and ½ oz. blood orange syrup. Shake the ingredients to infuse all the flavors. Strain into a coupe glass, straight up, and garnish with a dehydrated orange wheel.
Recipe by Ocean Restaurant at Cape Arundel Inn & Resort.
Hibiscus Hearts
Combine 1½ oz. Cutwater Mezcal, 1½ oz. hibiscus tea (chilled), ½ oz. cinnamon syrup, and ½ oz. lemon juice in a shaker with ice. Shake well and strain into an ice-filled rocks glass. Serve with a dried hibiscus flower and cinnamon stick garnish.
Recipe by Cutwater Spirits.
Sake Bubble-tini
Mix 2 oz. Brooklyn Kura Number Fourteen Junmai-Ginjo Sake, ½ oz. elderflower liqueur, and ½ oz. fresh lime juice in a shaker with ice. Shake well and strain into a martini glass. Top with 2 oz. Sparkling Pointe Cuvée Carnaval Blancs. Garnish with an edible flower.
Recipe by Sparkling Pointe.
Raspberry Mojito (A Mocktail!)
Add 5 fresh raspberries, 6-8 mint leaves, 1 lime (cut into wedges), and 2 tbsp. simple syrup into a highball or Collins glass. Gently muddle them together. Do not crush lime and mint too much! Fill the glass with crushed ice. Top off the glass with ⅔ cup sparkling water. Using a bar spoon, give a quick and gentle stir. Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint and extra raspberries.
Recipe by Yummy Notes.
Polska Rose
Stir 2 oz. Belvedere Lake Bartężek, ⅓ oz. Lillet Rose, ⅐ oz. elderflower liqueur, and 1 dash peach bitters over cubed ice in a mixing glass, then strain into a chilled glass.
Recipe by Belvedere.
Baby's Watermelon
Add ¾ oz. Cointreau, 2 oz. The Botanist Islay Dry Gin, ¾ oz. fresh lemon juice, 3 cubes watermelon, and 5 leaves cilantro to a shaker and gently muddle. Add ice, shake, and strain into a chilled glass. Garnish with a watermelon slice and/or lemon.
Recipe by Cointreau.
Palm Springs Paloma
Add ¾ oz. agave syrup, 2 oz. Lobos 1707 Tequila Joven, and ¾ oz. lemon juice to a mixing tin and shake. Pour over ice and top with 2 oz. ruby grapefruit or blood orange juice. Garnish with a slice of grapefruit or blood orange. Rim the glass with lemon juice and coat with salt or a spicy seasoning for an extra kick.
Recipe by mixologist Juan Arboleda for Lobos 1707.
Cherry Spritz
Combine 5 oz. Belvedere Vodka, a dash of maraschino liqueur, 3 lemon slices, and 1 maraschino cherry in a spritz glass filled with ice. Top with equal parts sparkling water and tonic water.
Recipe by Belvedere.
Caribbean Mai Tai
Combine 1½ parts The Glenlivet Caribbean Reserve, ¾ parts lime juice, ½ parts orgeat syrup, and ½ parts triple sec in a glass over ice. Stir, then garnish with mint and an orange slice.
Recipe by The Glenlivet.
Patio Patty
Combine 1¾ oz. tequila, 5 oz. pomegranate molasses, and ¾ oz. strawberry lemonade in a glass. Fill with ice and garnish with fresh mint leaves.
Recipe by Whiskey and Rosemary.
Fishers Island Lemosa
Pour 4 oz. sparkling wine in a glass and top with 2 oz. Fishers Island Lemonade. Finish with an orange squeeze.
Recipe by Fishers Island Lemonade.
El Pepino
In a cocktail shaker, add 2 oz. of cucumber-infused Reyka vodka, ½ oz. lime liqueur, ½ oz. basil simple syrup, ½ oz. lemon juice, ½ oz. lime juice, and 1-2 slices of cucumber. Combine the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice, shake, strain into a glass, and garnish with 1 large basil leaf and/or 2-3 mint leaves.
Recipe by Corey Jernigan.
Chambord Spritz
Fill a large wine glass with ice. Add 1½ oz. Chambord liqueur and 4 oz. dry white wine, then top with soda water.
Recipe by Chambord.
Tonic Rickey (A Mocktail!)
Combine ½ oz. simple syrup and ½ oz. lime juice in a glass with ice and stir. Slowly add 1½ oz. tonic water and 1½ oz. seltzer. Top with 3 dashes Angostura bitters. Don't stir. Garnish with a rosemary sprig.
Recipe by The Cocktail Snob.
Pineapple-Basil Smash
Add 1½ oz. Jameson Irish Whiskey, ¼ oz. Chartreuse, 1 oz. fresh pineapple juice, ¾ oz. simple syrup, 3 basil leaves, and ¾ oz. fresh lemon juice to a shaker with ice. Shake well, then strain the mixture into a rocks glass over ice. Garnish with a pineapple slice and basil leaf.
Recipe by W Fort Lauderdale.
Cilantro Paloma
Combine 1½ oz. Don Julio Reposado Tequila, 1½ oz. fresh grapefruit juice, ½ oz. fresh lime juice, ¼ oz. agave syrup, and 10 cilantro leaves in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well, then strain the contents into an ice-filled highball glass rimmed with black lava salt. Garnish with cilantro.
Recipe by mixologist Eric Ribeiro for Don Julio.
Buchanan’s Pineapple Cranberry
In a mixing glass, stir together 1½ oz. Buchanan’s DeLuxe Blended Scotch Whiskey, 3 oz. fresh pineapple juice, and 3 oz. cranberry juice. Pour into a rocks or highball glass filled with ice, and garnish with a cherry pinned to a slice of pineapple.
Recipe by Buchanan’s.
The Piwiwi
In a shaker with ice, combine ¾ oz. grapefruit juice, ½ oz. agave syrup, ½ oz. fresh lime juice, 1 oz. tequila blanco, ¾ oz. Ancho Reyes liqueur, a few dried hibiscus leaves, and 1 drop of citrus bitters. Strain into a rocks glass with ice, top with soda water, and garnish with a grapefruit slice.
Recipe by W Punta de Mita.
The J&T
Add 1½ oz. Johnnie Walker Black Label, 1½ oz. guava nectar juice, and ¼ oz. lime juice to a balloon glass. Add ice and stir to chill. Top with 4 oz. tonic, and garnish with a sprig of thyme.
Recipe by mixologist Carlos Ruiz for Johnnie Walker.
Berry Basil
Lightly muddle 1 strawberry and 3 basil leaves in a shaker. Add ¾ oz. Bertoux brandy, ¼ oz. Disaronno, and ¼ oz. Crème de Fraise. Add ice, shake, and double-strain into a Collins glass. Top with Fever-Tree sparkling water, and garnish with a basil leaf and sliced strawberry.
Recipe by Shawn Chen, beverage director at RedFarm and Decoy.
Aperol Sunset
Combine 2 oz. Tres Agaves Blanco Tequila, 1 oz. Aperol, 1 oz. agave syrup, ¾ oz. freshly squeezed lemon juice, and ½ oz. freshly squeezed grapefruit juice in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake vigorously, strain into a chilled cocktail glass, and garnish with a slice of grapefruit.
Recipe by Tres Agaves Tequila.
Springtime Spritz
Combine 1 oz. Sugar Island Coconut Rum, 1 oz. pineapple juice, ¾ oz. lemon juice, ¾ oz. Aperol, and ¼ oz. simple syrup in a shaker with ice. Shake, then strain into a rocks glass filled with ice. Top with sparkling rosé, and garnish with a skewer of pineapple chunks.
Recipe by NYC mixologist Pamela Wiznitzer.
A Dozen Roses
Muddle 3 raspberries in a shaker. Add in 1½ oz. Hanger 1 Rose Vodka, ½ oz. Lillet Blanc, ¾ oz. lemon juice, ½ oz. simple syrup, and some ice. Shake to combine, double-strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with dried rose petals.
Recipe by Jaime Benson for Center Hub at Trade Food Hall.
The Green Mary
In a tall glass, stir 1 oz. Ketel One Vodka, 3½ oz. fresh juice made from equal parts celery and cucumber, ½ oz. fresh lime juice, and a pinch each of rock salt, pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, and dried chili flakes. Add ice, and garnish with a salted cucumber slice.
Recipe by Ketel One Vodka.
Sparkling Watermelon Lemonade (A Mocktail!)
Blend 3 cups watermelon cubes (seedless) with the juice of 3 large lemons and ⅓ cup granulated sugar in a food processor. Strain the mixture with a fine mesh strainer. Pour the mixture into a pitcher filled halfway with ice. Add lemon slices and 2 cups sparkling water. Give a quick stir and serve.
Recipe by Yummy Notes.
Fiery Golden Mango Tonic (A Mocktail!)
Bring 4 cups water and 2 inches fresh ginger (sliced) to a boil. Remove from the heat. Add 4 bags chamomile tea, cover, and steep for 5-10 minutes. Strain the tea through a fine-mesh sieve into a large pitcher or glass jug. To the pitcher, add 2 tbsp. honey, 1 tsp. ground turmeric, ½ tsp. ground cayenne, 1 cup pure mango juice, ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice, and 2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar. Stir well. Taste, adding honey if needed. Chill until ready to serve. Pour over ice and top with sparkling water.
Recipe by Half-Baked Harvest.
The Twisted Bocktail
Combine 1¼ oz. Tres Agaves Reposado Tequila, ¾ oz. lemon juice, ½ oz. Cointreau, and ½ oz. simple syrup in a shaker with ice. Shake, then strain into a highball with ice. Top with Hefeweizen beer and garnish with a lemon wheel.
Recipe by NYC mixologist Pamela Wiznitzer.
Annabel Iwegbue is an associate editor at Cosmopolitan where she primarily covers entertainment and lifestyle. Before joining Cosmo, she covered entertainment at Harper's Bazaar, The Knockturnal, and Black Film. She's originally from Charleston, South Carolina, and is currently based in Brooklyn, New York. She holds a B.A. in Journalism and Cinema Studies from New York University. You can check out some of Annabel’s work here and also find her on Instagram and Twitter.
Hannah Chubb is the lifestyle editor at Cosmopolitan, covering all things home, travel, food, health, career, and more. She spends pretty much every hour of every day curating the internet for the best new products, trends, and travel destinations. You can typically find her looking for houses she can’t afford on Zillow or Airbnb, planning her next meal before she gets to the restaurant, or taking all of the Justin Bieber classes over and over and over again on Peloton. Follow her on Instagram.
