Spring has sprung and the arrival of the solstice on Sunday will mark the longest day of the year which officially ushers in Summer! At the end of a long day, it is the perfect time for a little alfresco sipping while enjoying these extra hours of sunlight. Here are six of my favorite warm-weather sippers, from tried and true classics to some fresh new takes on classic flavors that will make your backyard bar the hit of the 'hood.

1. Classic Daiquiri

When most people hear “daiquiri”, they automatically think of frozen drinks with umbrellas or plastic swords laden with fruit. But a real daiquiri has Cuban roots and is completely refreshing!

The Classic Daiquiri is made with only three ingredients. Shaken and served straight up or over ice this simple sweet and sour drink will make you a believer in the classics.

So, let's get to sipping, shall we?

In a shaker filled with crushed ice, combine:

• 2 ounces rum

• 1-ounce lime juice

• ¾ ounce simple syrup

Cover and shake for at least 30 seconds. Strain into chilled coupe to serve straight. I like mine over lots of ice, so I pour over fresh rocks into an iced beverage. Garnish with a lime wheel. Sip, and sigh with content.

2. Summer Sparkler

If there is one drink that tastes like absolute summer in a glass it is my Summer Sparkler. Made with the Ketel One Botanical Grapefruit and Rose, this is also light on alcohol so you can sip in the sun without worrying it will go right to your head.

From the first sip, the flavor and aroma of grapefruit rose and basil hit you with the full force of summer. Light, refreshing, and easy to drink, the Summer Sparkler is perfect for session sipping, enjoying pool or beachside, or pre-gaming with friends before hitting the town!

Time to stir up a Sparkler! You will need:

2 oz. Ketel One Grapefruit and Rose Botanical

3 oz. Perrier

Dash of Angostura Bitters

Sugar Cube

Grapefruit wedge

3 Fresh Basil Leaves -reserving 1 for garnish

1 Grapefruit Twist for Garnish

In a heavy-bottomed rock or double old-fashioned glass,

muddle 2 leaves of fresh basil, grapefruit wedge, sugar cube, and bitters.

Fill glass with ice, add the botanical vodka, top with Perrier,

and stir gently, to keep this sparkler sparkling!

Garnish with a bruised basil leaf and a grapefruit twist.

3. Philly Politician

**This drink uses egg whites to get that dreamy foamy top, you can leave it out if raw egg freaks you out, but it won't be quite the same without it.**

The Philly Politician is my twist on the classic Vodka Sour, with a kick. Smooth vodka accompanied by aromatic gin, flavored with a bracing combination of lemon and rosemary. The name comes from the two Philly-based spirits used, Stateside Vodka and Bluecoat Gin.

This is a fun sip, no doubt about it! Chic, and showy enough to get you some serious cocktail props when serving this up at home. However, don't let its tiny stature and come hither looks fool you...this drink is not for inexperienced voters. Like all great politicians, this drink will promise you heaven but may end up causing a bit of hell (raising, that it).

Don't say I didn't warn you! Ready to declare your independence and feel some Philadelphia Freedom? Grab your campaign signs and let's go! You will need:

• Stateside Vodka (or any smooth vodka of your preference)

• Bluecoat Gin (or any herbaceous gin)

• Lemon juice

• 1 sprig of rosemary (snip off the very tip and reserve)

• simple syrup

• Angostura bitters

• Egg white

In a dry cocktail shaker, add all ingredients and shake vigorously for at least 30 seconds (the dry shake is going to help foam your egg whites so don't skimp on this shake, put some muscle into it!). Add ice to the shaker and shake again for 30 seconds. Strain into a coupe glass. Add 3 small dots of Angostura bitters in a vertical line to the top foamy layer and in one quick move run a toothpick through the dots to form a heart chain, top with the reserved rosemary tip. Sip, relax, repeat.

4. Mason's Mule

For the last half a decade or so, the Moscow Mule is having it's MOMENT. Depsite it's classic cocktail age, having been around since 1941, the Moscow Mule has become the shiny new trendy thing all over again. A quick internet search will confirm this, with article after article on the many delights of this spicy, zippy, refreshing cocktail made recognizable by it's glorious copper mug glinting from across the room, beckoning you to try one.

I love a good old fashioned Mule, but I also love to mess with perfection, I can't help myself, it's a personality disorder, for sure. Anyway, after reading one of many articles on the Mule explosion of late, I realized I was not the only one! Everyone, it seems, wants to mess with the Mule!

I have played with watermelon, blueberry, and even cucumber, but none of those were an instant favorite, like this lightened up coconut version! Seriously, this has become my favorite hot weather drink recently, I just cannot stop loving them long enough to move on to something else!

If you are not a big fan of the original Moscow Mule because of the peppery bite of the ginger beer, or just prefer more subtle flavors, this is going to be for you. I have really lightened this up, removing the ginger beer in favor of gingerale, which plays a lot nicer with the components, making this a heck of a lot more flexible to mix up, without worrying about toppling the spice balance. So, the next time you find yourself melting in the heat, make this, and escape to a coconut, lime and ginger happy place.

To an ice filled glass add:

2 oz Coconut Vodka

Juice from half a lime

Top with Gingerale

Stir gently, garnish with a lime wedge and a mint sprig. Escape.

5. Strawberry Basil Smash

Oh man, what can I say abut this absolutely gorgeous drink that the photo above doesn't already say? You want that right now, don't you? Hell, I want that right now, and it is 8 AM!

This is THE DRINK I need when I want something sort of frou-frou, but don't want to bust out the blender and make a frozen drink. Not only does this look fantastic, it absolutely wakes up every single one of your taste buds, all at once, and let's them know it is party time!

The smash is a fun and seasonally flexible cocktail. You take ice (cubed, shaved, crushed, whatever you like) fruit in season, alcohol of choice, I typically go with vodka for this...specifically Deep Eddy Lemon Vodka, and something herbal. Mint is a classic choice, though many other herbs can work, and here I use the ubiquitous warm weather favorite, fresh basil. You may want to water your smash down a little or add some bubbly seltzer. The smash is a totally forgiving and flexible drink, made for hot days, for using what’s on hand and for smashing it all together over ice for absolute refreshment.

Smash Cocktails are soooo much fun to make too! Have a bad day at the office? Make a smash cocktail and pulverize the heck out of something just to make you feel better. Plus, you get this lovely concoction out of your stress therapy, which is like, totally better than punching a pillow, right? Right! So let's get to smashing, baby!!

In a heavy bottom double old fashioned glass, muddle fresh strawberries and basil together until they are pretty pulverized and mashed. Add ice to the top, then 1 oz of Deep Eddy Lemon Vodka and top off with water (bubbly or still, your choice). Gently stir, to bring all that strawberry flavor and color up to the nose, garnish with a fresh strawberry and sprig of basil.

Then find a garden to sip this in, because seriously, that is exactly where you feel like you should be as soon as you take your first sip. Lovely. Sweet. Smashtastic.

6. Tokyo Cocktail

The sweet, velvety seduction of the Tokyo Cocktail makes you forget this is not as much a cocktail as it is a glass of wine...well, a glass of two wines, if you want to get technical.

Tokyo Cocktail, a 50/50 mix of Japanese Plum Wine and Sake, served icy cold, is your next BBQ's best friend.

Something about this drink just tastes totally right alongside bbq ribs, smoked chicken, and burnt ends. I can tell I am losing you, you are raising an eyebrow at me right now, aren't you? Well, the only way I will get you to believe me, is to get you to trust me....so, TRUST ME, MMKay? This is what you want washing down baked beans at your 4th of July picnic this year. Pour it into mason jars filled with ice and just hand them out, you will have everyone scratching their heads and trying to figure out what this is, why it is so good, and why you never made it for them before, damnit!

Like I said, your gonna have to trust me on this, because I know what you are thinking...

Cold sake?

Plum wine?

Ice?

50/50?

Yes, that is it, yes it is weird and wild...but man, is it fantastic! Plummy, not too sweet, perfectly balanced. You're welcome.

Thanks for playing in the kitchen! xoxo, Ginger

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