With the arrival of summer and the proximity of the New Year, this is the perfect time to gather your friends to celebrate, and refreshing beverages always makes everything better.
If you’re putting together a big party or a simple end of the year happy hour, a tropical sangria or a gin and tonic, for example, are total crowd pleasers. We have prepared a selection of 10 quick and easy drinks for you to have fun while you make it alone or with friends. Check it out!
- Caipirinha
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Caipirinha is the most popular cocktail in Brazil, and everyone has their own way of making it. The classic one is made with cachaça, the most famous Brazilian brandy, and lime, but it pairs really well with other fruits, like strawberry and pineapple, as well as with other alcoholic beverages, such as vodka and sake.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 lime
- 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 teaspoons superfine sugar, to taste
- 2 ounces cachaça
- Slice of lime, for garnish
How to prepare: Gather the ingredients. Cut half of a lime into small wedges. Place the lime and sugar into a glass and macarete well, but gently. Top the drink with cachaça and stir it well. Put small ice cubes or cracked ice, stir again, and garnish with a slice of lime. Serve and enjoy.
- Tropical Sangria
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Tropical sangria is an alternative to the classic Spanish drink (Spanish sangria) which, instead of red wine, includes white labels, in addition to tropical fruits such as orange, pineapple and mango. On hot summer days, it’s an excellent choice. Its preparation is simple and the result is incredible!
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of pineapple
- 1 cup of mango
- 1 orange cut into thin slices
- 1 bottle of sparkling wine
- 5 mint leaves
- sugar to taste
- As much ice as you want
How to prepare: Cut the pineapple and mango into medium cubes and the orange into thin slices. In a large pitcher, add the fruit, wine and mint. Add the sugar and stir gently. Leave it in the fridge for 20 minutes to incorporate the flavors and when serving, serve it well chilled!
- Aperol Spritz
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Refreshing, the Aperol Spritz became a fever in the European summer before arriving in Brazil.
Ingredients:
- 150 ml of sparkling Prosecco
- 100 ml of Aperol
- 50 ml of Club Soda (or sparkling water)
- 1 slice of orange (optional)
- As much ice as you want
How to prepare: put ice cubes in the bowl to chill it, or leave it in the freezer for a few minutes. After that, add the Aperol, prosecco and sparkling water. Mix gently. If you want, you can still decorate the drink for the summer with a slice of orange.
- Mojito
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Mojito is a light and very refreshing drink. Despite requiring few ingredients, the result is always amazing!
Ingredients:
- 1 lemon
- 1 shot of white rum (50 ml)
- 3 sprigs of mint
- 1 teaspoon of sugar
- As much ice as you want
- Club soda or sparkling water to top it up
How to prepare: Wash and dry the mint branches and the lemon well. Gather two sprigs of mint and rub the leaves well on the inside and the rim of a tall glass. It must be very fragrant. On a board, cut the lemon with the peel in half and discard the seeds. Cut one of the halves into four parts and transfer to a tall glass. Add the sugar, the remaining mint leaves and, using a macerator, mash well. Add the dose of rum and mix. Fill the glass with ice cubes and top it up with club soda (or sparkling water). Serve right away.
- Gin and Tonic
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Drinks with Gin are a great option for those who prefer a change and a break from caipirinhas. These options are super trendy.
Ingredients:
- 50 ml of Gin
- 2 shots of Tonic Water
- Ice
- Fruit slices to taste (or tea bag)
How to prepare: Choose a wide bowl and place the tea bag (or slices of fruit of your choice). Then add the ice and add the gin. Now let it infuse for about 2 minutes and then top it off with tonic water.
- Clericot
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Ideal for those who enjoy light and fruity drinks, Clericot is a quick and colorful beverage for your summer. An alternative version is to opt for a less sweet white wine, as this recipe also has sugar. Here’s a tip: use Chardonnay wine, it’s quite tasty!
Ingredients:
- Juice made from half an orange
- Strawberries: 10 units cut in half
- Peach: 1 unit in pieces (can be nectarine too)
- Seedless grape: 10 units cut in half
- Pineapple: 1/2 cup frozen cubes
- Green apple: 1 piece sliced
- 750 ml of chilled white wine
- 1 can of chilled tonic water
- 1 tablespoon of sugar
- Ice
How to prepare: get a glass jar and place the fruits. Then add the orange juice, sugar and lots of ice. Finally, just add the wine and tonic water and mix well. Now, just separate the bowls and serve!
- Sex On The Beach
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Born in the city of Ft. Lauderdale, in Florida, in 1987, out of a competition between bars in the area, Sex on the Beach emerged to help increase sales of peach schnapps, which had been launched recently at the time. Its name came from a bartender, who united the main reasons for visits to that region: beach and sex, so “Sex on the beach” was born.
Ingredients:
- Half shot of peach schnapps
- A shot of vodka
- A shot of orange Juice
- 7 drops of blackcurrant syrup
- As much ice as you want
How to prepare: add crushed ice to a cocktail shaker, along with the vodka, peach schnapps and orange juice and shake well. Then, in the glass where the drink will be served, put a little currant to give the gradient effect and pour.
- Cozumel
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Of Mexican origin, Cozumel emerged on an island that bears the same name as the drink, belonging to the province of Quintana Roo, Mexico. The drink has only three ingredients in its original version.
Ingredients:
- Half lemon
- Salt
- A can of beer
- Ice
How to prepare: Beat the ice cubes in the blender until it’s like crushed ice. In a glass, squeeze the lemon and set aside. In the glass you are going to serve, just wet its edges and cover with sal. Place the ice in the bottom, then add the lemon juice and top it up with the beer of your choice.
- Piña Colada
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The Piña Colada is the face of summer! The rum-based cocktail can be served in glasses or even inside a piece of fruit, making it even more charming.
Ingredients:
- 1 shot of rum
- 1 dash of coconut cream or coconut milk
- 3 shots of pineapple juice
- As much ice as you want
How to prepare: in a blender, add the pineapple juice, rum and coconut milk or coconut cream and ice. Beat everything until smooth. Serve in a glass and, if you like, decorate with a piece of pineapple or cherry.
- Frozen Margarita
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The refreshing and very cold drinks are perfect for hot days and, therefore, the frozen margarita is a huge success!
Ingredients:
- 2 glasses filled with ice
- 120 ml of tequila
- 160 ml of lemon juice
- 80 ml of orange liqueur
- Salt and lemon to decorate
How to prepare: Carefully put everything in the blender. Hit using the pulsar mode. Tap the blender lightly so that the ice crushes better. When everything is beaten, but still with pieces of ice, set aside. Run 1 slice of lemon around the rim of a tall glass. Dip the edge into a little bit of salt. Pour the frozen margarita and decorate with another slice of lemon! Drink it before the ice melts completely.
Tip: This drink is 18+ only, but you can make a non-alcoholic version by substituting soda water for the tequila and orange liqueur for orange juice.
These were the recommendations of 10 fun and easy drinks to do on New Years and cheer up the celebration. Just remember these are all alcoholic, so they’re for 21+ only, and if you’re drinking, don’t drive. Hope you try them with your friends!
The article above was written by Julia Tuma and edited by Amanda Moraes. Liked this type of content? Check out Her Campus Cásper Líbero home page for more!