7 Summery Cocktails to Enjoy This Weekend

In our opinion, cold drinks are just about as important for a backyard barbecue as the grub on the grill is. Let’s face it: You’ll enjoy that cheeseburger so much more if you have a summery beverage to wash it down. Kick off this weekend’s unofficial start to summer on the right sip with one (or a few) of these fun and refreshing cocktails.

Ginger-Peach Beer Cooler (pictured above)
Don’t disregard beer when it comes to mixing cocktails. If you’ve ever had a shandy (lemonade mixed with beer) you’ll understand. Giada combines light lager with fresh peaches and easy-to-make ginger syrup for an awesome summer drink that doesn’t require hard liquor. You’ll want one of these poolside.

Ina’s Perfect Margaritas
Margaritas are always a sure party beverage choice, and leave it to Ina Garten to come up with the perfect, 5-star recipe. Her secret: a combination of lemon, lime and cheap tequila. Yes — you read that correctly. Ina says the fancy, expensive stuff just isn’t right when you’re blending together a good ‘ol margarita. If you’re looking to add a little of sweetness to cut the bite of the alcohol, Ree Drummond’s frozen mango margarita recipe will not fail you.

Frozen Mojitos
Fresh mint makes mojitos particularly appealing during warm summer days. Make them even more refreshing by turning the classic cocktail into a frozen treat. Bobby Flay’s recipe calls for the standard ingredients — rum, mint, lime and simple syrup — but yields more refreshment and fun.

Grown-Up Ice Cream Floats
You’ll never grow out of your enthusiasm for ice cream floats, so don’t try to fight it. If the combination of bubbles and ice cream makes you giddy, you’ll love Sunny Anderson’s Blackberry Gin Fizz Float. Gin not your thing? You can find more boozy float inspiration from Food Network Magazine’s all-star spread.

Watermelon Mai Tais
Quench your thirst for the tropics with mai-tais. Blended with chunks of juicy watermelon, Ted Allen’s recipe is principally summer-appropriate. But if the pink fruit hasn’t hit your market yet or not all partygoers are keen on it (if such people exist), stick to a classic recipe.

10-Minute Sangria
If you’re not looking to play bartender all day or night, make a big batch of Rachael Ray’s sangria. It’s loaded with fresh fruit and takes just 10 minutes to put together. Make it the morning of your barbecue and take it out of the fridge when friends arrive.

Spiked Coffee Cocktails 
It’s time to take brunch outside! Instead of the usual batch of mimosas or Bloody Marys, shake up some of Food Network Magazine’s Brazilian Coffee Cocktails. Mixed with espresso, rum and sweetened condensed milk, a glass of this chilled and creamy beverage is more appealing than a hot cup of coffee.

If you’re looking for some kid-friendly summer beverage options, check out these awesome recipes.

• 50 Homemade Sodas
• Ree’s Raspberry Lemonade
• Perfect Iced Tea
• Salted Chocolate Milk

from FN Dish – Food Network Blog http://ift.tt/1R7x7LV

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