6 Perfect Spring Cocktails to Drink This Weekend

Yahoo Food
Updated
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You don’t need a doctorate in mixology to up your cocktail game. You just need a tall glass, ice, spirits, and a little fizz. In other words, you need a highball—BA’s official drink of spring.

Five steps to crafting the perfect highball:

1. Get the right glass: A proper highball is tall and narrow, with a hefty bottom.

2. Stir, don’t shake Add all liquids—except the bubbly one—to your glass and give them a quick stir.

3. Don’t have a meltdown Fill the glass with ice. Any size cube will do, but the larger the better. (Nobody likes a watery highball.)

4. Mind your own fizzness Top off with the carbonated ingredient—use more or less, depending on desired strength.

5. Finish with a flourish For a drink this simple, garnish matters. See our guide to making easy twists and peels.

SEE MORE: 25 Quick and Easy School Lunches to Pack for Your Kids

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PIMM’S

The classic garnishes for a Pimm’s cup—cucumbers, strawberries, and orange and lemon slices, are why we crave this drink every spring and summer.

  • 3 oz. Pimm’s No. 1

  • Lemon-lime soda

  • Mint sprig, cucumber spear, orange slice, lemon slice, and strawberry

Place

  • Pimm’s in a highball glass. Fill glass with ice, then top off with soda. Garnish with mint sprig, cucumber spear, orange slice, lemon slice, and strawberry.

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SOUTH SIDE
 The horse’s neck garnish is perfect for a highball glass. 

  • 8 fresh mint leaves, slapped

  • 3 oz. dry gin

  • 1½ oz. fresh lemon juice

  • ¾ oz. simple syrup

  • Club soda

  • Lemon peel

Combine mint, gin, lemon juice, and syrup in a highball glass. Fill glass with ice, then top off with club soda. Garnish with lemon peel. 

SEE MORE: 14 Butter Recipes to Consume with Wild Abandon

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POLOMA
Looking for a margarita alternative? The Paloma—made with grapefruit soda—is exactly what you’re looking for.

  • Kosher salt

  • Grapefruit slice

  • 2 oz. tequila reposado

  • ½ oz. fresh lime juice

  • Grapefruit soda (preferably San Pellegrino Pompelmo)

Pour some salt on a plate. Rub rim of a highball glass with grapefruit slice; dip rim of glass in salt. Combine tequila and lime juice in glass. Fill glass with ice, then top off with soda. Garnish with grapefruit slice.

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AMERICANO

The Americano is one of those classic cocktails that feel fresh again, perhaps thanks to the fact that we are seeing Campari everywhere. 

  • 1½ oz. Campari

  • 1½ oz. sweet vermouth

  • Club soda

  • Orange wedge

Combine Campari and vermouth in a highball glass. Fill glass with ice, then top off with club soda. Garnish with orange wedge.

SEE MORE: The Normcore Diet: 10 Foods for People Who Don’t Want to Stand Out

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CEL-RAY AND AQUAVIT 
If you can find Cel-Ray soda, this is a revelation. Your best bet? Go to an old-school deli.

  • 2 oz. aquavit

  • Dr. Brown’s Cel-Ray soda

  • Celery stalk and cucumber slice

Place aquavit in a highball glass. Fill glass with ice, then top off with soda. Garnish with celery stalk and cucumber slice.


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EL DIABLO
The créme de cassis in this drink adds fruity sweetness without being cloying.

  • 3 oz. tequila blanco

  • 1½ oz. fresh lime juice

  • 1½ oz. crème de cassis (black-currant liqueur)

  • Ginger beer

  • Thyme sprig

Combine tequila, lime juice, and crème de cassis in a highball glass. Fill glass with ice, then top off with ginger beer. Garnish with thyme sprig.

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