Is that a supersized pitcher of drinks you’re bringing outside for the gang? And with unbreakable glassware? What a serve.
Chaise Lounge
Try this fresh, dry, and lightly fruity drink on a steamy afternoon spent lounging on the dock.
- 1 cup chopped pineapple
- ¾ cup lemon juice
- 1 ½ cups gin
- ¾ cup elderflower liqueur or cordial
- Angostura bitters
- Pineapple wedges for garnish
- Raspberries for garnish
Muddle pineapple with lemon juice in a cocktail shaker. Strain into an ice-filled pitcher—the bigger the cubes, the better. Add gin and elderflower liqueur and stir. Serve in ice-filled tumblers, garnished with a dash or two of bitters, a pineapple wedge, and a few raspberries.
Keyword alcoholic drinks, Cocktails, Drinks, happy hour
Swicy Marg
The long overdue swicy—that’s sweet and spicy—trend gives this classic a piquant twist.
- 1 ½ cups blanco tequila a.k.a. silver or plata tequila
- 1 cup fresh lime juice
- ½ cup orange liqueur
- ½ cup hot spiced honey (or maple syrup)
- 2 jalapenos thinly sliced (for garnish)
- Lime wedge and Tajin mix for rimming glasses
Working in batches, shake all ingredients, except garnish and rimming spice, in an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Strain into an ice-filled pitcher and stir. Serve in 8 spice-rimmed acrylic margarita glasses. Garnish with a few jalapeno slices on a cocktail pick.
Keyword alcoholic drinks, Cocktails, Drinks, happy hour
Tajin, a Mexican blend of chiles, dehydrated lime juice, and salt, makes a tangy rimming spice (moisten the rim of the glass with lime juice and invert in a shallow dish of Tajin). You can also substitute Caesar rimmer, barbecue rub, or another sweet-spicy blend.
Pink Mule
Celebrate the happy return of rosé season with a light and gingery wine cocktail.
- 4 cups well-chilled rosé wine
- 1 cup lime juice
- ½ cup orange liqueur or orange juice
- 3 oz of well-chilled ginger beer
- Mint sprig and strawberries for garnish
Add 4 cups well-chilled rosé wine, 1 cup lime juice, and ½ cup orange liqueur (or orange juice) to an ice-filled pitcher and stir. To serve, pour into 8 large wine glasses and top each with 3 oz of well-chilled ginger beer. Garnish with a mint sprig and strawberries.
Keyword alcoholic drinks, Cocktails, Drinks, happy hour
Greyhound Spritz
Raise your spritz game with inspiration from a classic cocktail, the Greyhound. Or, replace the vodka with tequila blanco for a Paloma Spritz.
- 1½ cups vodka
- ¾ cup Aperol
- 2¼ cups pink grapefruit juice
- ½ cup maple or other syrup
- 3 oz well-chilled tonic water
- Grapefruit wheel and sprigs of thyme for garnish
Working in batches, shake together 1½ cups vodka, ¾ cup Aperol, 2¼ cups pink grapefruit juice, and ½ cup maple (or other) syrup in an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Strain into ice-filled pitcher and stir. To serve, pour into 8 glasses and top each with 3 oz well-chilled tonic water. Garnish each glass with a grapefruit wheel and a sprig of thyme.
Keyword alcoholic drinks, Cocktails, Drinks, happy hour
To keep pitcher cocktails from getting flat and flabby in the summer sun, start by chilling all the liquid ingredients to fridge temperature before making the drinks. Fill the pitcher with the biggest ice cubes you have and, perhaps most importantly, add sparkling (and chilled) ingredients as you serve.
Caesar Shandy
This savoury mash-up of two cottage classics is the refreshing lower-alcohol drink we need for peak summer relaxation.
- 2 cups clam cocktail
- 1 cup fresh lime juice
- 10 dashes hot sauce or to taste
- 6 dashes Maggi sauce or soy sauce or Worcestershire
- 5 cups well-chilled Sapporo, Corona, or other light beer (see Tip, below)
- Lime wedge and Tajin mix for rimming glasses
- Small watermelon wedges dipped in Tajin spice mix for garnish
Pour clam cocktail, lime juice, hot sauce, and Maggi sauce into pitcher with ice and stir. Slowly pour in beer and stir again. Rim large glasses with Tajin spice mix. Pour the shandy mixture into glasses and garnish with watermelon wedges.
Tip
For more watermelon flavour, you can muddle 1–2 cups of watermelon and add to the pitcher.
Tip
Why do pitcher cocktail recipes often measure beer, wine, and even spirits in cups? Because bottles and cans come in various sizes, not because there's any need to decant. In this recipe, for 5 cups (1.25 L) of beer, you'll need about 4 standard bottles or cans (330-335 ml) or 2 1/2 tall boy cans. Round up or down as you prefer, and pour directly from the bottle to avoid a flat drink. Keyword alcoholic drinks, Cocktails, Drinks, happy hour
Acrylic care
Outdoor drinking has come a long way, thanks to increasingly stylish shatterproof options, but to keep acrylic glassware bright and sparkly for longer, avoid extremes. Avoid stains by rinsing out glasses used for high-acid and bold coloured drinks (such as red wine) right away. Skip the dishwasher and the abrasive scrubber. Instead, use warm water, a sponge, and mild detergent to protect from scratches and microplastic shedding.
This article was originally published in the August ’25 issue of Cottage Life.
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