Summer Sips: 5 Delicious (and Super Easy) Summer Cocktail Recipes

I don’t know if Atlanta is just insanely hot or temperatures have just been high everywhere lately, but what I do know is that I can barely step outside right now without sweating. And that specific kind of heat is enough to make me want to chill indoors with the A/C blasting and a cold cocktail in my hand. So, I partnered with La Marca Prosecco (one of my fave Proscecco brands) and Gilt City to share 5 summer cocktail recipes using La Marca’s famed blue label bubbly, for everyone 21 and over.

There’s a sorbet fizz float, a rosey posey floral cocktail, a sparkling sangria, and more. Click through for 5 summer cocktail recipes to put a smile on your sun-soaked face.

And if you’re looking for even more fun in the sun this summer, good news, La Marca Prosecco has partnered with Gilt.com and Gilt City (a local experiences site) to host a series of amazing events (like a giant pool party in sunny Miami – yes please!). AND they’ve also curated a selection of La Marca-inspired fashion and home items on Gilt.com. Head over to GiltCity.com for more details on how you can cool off and soak up some of that Miami sun with La Marca and Gilt City.

Cara Cara and Cherry

Pour 1-2 ounces of homemade cherry syrup into the bottom of a glass. I used this recipe for the cherry syrup. Then add the juice of 1/2 an orange and top with Prosecco (4-5 ounces). Garnish with a cara cara orange slice. To get a color blocked look, pour the Prosecco into the campaign flute so that it falls gently down the side of the glass. That way it won’t disrupt the syrup.

Blackberry Pear Fizz

Start by muddling 6-8 large blackberries and then putting them through a fine strainer, so you’re left with just the juice. Pour that into the bottoms of a glass, add a few thin slices of pear and 1 ounce of elderflower cordial or syrup, and top with Prosecco (roughly 6 ounces if you’re measuring).

Rosey Posey

Now that you have the syrup, its time for the cocktail! Fill the bottom of a glass with 2 ounces homemade rose syrup (recipe below), top with 6 ounces of Prosecco, and edible flowers. To get a color blocked look, like the one in the photos, pour the Prosecco into the campaign flute so that it falls gently down the side of the flute. That way it won’t disrupt the syrup.

How to make rose syrup… Using fresh organic rose petals (they must be free of pesticides) that have been washed, heat 1/2 cup of water and 1 cup of sugar over medium heat. Stir occasionally until the sugar has dissolved. Then, add the washed petals of 3 roses, turn the heat down to low, and let the mixture simmer (about 15 minutes). Add a tiny drop of pink food coloring, if desired. Remove from heat and let cool before straining the mixture through a fine sieve. Pour into a jar (makes enough for 3-4 cocktails).

Sparkling White Peach and Apricot Sangria

Makes 4 servings. Start by adding homemade sangria syrup (recipe below), small slices of 1 peach, 1 apricot, 1/2 and orange, and 1 lemon to a jar. Then add the juice of one orange and 1 cup of lemonade. Place in the fridge. When ready to serve pour 3 ounces of sangria into each glass and top with 4-5 ounces of Prosecco.

How to make sangria syrup… Add 2 cups of water and 1 cup of sugar to a small saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Add 1 ripe peach sliced and 2 apricots sliced. Simmer for 15 minutes. Mash fruit with masher. Strain through a fine sieve. Pop into a sealable container.

Strawberry Lemon Sorbet Float

This one is the easiest of them all. Just pour 8 ounces of Prosecco over 2 scoops of strawberry lemon sorbet, garnish with fresh strawberries and a lemon slice. Done!

Each of the recipes above can easily be batched if you want to go that route for parties and entertaining. Just multiply the single serve recipe by the number of servings you want to make for one batch and you’re good to go. Sangria recipe is already batched FYI.

Photography by Amelia Tatnall
Recipes and styling by Brittni Mehlhoff

Think you’ll give one of these summer cocktails a try? Which one is your fave?

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This post is in partnership with La Marca and Gilt. All opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that help keep Paper & Stitch running.