11 of My Favorite Spring Cocktail Recipes
Spring hath sprung! (Ish? FINALLY? This winter was brutal, and spring has been taking her sweet time getting here. Despite some low temps this week, I choose to believe that it’s mid-April and it’s happening.)
Maybe by sharing my favorite spring cocktail recipes, I’ll manifest a true, lovely, warm spring into being.
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The drink recipes below will take us from those chilly transitional early days of spring, all the way until we slide into summer cocktails, and our focus here is on bright citrus, a few herbal notes, and some light florals to celebrate what’s in season.
Lemon Curd Cocktail: A Fun Twist on a Gin Sour
We’re kicking off with this lemon curd cocktail because it’s the equivalent of shouting, “spring is here!” It’s tart and creamy, exactly the sunny feel we need after a long, COLD, dark winter. If you have either store-bought or homemade lemon curd on hand, this is a perfect way to use up a couple spoonfuls.
Blood Orange Amaretto Whiskey Sour
I’m in love with the rich color that blood oranges bring to a cocktail. This is a “level-up” on my regular amaretto sour, and the mellow, sweet, tartness perfectly pairs with the almond flavor.
Basil Gin Smash
This citrus-herbal take on a classic gin smash is exactly what you need to make the second that those glossy basil leaves pop up in your garden. It’s the encapsulation of late spring, and refreshing enough to take you into summer as well. And the smell of the fresh basil will make you go nuts…
Fuzzy Navel All-Grown-Up
This mint and apricot gin cocktail is SO juicy and refreshing, a perfect choice for late spring when you can get your hands on fresh apricots. It blends perfectly with some warm spices and citrus zest in the syrup, and is offset by that freshness from a hint of mint.
Berry-Basil Smash (A Refreshing Gin Cocktail)
This is a mellower and slightly sweeter version of the other basil-tinted smash on this list. Rather than a bright, tart lemon pairing with basil that kind of punches you in the face, we add in a bit of Chambord liqueur for a slightly darker, chiller black raspberry flavor.
3-Ingredient Classic Gin Gimlet Cocktail
The O.G.! The gimlet—in some form—is my #1 go-to cocktail. This is the classic drink in its purest form, just three ingredients making one simple, refreshing sip!
A Classic “Brown Derby” Cocktail
This is a tart, sweet, boozy classic cocktail that’s been around since the 1930s. Flavor profile-wise this is great in fall as well, but as someone living in the Louisville area I felt like it deserved a nod around Kentucky Derby season (though that’s *not* where the drink gets its name).
Cherry & Lemon Gin Cocktail
This is effectively a cherry lemonade for grown-ups, and trust me—you’ll fall in love. The Luxardo Sangue Morlacco liqueur (which I’m obsessed with) has such a punchy flavor vs. making your own cherry syrup, plus it’s perfect for when you can’t get access to the right kinds of fresh cherries.
Grapefruit Cardamom Gin Cocktail
This drink is tart and refreshing, with a lovely underpinning of warm spice that makes it a perfect transitional sip, whether that’s in spring or fall. The easy cardamom syrup is also delicious in iced coffee or other cocktails.
“Trouble In Paradise”: Spiced Peach Bourbon Cocktail
I’ll admit, this is another that’s perfect for fall as well, but it can just as easily take us in that late-spring slide toward summer as well. You’ve got juicy peach flavors with a warm spice behind it, at once comforting and refreshing.
Bohemian Gin Cocktail
As you can see, I luuuuuurve a grapefruit-gin cocktail. This one adds a hit of floral elderflower, which perfectly complements the sweetly-tart fresh pink grapefruit juice.
So there are some of my favorites to take us through spring, from the chilly early days to the hot, humid slide into summer! Which one are you most excited to try??
Other seasonal
- 15+ Amazing Summer Cocktails To Try
- 13+ Amazing Fall Cocktails to “Fall” in Love With
- The Best Thanksgiving Recipes (including Cocktails)
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