As winter finally flows away and spring starts to shake her pretty head, her awakening brings a glut of glorious treats to the forests, the hedgerows and the gardens. From fragrant herbs to bright bursting berries, the world becomes a pantry where you can pick and choose. These beautiful tidbits are a perfect companion to elegant cocktail hours in the late afternoon, when the sun is warm and hazy and there’s nothing left to do on your list but kick back and sip away your worries. Here are our favorite spring cocktail recipes for lazing in the garden…
Honey and Rose Margarita
- A splash of rose water
- A spoon of honey
- A squeeze of lemon
- 1 oz Cointreau
- 2 oz White Tequila
Celebrate the romance of the rose blossom and the buzzing of the bees with this beautiful spring cocktail. Simply shake up all the ingredients together with ice and strain into a glass of ice. Adorn with a few carefully picked rose petals and raise a toast.
Cherry Blossomtini
- 5 oz of Sake
- 5 oz of Cointreau
- 5 oz of cranberry juice
- A twist of lime
- A dash of orange bitter
Nothing says spring like frothy pink cherry blossom weighing down the branches of a tree and turning the air to snow. If you want to call forth the spirit of Hanami, take your cocktail shaker and fill with ice. Add all the ingredients and give it a good shake. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and stretch out on your deck chair.
Silver Fizz
- 2oz dry gin
- 1 oz lemon juice
- 1 egg white
- 1 teaspoon of fine sugar
- Club soda to top up
A high-class twist on the gorgeous and timeless G&T, this silver fizz is a fabulous mark of Sunday afternoons in the sun with a good book in hand. Fresh, funky and free from the fruity sweetness that many spring cocktails can bring; simply add all the ingredients except the soda to a shaker and go wild. Pour into a tall glass with ice and top with the club soda until you hear that satisfying fizz.
Mint Whisky Smash
- 2 oz bourbon
- 1 oz syrup
- A quarter of a lemon cut into wedges
- A few sprigs of spearmint
This was the kind of spring drink people were supping over a century ago, proof that some recipes are too sublime to let die. The Whisky Smash calls on the honeyed deep burn of whiskey to be brightened by a smash of lemon, a dash of simple sweetened syrup, and a few spearmint sprigs to bring beautiful freshness to the palate. Muddle the lemon and spearmint together to release the juices, add the syrup and whisky and shake well before pouring into a tall glass with ice.
Pear Cucumber Vodka
- 5 oz pear vodka
- 5 oz elderflower liqueur
- 5 oz lemon juice
- 5 oz simple syrup
- 2 cucumber slices
- Mint leaves
- Club soda to top up
Fresh, fragrant and occupying that space between perky fizz and botanical bright cocktail, this pear cucumber vodka is the spring pick me up you need. Muddle your cucumber with the lemon and syrup to get those juices going. Fill your shaker with ice and add the rest of the ingredients (expect the soda), shake with fervor and then strain into a tall glass over cracked ice. Top with soda and say ahh.
What do you love to sip in the sunshine? Share your favorite spring cocktail flings in the comments.
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