Screen Shot 2014-06-05 at 12.24.01 PM

The days are starting to get long, lazy and hot. The perfect way to cool them down (or spice them up) is with a summer cocktail. In the spirit of summer fun, mixologists from across the US shared the recipes that are topping their drink menus with me for Sexy Summer Sips: What to Drink Now published in The Latin Kitchen. From a refreshing peach mint splash and a Jamaica punch with hibiscus flowers to smoky mezcals with jalapeño and serrano peppers, there’s a cocktail for every summer weekend cookout, fancy rooftop soiree, or late afternoon happy hour. 

Jamaica Hibiscus Punch
April showers may bring May flowers but summer brings hibiscus. Hibiscus is at its peak growing season in early summer, which we think is the perfect timing for a refreshing summer hibiscus punch. With its light, sweet, earthy taste, hibiscus invokes thoughts of a late summer evening on a patio. Soak the flowers, add rum and tequila for a sweet, enduring punch. Get the full recipe.

Hot Streak
Jalapeño is a popular ingredient in summer cocktails this year, especially when combined with tequila. Bounce Sporting Club mixologist Chelsey Dunkel uses jalapeño-infused tequila and passion fruit to create a sweet and spicy cocktail — the perfect mixed drink for a hot summer day. For an aromatic taste, puree the passion fruit yourself with the seeds. And don’t skip the jalapeño-infused tequila, it brings out the earth tones of the passion fruit.  Get the full recipe.

Guayaberra
As we embark on the “Summer of Brazil,” the perfect World Cup drink for those long, tension-filled games is the Guayaberra. Avocado gives the drink a creamy smoothie texture, cilantro and cucumber give it bits of earthy tones, and pineapple adds sweetness. Get the full recipe.

 La Sombra
This smoky cocktail doesn’t pull any punches, using serrano peppers as a main flavor. If you haven’t used serranos, the pepper is similar to the jalapeño in size but much hotter in taste. Keep in the mind the smaller the pepper the hotter it is, so choose wisely! The heat is tempered by agave, while a squirt of lime juice cuts through the sweetness. Get the full recipe. 

Frida’s Thorns
Mixologists at 2nd Floor on Clinton created this cocktail as homage to the Mexican painter Frida Kahlo. This isn’t an easy cocktail to make (you’ll have to pick up some bar ingredients, including a gum paste!) but it’s well worth it. Beautiful, hot pink prickly pear juice is mixed with tequila and cointreau for a subtly sweet cocktail. You won’t be able to help but picture yourself on a beach in Mexico as the sun beats down and a cool breeze washes over you. Get the full recipe.

Peach Mint Smash
Juicy peaches on a summer day evoke memories of eating messy, drippy childhood peaches. The versatile fruit can be used for so many things: salsa, bbq sauce and, when combined with Partida Tequila, summer cocktails! Add mint, another versatile summer ingredient, and the peach flavor becomes even stronger. Add tequila and you have a cool, new adults only classic. Get the full recipe.

What’s your favorite summer drink?