51 Cocktails To Kick Off Summer

The start of summer is finally here: the days are long, the nights are cool, and the desire to kick back with a drink is all the more tempting. To prepare you for the summer season, we've rounded up our most popular summer cocktails that we've been waiting all fall, winter, and spring to drink.

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Summer is the best time to up your cocktail ante. With the season's best ingredients (strawberries, mint, watermelon, pineapple), mixology moves toward the light and fruity rather than the dark and spirited. While we'll never say no to a good bourbon or Scotch, now's the time to dust off your tequila and rum bottles on the home bar — they're going to be heavily used this summer.

 Tiki cocktails are all the rage this summer, as the tiki movement comes back full swing. While you may have rolled your eyes at daiquiris and piña coladas on a bar's menu in the past, bartenders are finding new ways to remake the classic tiki cocktails. No longer made with overly processed sugars and syrups, these drinks are prepared with fresh fruits and homemade syrups — the way they were intended to be.

Whether you have a cocktail party, summer brunch, bridal shower, day at the pool, or an all-nighter coming up, we've got the ultimate summer cocktail menu for you. Start your shakers, boys and girls.