It’s finally starting to feel like summer. The time where it’s lighter out, the weather is truly the best and gathering with groups of friends at the pool, on the beach, in the yard and on the boat happen both frequently and spontaneously.
While serving up some drinks for guests, a simple spritz or glass of rosé may be the easy choice, but 2025 is the year to level up your summer cocktail game. We scoped out 12 cocktails from waterfront resorts that not only scream summertime in a glass, but are also easily made to impress those gathered.
Let the good times roll this season with one (or more) of these drinks in hand.
The Margarita Santa from the Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit
Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit
Margarita Santa
Recipe courtesy of Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit
A botanical-inspired margarita featuring hoja santa syrup and orange bitters, this cocktail balances citrus brightness with subtle herbal undertones. Hoja santa, also known as Mexican pepperleaf, is a culinary herb native to Mexico and South America.
Recipe:
1.5 oz 1921 Tequila Blanco
1 oz Hoja Santa Syrup
Dash of Orange Bitters
0.5 oz Fresh lime juice
0.5 oz Fresh lemon juice
Directions: Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and add all ingredients. Shake vigorously for 10 to 15 seconds. Strain into a chilled glass filled with fresh ice. Garnish with a hoja santa leaf or lemon twist.
Spritz Adriatico
The Spritz Adriatico from Adriatic Luxury Hotels.
Adriatic Luxury Hotels
Recipe courtesy of Adriatic Luxury Hotels
The Spritz Adriatico is a refreshing Mediterranean-inspired cocktail that blends Cocchi Americano, jasmine tea, and peach purée over ice, topped with Fever Tree Mediterranean Tonic and finished with a twist of lemon zest and bergamot for a fragrant, citrusy finish.
Recipe:
2 oz Cocchi Americano White
1.7 oz Jasmine Tea
0.7 oz Peach Purée
1 Bottle Fever Tree Mediterranean Tonic
Garnish: Lemon zest, bergamot
Glassware: Wine glass or long drink glass
Directions: Mix the Cocchi Americano, jasmine tea, and peach purée in a glass filled with ice. Top with Mediterranean tonic. Garnish with lemon zest and a hint of bergamot.
The LaPlaya Water is a creative take on Ranch Water.
LaPlaya Beach & Golf Club
La Playa Water
Recipe courtesy of LaPlaya Beach & Golf Resort
This drink was inspired by the popular Ranch Water trend. The cocktail features a smooth blend of Casamigos Reposado, refreshing coconut water, crisp Fever-Tree Club Soda, a subtle splash of agave for sweetness, and a fresh lime wedge to brighten the finish.
Recipe:
1.5oz of Casamigos Reposado Tequila
3oz of Coconut water
2oz of Fever Tree club soda
.25oz of Agave
Directions: Pour all of the ingredients in a glass over ice. Garnish with a fresh lime slice.
Skinny Piña Colada
The Skinny Piña Colada is the signature drink at the Inn on Fifth.
Inn on Fifth
Recipe courtesy of Inn on Fifth
A tropical delight combining Malibu Coconut Rum with fresh pineapple juice, topped with a refreshing splash of Fever Tree club soda. Light, fruity, and perfect for sipping by the beach or poolside.
Recipe:
2oz Malibu Coconut Rum
3oz Fresh pineapple juice
Splash of Fever Tree club soda
Directions: Pour all ingredients over ice and stir.
The Stella Spritz from Stella New Hope is a summer favorite.
Image courtesy of Stella New Hope
Stella Spritz
Recipe courtesy of Stella of New Hope inside the Ghost Light Inn
This seasonal version of the signature Stella Spritz is a bright, floral, and spiced delight, with luscious lychee sweetness balanced by warming chai spices and a hint of citrus. The effervescence from St. Kilda Brut Cuvée adds a refreshing lift, leaving a crisp, lightly spiced finish— perfect for sipping riverside.
Recipe:
.75 oz Boardroom Vodka
2 oz Lychee Cordial
.75 oz Chai tea
.25 oz Lemon juice
2 Dashes of Peychaud’s Bitters
Top w/ St. Kilda Brut Cuvée (~3oz)
Directions: Build in a wine glass over ice, top with St. Kilda Brut Cuvée, garnish with a raspberry.
Evil Thought
The Evil Thought is Le Toiny’s Beach Club’s signature cocktail.
Photographer: Théa Delorme for Le Toiny
Recipe courtesy of Le Toiny
The Evil Thought is Le Toiny’s Beach Club’s signature cocktail, a detox-inspired take on the classic Moscow Mule. Crafted with Vodka, Elderflower liqueur, fresh cucumber juice, and lime, it’s crowned with a splash of Ginger Beer. Perfectly refreshing, it’s the ideal drink to enjoy at the beach—whether you’re soaking up the sun or unwinding after a lively evening.
Recipe:
.75 oz Elderflower liquor
1.5 oz Fresh cucumber juice
.75 oz Fresh lime juice
Ginger beer for topper (about 1 oz)
Directions: Mix all ingredients in a glass with ice. Top with ginger beer.
The Faraway Mermaid is the signature cocktail at Sister Ship at Faraway Hotel Nantucket.
Faraway Hotel Nantucket
Faraway Mermaid
Recipe courtesy of Sister Ship, located in Faraway Nantucket
Is there anything more of a Nantucket vibe than a mermaid? Well, maybe nautical stripes, but that is pretty much it. This cocktail is the signature drink at Sister Ship and is an elevated take on a traditional margarita.
Recipe:
1 oz Lime juice
1 oz Jalapeño agave (housemade; example recipe here.)
2 oz Blanco tequila
Directions: Run a lime wedge around the rim of the glass, then dip into the salt. Combine all of the ingredients into a shaker with ice; shake. Pour into your lined glass.
The Blueberry Smash at The Pier House in Cape May, NJ.
The Pier House
Blueberry Smash
Recipe courtesy of The Pier House
The Pier House’s Blueberry Smash is a bright, sun-soaked sip of summer featuring Western Son Blueberry Vodka, fresh lemon juice, triple sec, and muddled blueberries for a refreshingly juicy cocktail with a hint of citrus and just the right amount of sweetness.
Recipe:
2 oz Western Son blueberry vodka
½ oz Triple sec
¾ oz Fresh lemon juice
6 to 8 Fresh blueberries (plus extra for garnish)
Ice
Garnish with lime wheel and skewered blueberries
Glassware: Rocks Glass
Directions: In a shaker, muddle the fresh blueberries with lemon juice. Add blueberry vodka, triple sec, and ice. Shake well until chilled. Pour into a rocks glass filled with fresh ice. Garnish with a lime wheel and skewered blueberries.
The Pandan & Jasmine Highball from Nobu Hotel Marbella.
Adrián Martínez Navarro
Pandan & Jasmine Highball
Courtesy of Nobu Hotel Marbella
Nobu Hotel Marbella takes its guest experience—and its cocktails—very seriously. This combination of whiskey is softened by the addition of a Pandan and Jasmine tea cordial, while the dry white port adds a level of texture for a multi-faceted, refreshing sipper.
Recipe:
.85 oz Hakushu Distillers Reserve Whiskey
1.1 oz Hokusetsu Umeshu (plum wine)
1.2 oz Pandan and Jasmine Tea Cordial
.7 oz Grahams Dry White Port
.2 oz Simple syrup
Directions: Add all ingredients to a mixing glass. Stir in the mixing glass and strain into a highball over a long ice stick. Garnish with a Pandan leaf circle.
The Drag Lagoon is a refreshing berry cocktail on the menu at Key West Historic Inns.
Courtesy of Key West Historic Inns
The Drag Lagoon
Courtesy of Key West Historic Inns
Developed and put on the menu to celebrate Pride Month, this drink is one that will become a mainstay on the cocktail menu at the Key West Historic Inns. And, for good reason—not only is this berry cocktail flavorful and refreshing, but the color is eye-catching and perfect for the ‘gram.
Recipe:
1.5 oz Gin
.75 oz Lemon juice
.5 oz of Creme de Mure (blackberry liquor)
.75 oz Simple syrup
Directions: Combine all ingredients, shake and pour over ice.
The Peach Fuzz at Hillside Beach Club.
Hillside Beach Club
Peach Fuzz
Courtesy of Hillside Beach Club
With the Peach Fuzz, the five-star resort proves its diverse culinary offer and its Turkish lightness. A delicious, fruity sipper finished with a foam crown for texture and creaminess, you’ll want this one on repeat for summer gatherings.
Recipe:
.5 oz of Tanqueray No. Ten London Dry Gin
.5 oz Cinnamon-infused Aperol (infused for 48 hours with four cinnamon sticks)
.85 oz Passion fruit puree
.67 oz Lime juice.
Directions: Combine all ingredients in a shaker. Shake and strain into a glass over ice. Garnish with edible flowers, a dried orange or cinnamon stick.
The Heart of Azamara cocktail available on Azamara Onward.
Azamara Cruises
Heart of Azamara
Courtesy of Azamara Cruises
There’s nothing quite like sipping a handcrafted cocktail at sea, especially during a summer sunset with the horizon stretched before you. Onboard Azamara Onward, the Atlas Bar offers the perfect setting—an intimate, artfully designed space where mixology meets destination.
Recipe:
1 oz Strawberry syrup
.75 oz Fresh lime juice
.5 oz Galliano
Hint of Absinthe
Directions: Spray Absinthe in a martini glass. Combine all ingredients in a shaker. Shaker for 20 seconds; double strain into martini glass. Garnish with two half strawberries.