‘Ideal for hot afternoons in the sun’ … Mina Holland’s summer cocktails. Photograph: Phoebe Pearson/The Guardian. Food styling: El Kemp. Prop styling: Tabitha Hawkins View image in fullscreen ‘Ideal for hot afternoons in the sun’ … Mina Holland’s summer cocktails. Photograph: Phoebe Pearson/The Guardian. Food styling: El Kemp. Prop styling: Tabitha Hawkins Summer food 2026 Cocktails Six cocktails for summer good times A rainbow assortment of sunshine quenchers that look lavish but can be dispensed in short order
Prefer the Guardian on Google Cynar and wine View image in fullscreen Cynar is an artichoke amaro – unfashionably brown but incredibly delicious. It can be made into an ugly spritz, or you can embrace its hue and make this little number. My aperitivo of 2026.
A twist of lemon 30ml Cynar Dry white wine (preferably Italian, such as pecorino or garganega), chilled A skewered olive, to garnish
Sweep the rim of a chilled nick and nora glass with the lemon, then drop it into the glass. Add the Cynar, top with the wine, add an ice cube and stir. Add the skewered olive and serve.
View image in fullscreen Nothing says summer like a spritz made with Suze , a luminous yellow bitter made with gentian root. Italians would make this with prosecco, but given the French roots of this drink, I like to make it with crémant.
60ml Suze 90ml dry sparkling wine, chilled 1 wedge each of orange and lemon
Half fill a large stemmed wine glass with ice, then add the Suze, followed by the sparkling wine. Stir briefly, so as not to lose too much of that eponymous spritz, and serve with the citrus slices.
View image in fullscreen Luxurious, soft and bracing, this cocktail shouldn’t work but really does. If you’re like me and can’t quite bring yourself to use champagne for a mashup, crémant works brilliantly.
90ml stout (eg Guinness), chilled 90ml dry sparkling wine (I used a crémant), chilled
Tilt a champagne flute and slowly add the stout. Place the flute on a level surface to allow the stout to settle before topping up with sparkling wine. Serve.
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View image in fullscreen So much easier to make – and less boozy or sweet – than sangria, this refreshing “summer red wine” is ideal for hot afternoons in the sun. You can even assemble it at a picnic.
Makes 1 150ml fruity red wine (I used a tempranillo) 100ml lemonade (7UP or Sprite, but Fever Tree blood orange soda is also very good), chilled 1 orange slice, to garnish 1 lemon slice, to garnish Mint leaves, to garnish
Half fill a tumbler with ice, and add the red wine followed by the lemonade/flavoured soda. Give it a quick, perfunctory stir before garnishing with the citrus slices and mint leaves. Serve.
View image in fullscreen True to its name, this is a dreamboy of a drink. He’s everywhere on cocktail menus right now; here’s how to bring him home.
45ml dry white sherry (fino or manzanilla) , chilled 45ml sweet vermouth (I used Cocchi vermouth di Torino), chilled A few dashes of Angostura bitters A twist of orange
In a cocktail shaker, put the sherry, vermouth, bitters and a couple of cubes of ice. Stir for 30 seconds, to combine and get the whole lot really cold, then strain into a chilled nick & nora glass, fresh from the freezer. Garnish with the orange twist, and serve.
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