Beach Cocktails
Pretty much everyone likes beach cocktails whether that means cocktails at the beach or those fruity, summery drinks that we associate with tropical places. Maybe you’ve even wondered what’s the best beach drink for you. If you have, here’s a fun quiz to help you answer that question. If you haven’t, read on for some popular beach cocktail recipes.
Beach Cocktail Recipes
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Sex on the Beach Recipe
In spite of its rather risqué name, Sex on the Beach is a fruity, not especially potent, cocktail. According to Wikipedia, there are many different variations of the Sex on the Beach cocktail. Rather than select one, I’ve included the link to the article, which will take you to all the recipes.
Limoncello Mojito Recipe courtesy of Coastal Living
This cocktail combines two beach drinks — mojito and Limoncello — into one delicious whole.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
- 3 cups Limoncello (lemon liqueur), chilled
- 3 cups club soda, chilled
- Garnishes: lemon slices, mint leaves
Preparation:
Combine first 3 ingredients in a pitcher. Crush mint with a muddler or back of wooden spoon, and stir until sugar dissolves. Fill pitcher with ice. Add Limoncello and club soda; stir. Garnish, if desired.
Margarita Recipe courtesy of The Wall Street Journal
There are so many recipes for a margarita it’s hard to choose. I picked this one from the Wall Street Journal because it’s my favorite newspaper.
Ingredients:
- 2 oz 100% agave tequila
- 1 oz fresh lime juice
- 1 oz agave syrup (1 part agave nectar + 1 part water)
Preparation:
Shake these three ingredients with ice and strain into a cocktail glass or ice-filled rocks glass.
Pina Colada Recipe courtesy of Tasting Puerto Rico
This recipe is from Barrachina in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico. Barrachina claims to have invented the pina colada, which may or may not be true, but I’ve had their pina colada and the truth is, it’s delicious.
Ingredients:
- 24 oz pineapple juice
- 7.5 oz coconut cream
- 5 oz water (If you use ice and a blender, do not add the water)
Preparation:
Barrachina recommends that you do not mix the blend with ice. Instead freeze the mix stirring occasionally until frozen. Then add rum (to your taste) into a glass and add the frozen mix. Decorate with a cherry and pineapple chunks.
Miami Beach Cocktail Recipe courtesy of Drinks Mixer
Ingredients:
- 3/4 oz dry vermouth
- 3/4 oz Scotch whisky
- 3/4 oz grapefruit juice
Preparation:
Stir all ingredients with ice, strain into a cocktail glass, and serve.
Caipirinha Recipe courtesy of Esquire
Here’s a fun fact: Caipirnhas are Brazil’s national cocktail.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 lime
- 1/2 t sugar
- 2 oz cachaca (a distilled spirit produced in Brazil)
Preparation:
Slice the lime into 1/2-inch rounds, cube them, and muddle them in an Old-Fashioned glass or small tumbler with the sugar. Add a couple of ice cubes. Pour in the cachaca. Serve with a stirring rod.
Trader Vic’s Mai Tai Recipe courtesy of Chowhound
Ingredients:
- 2 oz aged rum
- 3/4 oz freshly squeezed lime juice, juiced lime half reserved
- 1/2 oz orange curacao
- 1/4 oz Rich Simple Syrup
- 1/4 oz orgeat
- 1 cup crushed ice
- 1 mint sprig, for garnish
Preparation:
Combine all ingredients except the mint sprig in a cocktail shaker, shake vigorously, and pour the entire contents into a double Old Fashioned glass. Garnish with the juiced lime half and a mint sprig.
Long Island Iced Tea recipe courtesy of Food Network
Ingredients:
- 2 cups ice cubes
- 1 oz vodka
- 1 oz gin
- 1 oz white rum
- 1 oz white tequila
- 1/2 oz Triple Sec
- 2 T freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/2 cup cola, or to taste
- 2 lemon wedges
Preparation:
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Pour the vodka, gin, rum, tequila, Triple Sec, and lemon juice into the shaker. Cover and shake vigorously to combine and chill. Pour the mixture, ice and all, into 2 glasses or beer mugs and top off with the cola. Garnish with lemon wedges. Serve.
Beach Cocktail Attire
Photo courtesy of Pinterest. All rights reserved.
I think you all know it’s perfectly okay to sip cocktails on the beach in your swimsuit, or whatever you happen to be wearing at the time, but what if you’re invited to an actual cocktail party or wedding at the beach? Then the question of what to wear gets a little trickier.
Beach casual attire is appropriate for a beach cocktail party and a casual beach wedding. For a more formal beach wedding, you’ll want to dress it up a little bit, but still remember you’re going to be at the beach, so don’t go too formal.
What is beach casual clothing? Beach casual refers to lightweight, elegant fabrics like cotton, linen, jersey, chiffon, or silk; light colors or neutrals; open toe shoes; minimal jewelry; and even a straw hat to protect yourself from the sun, if you want.
Photo courtesy of Pinterest. All rights reserved.
For women, beach cocktail dresses are always appropriate, and for men, a collared shirt worn with shorts or long pants — depending on the formality of the affair — are good choices.
If you’re invited to a beach wedding, the same guidelines apply, but you may want to dress it up a little depending on the nature of the wedding. Cocktail dresses for a beach wedding come in a wide variety of styles, so they’re an excellent choice for women. When choosing a beach cocktail dress, ask yourself the following questions, keeping the wedding’s level of formalness in mind:
- Do you want to wear a short or long dress?
- Do you want your arms and/or shoulders to be bare?
- How much detail in the form of beading, ruffles, bows, etc. do you want? More details are associated with a dressier dress.
Photo courtesy of Pinterest. All rights reserved.
Some ideas for beach wedding attire for men are:
- A navy blazer, white shirt and light-colored trousers.
- A linen suit in a lighter color such as sand or wheat.
- A white linen shirt and dark trousers.
To many joyful beach experiences!
Lisa Dworkin
