31 Spring Cocktails to Toast the New Season
We don’t know about you, but we’re ready to replace our fuzzy sweaters with short sleeves and our hot toddies with something fruity and refreshing. Spring is on its way, and that means swapping our favorite cold weather beverages for strawberry margaritas, rhubarb fizzes and matcha mint juleps (to name a few). Here, 31 spring cocktails that are fresh for the new season.
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1. Big-Batch Pink Negronis
Time Commitment: 10 minutes
Why We Love It: Crowd-pleasing, special occasion–worthy, <10 ingredients
By swapping the usual vermouth rosso for Lillet Blanc, these pink sippers are lighter, sweeter and more floral than the O.G. Negroni.
2. Rhubarb Mint Margarita with Jalapeño Tequila
Time Commitment: 25 minutes
Why We Love It: Special occasion–worthy
We always look forward to the arrival of rhubarb at the farmers market, so this year, we’re snatching up a big bunch and turning it into a cocktail. If you’re not into spicy drinks, skip infusing the tequila.
3. Frozen Strawberry Margaritas
Time Commitment: 10 minutes
Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, ready in <15 minutes, special occasion–worthy
The sun is *finally* shining and we’re busting out our blender to celebrate the occasion. (If you don’t have fresh strawberries at the ready, feel free to use frozen.)
4. Hibiscus and Ginger Champagne Cocktail
Time Commitment: 5 minutes
Why We Love It: Crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy, low carb
We love the way the tanginess of the hibiscus pairs with the spicy ginger liqueur. For the biggest impact, use whole hibiscus flowers—you can buy ’em online.
5. Strawberry Citrus Easter Punch
Time Commitment: 15 minutes
Why We Love It: Crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy
Nothing says “first outdoor brunch of the season” like a big batch of berry punch (spiked with brandy, of course). We love not playing bartender with a cocktail shaker.
6. Lavender Lemonade Rosé Cocktails
Time Commitment: 20 minutes
Why We Love It: Crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy
Upgrade your favorite bottle of dry rosé with homemade lemonade and a lavender simple syrup that’s surprisingly easy to make.
7. Lemon Chamomile Gin Fizz
Time Commitment: 15 minutes
Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, special occasion–worthy
What says spring more than a light, refreshing and floral cocktail? Everyone will think you’re a fancy mixologist with this one.
8. Cucumber Elderflower Gimlet
Time Commitment: 10 minutes
Why We Love It: Special occasion–worthy, ready in <15 minutes, low carb
A gimlet is a lot like a martini, but with lime juice instead of vermouth. Translation: It’s herbaceous but sour and just the thing to sip on a warm(ish) day.
9. Green Goddess Margaritas
Time Commitment: 15 minutes
Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, special occasion–worthy
Imagine if you served this cucumber-lime number in place of green beer on St. Patrick’s Day. You’d basically be, well, a saint.
10. Strawberry Basil Lemonade
Time Commitment: 5 minutes
Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, ready in <15 minutes, crowd-pleaser
Pink lemonade, but make it adults-only. OK fine, leave out the vodka if you want to make it a mocktail. Or better yet, make two batches.
11. Ginger Rhubarb Bees Knees
Time Commitment: 40 minutes
Why We Love It: Crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy, <10 ingredients
We already love the tart flavor of a class Bees Knees (that’s gin, lemon and honey), so upping the ante with rhubarb is a no-brainer.
12. Strawberry Champagne Mojito
Time Commitment: 45 minutes
Why We Love It: Special occasion–worthy
The homemade strawberry syrup takes this sparkler over the top, but you can swap it for seedless strawberry jelly in a pinch.
13. Rhubarb Fizz
Time Commitment: 20 minutes
Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, low carb, sugar free, keto
This spring cocktail has a secret: It uses alt-sweeteners to make it keto-friendly. If you’re not keto, regular sugar will do just fine.
14. Lavender Sangria
Time Commitment: 30 minutes
Why We Love It: Crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy
Even if you don’t looove floral flavors, you’ll want to try this lavender-laced drink. It’s light and herbal, not perfumy or overly sweet.
15. Matcha Mint Juleps
Time Commitment: 10 minutes
Why We Love It: Ready in <15 minutes, <10 ingredients
Grassy green tea and mint practically scream spring. We’ll be sipping on these long before the Kentucky Derby even happens.
16. Sparkling Pineapple Spritz
Time Commitment: 25 minutes
Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser
FYI, pineapple is a spring fruit, even though it tastes like a summer vacation. We’ll be making these spritzes the moment the forecast says 60 degrees.
17. The Spring Buzz
Time Commitment: 10 minutes
Why We Love It: Ready in <15 minutes, <10 ingredients
This concoction of chamomile, whiskey and honey will put you in the mood for spring and send away any lingering winter sniffles. It’s kinda like a chilled hot toddy.
18. Sugar Snap Pea Mojito
Time Commitment: 17 minutes
Why We Love It: Crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients
Vegetable cocktails really had a moment about six years ago. Can we petition to bring them back? This verdant beverage is the ideal balance of earthy and sweet.
19. Passionfruit Paloma
Time Commitment: 15 minutes
Why We Love It: Crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, make ahead
If 60 and party sunny isn’t enough, transport yourself to even warmer weather with this tropical bev.
20. Hibiscus Ginger Palomas
Time Commitment: 5 minutes
Why We Love It: Crowd-pleaser, ready in <15 minutes
What’s that? Passionfruit not your fancy? Try hibiscus, which is as gorgeous to look at as it is delicious to drink.
21. Blueberry Lemon Thyme Smash
Time Commitment: 5 minutes
Why We Love It: Special occasion–worthy
We’d say the thyme and blueberry garnish is optional, but it really makes this cocktail feel special, no? Plus, it’s about as simple a garnish as you can get.
22. Strawberry Margarita
Time Commitment: 5 minutes
Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, ready in <15 minutes
Even if you don’t have a blender, you can still make a sweet-and-sour strawberry margarita come springtime. This one is flavored with a fresh strawberry puree, but you can substitute preserves for simplicity.
23. Pink Lemonade Cocktail
Time Commitment: 5 minutes
Why We Love It: Special occasion–worthy
Bonus points if you make floral ice cubes with edible flowers. (We like the ones from Gourmet Sweet Botanicals.)
24. Grapefruit Pisco Sour with Orange Bitters
Time Commitment: 5 minutes
Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, ready in <15 minutes
Grapefruit is often thought of as a winter staple, but it’s actually at its sweetest in early spring. Perfect timing to whip up one of these mouth-puckering pisco sours.
25. Sparkling Citrus Lillet Prosecco Punch
Time Commitment: 10 minutes
Why We Love It: Crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy, <10 ingredients
If your farmers market is still a little bare in early March, take advantage of the lingering citrus fruit and make this sparkling punch. It’s not too boozy, which makes it great for brunch.
26. Arugula Pineapple Daiquiri
Time Commitment: 5 minutes
Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, ready in <15 minutes
Arugula in a cocktail? Believe it. The tender green is officially in season in spring, and it adds an unexpected peppery bite to an otherwise sweet cocktail.
27. Mint Mimosa Punch
Time Commitment: 30 minutes
Why We Love It: Crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients
Raise your hand if you think mimosas are kind of basic. (Us too.) The remedy? This fruit-laden punch, which makes the brunch staple sooo much better.
28. Grapefruit Wine
Time Commitment: 15 minutes
Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser
Oh hi, three-ingredient cocktail for a crowd. This simple drink calls for a bottle of rosé, but if you really want to live on the edge, add a splash of gin.
29. Frozen Blueberry Paloma
Time Commitment: 10 minutes
Why We Love It: Crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients
You mix the grapefruit with the blueberry and you drink it all up. Wait, that’s not how it goes? We’re doing it anyway.
30. Sake Grapefruit Cocktail
Time Commitment: 10 minutes
Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, ready in <15 minutes, low sugar
This flavor combination is the definition of refreshing. Bonus, there are only five grams of sugar in each drink.
31. Rosé Raspberry Lavender Spritzer
Time Commitment: 40 minutes
Why We Love It: Crowd-pleaser
Make the lavender simple syrup ahead of time so it’s smooth sailing—er, shaking—come brunch.
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