21 Grilled Cocktails Recipes Perfect for Summer
Can you hear it? The sizzle of the meat on the grill? Or, how about the clacking of the knife hitting the cutting board as it slices into your umpteenth watermelon for the week? Summer’s practically upon us; and this time around, we’re leveling up our outdoor barbecues, but not with new summer dishes. Nah, we’re keeping our eye on our fruity cocktails and giving them a fresh, grilled twist.
This summer is all about the grilled cocktail. And there are two easy ways to turn your favorite, refreshing summer cocktail into a grilled cocktail. The easiest way? Quickly grill accompanying, complementary fruits and slide onto the rim or place directly atop the cocktail as a garnish. And for more hearty, savory cocktails, like the Bloody Mary, give a variety of whole veggies a nice char and slip them right into the drink.
You can also mix grilled fruits and veggies directly into the drink. Doing so will not only infuse your go-to cocktails with a smoky char, but it’ll also thoroughly impress your guests — and their tastebuds. But for this method, we recommend giving a few of our favorite grilled cocktail recipes a shot first. And lucky for you, we’ve gathered 21 of them right here. Keep scrolling.
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Grilled Fig & Rosemary Cocktail
Figs are threaded onto woody stalks of rosemary and grilled to make these vodka and apple cider-based cocktails.
Get the recipe from The Forest Feast.
Grilled Mango Habanero Margaritas
Spicy habanero and sweet tropical mango both get grilled to create this smoky summer cocktail, which is made with tequila and brandy to pack a punch.
Get the recipe from Wicked Spatula.
Grilled Pineapple, Basil, and Mezcal Cocktail
If you’ve ever had mezcal, then you know its smoky flavor is a natural pairing with grilled pineapple. Basil grounds the cocktail in freshness, though, so the smoky flavor doesn’t overtake the drink entirely.
Get the recipes from Biscuits and Booze.
Grilled Pineapple Mai Tais
The blend of tropical flavors in this cocktail recipe is delicious on its own, but the smokiness from grilled pineapple elevates the drink to new levels.
Get the recipe from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventure.
Grilled Pineapple Piña Colada
In case you haven’t noticed, grilled pineapple can be used to add a new depth of flavor to all kinds of drinks — even a vacation classic like a piña colada.
Get the recipe from Craft & Cocktails.
Grilled Pluot Cocktail
One of our favorite things about summer is the variety of produce available that we can’t find in stores in the winter, like pluots. Make the most of this summer fruit abundance with these grilled pluot cocktails, which are also flavored with balsamic vinegar and Meyer lemon juice. They’re perfect for summer garden parties.
Get the recipe from Honestly Yum.
Grilled Meyer Lemon Pomegranate Punch
Sweet-tart Meyer lemons are even more intoxicating when grilled. Add some pomegranate juice, rosemary, and booze for a cocktail that works any time of year.
Get the recipe from The Bojon Gourmet.
Grilled Watermelon & Peach Margarita
Watermelon and peaches — two of summer’s most iconic fruits get the treatment they deserve in this mouthwatering grilled cocktail recipe. It even gets a little kick from some grilled jalapeño (which can be left out if you’d prefer).
Get the recipe from The Feed Feed.
Grilled Peach Old Fashioned
Single malt scotch whisky pairs perfectly with smoky, grilled peach. But don’t grill any ‘ole peach; The Social Sipper recommends waiting until they’re really ripe, so those sugars can caramelize.
Get the recipe at The Social Sipper.
Grilled Orange Margarita with Beechwood Smoked Sea Salt
This margarita cocktail is a well-rounded sipper that embraces grilled zesty lime and charred citrusy orange. And with the beechwood smoke sea salt-rubbed rim, this margarita will undoubtedly become your next favorite, go-to summer cocktail.
Get the recipe at Spoonabilities.
Grilled Pineapple Margarita with Jalapeño
The perfect blend of sweet, spicy and smoky, this fruity marg with a kick boasts caramelized pineapple, spicy jalapeño, and a splash of vanilla.
Get the recipe at Platings + Pairings.
Grilled Peach & Lemon Rum Cocktail
This peach, lemon and rum cocktail is easy to make. Once the grill is heated to high, grill the peaches for a couple minutes each side. Then mix all the ingredients together in a pitcher. Easy as that.
Get the recipe at Homebody Eats.
Grilled Pineapple Coconut Margarita
The key to a perfect pitcher of this Grilled Pineapple Coconut Margarita is lightly brushing your pineapple pieces with coconut oil before grilling — and rimming the glasses with even more coconut. Perfection.
Get the recipe at We Are Not Martha.
Grilled Bloody Mary
For Honestly Yum’s Grilled Bloody Mary cocktail, you’ll fire up the grill to char not one, not two, but four types of fruits and veggies: tomatoes, poblano, onion, and lemon.
Get the recipe at Honestly Yum.
Grilled Jalapeno Watermelon Margarita
Nothing screams summer quite like a watermelon margarita — a *spicy* watermelon margarita, that is. And Whitney Bond’s cocktail ups the ante by grilling jalapeños and using them in two ways, in a homemade grilled jalapeño simple syrup and as garnish.
Get the recipe at Whitney Bond.
Grilled Strawberry-Mint Bellinis
Give sweet strawberries a smokey kick by grilling them on a skewer until partially charred.
Get the recipe at Feed Me Phoebe.
Caramelized Citrus Smash
For this Caramelized Citrus Smash cocktail, Take Two Tapas grills ruby-red grapefruits, lemons, limes, and navel oranges. Their tip is to oil the grates with a light or neutral flavored oil that has a high smoke point, like safflower or avocado oil.
Get the recipe at Take Two Tapas.
Grilled Peach & Basil Arnold Palmer
Nothing quite kicks off one’s summer like an Arnold Palmer — bonus points if it’s spiked. And lucky for us, Half Baked Harvest’s is not only spiked with bourbon, but it also boasts homemade black tea, freshly squeezed lemon juice and grilled peaches.
Get the recipe at Half Baked Harvest.
Grilled Lemon Lime Mojito Cocktail
Now, how gorgeous is this cocktail? And we couldn’t describe it better than Cake N Knife, who writes, “The cooling mint combined with boozy, bubbly liquid and fresh citrus makes for an easy-to-make, oh-so tasty cocktail.”
Get the recipe at Cake N Knife.
Grilled Peach Ginger Bourbon Cocktail
Grilled peaches combined with a fresh thyme simple syrup and bourbon, and topped with fresh, thinly sliced ginger and fresh thyme sprigs? Count us in.
Get the recipe at Pass the Sushi.
Grilled Strawberry Cocktail
And finally, we have summertime in a glass: this Grilled Strawberry Cocktail spiked with vodka, mixed with a lime thyme simple syrup, and garnished with — you guessed it — grilled strawberries.
Get the recipe at What Should I Make For…
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