Summer is a time of patios, sunshine and hanging out with friends, and what better way to do that but with a lovely cocktail in hand?
Blende, shaken or stirred, these drinks beat the heat.

10: Daiquiri – There are several versions of the Daiquiri, but those that gained international fame are the ones made in the El Floridita bar in Havana, Cuba.

To make:
2 oz light rum
1 oz lime juice
1 oz simple syrup

#9 Sangria – (Spanish: sangría; Portuguese: sangria) is a wine punch typical from Spain and Portugal (the word means “bleeding” in both languages). It typically consists of red wine, chopped or sliced fruit (often orange, apple, and/or peach; occasionally kiwi or banana), a sweetener such as honey or orange juice, a small amount of added brandy, triple sec, or other spirits, and carbonated water.

To create:
Bottle of red wine
1 1/4 cups blackberry brandy
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup frozen lemonade concentrate
1 orange, cut in pieces
1 apple, cut in pieces
1/4 cup cherries halves (Optional. I use a cherry pitter to take the pits out.)
1 tablespoon of sugar
1 cup diet sprite (you can use regular if you want)
Mix in a large jug. Stick in the fridge for a few days and enjoy

#8 Pina Colada – Best of all is a piña colada, the juice of a perfectly ripe pineapple—a delicious drink in itself—rapidly shaken up with ice, sugar, lime and Bacardi rum in delicate proportions. What could be more luscious, more mellow and more fragrant?

To make:
1/2 cup crushed ice
6 fluid ounces pineapple juice
2 fluid ounces rum
1 fluid ounce coconut cream 1 fluid ounce heavy cream
1 pineapple wedge
1 maraschino cherry
In a blender, combine ice, pineapple juice, rum, coconut cream and heavy cream. Blend until smooth. Pour into glass and garnish with pineapple wedge and cherry.

#7 Mimosa – A Mimosa is a cocktail-like drink composed of three parts champagne or other sparkling wine and two parts thoroughly chilled orange juice. It is traditionally served in a tall champagne flute with a morning brunch.
hint: three parts champagne or other sparkling wine and two parts thoroughly chilled orange juice

#6 Crisp White Wine – Very little beats a lovely crisp white wine in the sunshine. Something with overtones of citrus, pineapple or other fruits is usually a good thing. Look for a lovely Sauvignon Blanc or a apple-y Pinot Grigio will do the trick. Just make sure you serve it cold!

#5 Mojito – The Mojito is another drink with history. Made famous at La Bodeguita del Medio down a small alley in Cuba, where yet again, Hemmingway is notorious for drinking and where the walls are covered in signatures of patrons from around the world, the mojito is one of the most famous highballs.

A mojito is traditionally made of five ingredients: white rum, sugar (traditionally sugar cane juice), lime, carbonated water and mint. When preparing a mojito, lime juice is added to sugar (or syrup) and mint leaves. The mixture is then gently mashed with a muddler. The mint leaves should only be bruised to release the essential oils and must not be shredded. Then rum is added and the mixture is briefly stirred to dissolve sugar. Finally, the drink is topped with ice cubes and sparkling water, mint leaves and lime wedges are used to garnish the glass.

#4 Ceasar – Ceasars are one of the quintessential Canadian summer cocktails. Invented by bartender Walter Chell at the Owl’s Nest Bar in the Calgary Inn (now Calgary Westin Hotel) in 1969, to accompany the opening of a new restaurant, Marco’s.

In its original form, it contained tomato juice and mashed clams; Clamato had only just been released (with the assistance of Chell) by the Mott’s company that very year, and was not yet widely known or available. It typically contains vodka, clamato (a blend of tomato juice and clam broth), Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, and is served on the rocks in a large, celery salt-rimmed glass, and typically garnished with a stalk of celery and wedge of lime.

#3 Margrita – on the rocksis one of the most favorite summer cocktails, but if you haven’t learned how to drink tequila yet, you probably won’t like the flavour. Frozen Margaritas are more standard, and the kind you’ll see on the patios everywhere.

Classic recipe:
Salt
1 cup tequila
3/4 cup orange liqueur, such as Triple Sec or Cointreau
1 cup fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon sugar
Ice cubes
Instructions:
Rub the rims of the cocktail glasses with lime, then dip in salt to frost.
Combine first 4 ingredients in a 4-cup measuring cup.
FOR BLENDED MARGARITAS:
Fill blender halfway with ice cubes. Add half of margarita mixture. Blend until mixture is thick and icy. Divide between two glasses. Repeat with more ice cubes and remaining margarita mixture.
FOR MARGARITAS ON THE ROCKS:
Fill four glasses with ice cubes. Divide margarita mixture among glasses and serve.

#2 Beer –There’s little else on a hot summer day than a good cold beer. For that crisp refreshing flavour you want on a hot day, reach for a lager or a hefeweizen (wheat beer).
Your lager ideally should be served in bottles that have been chilled to the point of almost having ice chips in them. Don’t freeze them (beer, unlike true spirits will freeze if you leave it in the freezer long enough because they’re only 4-6% alcohol. Beer slushies, while they sound interesting, really aren’t that good), but definitely get a good chill going on.

Any wheat beer (aka hefeweizen or white (pronounced whit) beer) is a delicious, refreshing drink on a sunny day as well. Add a lemon or orange wedge to bring out the citrus flavours in the beer and enjoy. Make sure you pour your Hefeweizen correctly however!

#1 Gin & Tonic – The number one summer drink, the classic Gin and Tonic. Cool, crisp and goes down so very well, the Gin and Tonic is a lovely, and necessary addition to any summer cocktail top 10.