# What are your favorite summertime libations? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 5, 2011, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-summertime-libations/587876 "2011-07-05T04:31:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Taenia\_spp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5e925/32.png) [@Taenia\_spp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taenia_spp)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2011, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-summertime-libations/587876/1 "2011-07-05T04:31:33Z")
When it’s hot as blazes, what is your go-to alcoholic drink? Feel free to post the mundane or complicated, but if it’s something a little more involved please share the recipe! For me, summertime is the best time to have my standard gin and tonic. Though I normally enjoy some of the more craft-type beers, light lagers are more refreshing when the mercury starts creeping up. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2011, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-summertime-libations/587876/2 "2011-07-05T04:33:33Z")
Beefeater Tonic with a lime. Clean. Crisp. Simple. When I’m at an outdoor/patio restaurant in warm weather it’s the perfect drink for me. ETA, Margaritas, beers (be it Coors Light or craft) and vodka tonics can be had any time of the year, but nothing beats a gin and tonic on a warm day. Actually, now that I think of it, I haven’t had a whiskey sour (made with Squirt, whiskey and nothing else) in a really, really long time. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2011, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-summertime-libations/587876/3 "2011-07-05T04:41:13Z")
A German friend recently introduced me to Sprite and Heineken. I was dubious but tried it, and loved it. I can see it being a refreshing summer drink. ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2011, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-summertime-libations/587876/4 "2011-07-05T04:43:30Z")
Campari & Soda ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2011, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-summertime-libations/587876/5 "2011-07-05T04:43:30Z")
Bottle of Magner’s cider over a pint glass of ice. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2011, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-summertime-libations/587876/6 "2011-07-05T04:46:18Z")
Gin & Tonic or Electric Lemonade. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2011, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-summertime-libations/587876/7 "2011-07-05T04:51:06Z")
> [@Hades](#): > > A German friend recently introduced me to Sprite and Heineken. I was dubious but tried it, and loved it. I can see it being a refreshing summer drink. Yeah, that’s basically what’s called a “Radler” and is very similar to the English “Shandy.” In fact, I’m not really sure there’s any difference between the two. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2011, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-summertime-libations/587876/8 "2011-07-05T04:54:43Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Yeah, that’s basically what’s called a “Radler” and is very similar to the English “Shandy.” In fact, I’m not really sure there’s any difference between the two. There isn’t any. It works well with Diet 7-UP/Sprite Zero too. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2011, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-summertime-libations/587876/9 "2011-07-05T05:08:25Z")
I actually had mine with Sprite Zero, since booze and milk are the only caloric beverages I drink. I tried other beer types and different citrus sodas, but none were as good as that initial combo. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2011, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-summertime-libations/587876/10 "2011-07-05T05:11:31Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Yeah, that’s basically what’s called a “Radler” and is very similar to the English “Shandy.” In fact, I’m not really sure there’s any difference between the two. Learn something new…I had to look up Shandy on wiki. The only shandy I’ve heard about is beer and lemonade. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2011, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-summertime-libations/587876/11 "2011-07-05T05:15:44Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Learn something new…I had to look up Shandy on wiki. The only shandy I’ve heard about is beer and lemonade. Shandy _is_ beer and lemonade, but “lemonade” has a different meaning in the UK and Ireland than here. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2011, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-summertime-libations/587876/12 "2011-07-05T05:31:51Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > There isn’t any. It works well with Diet 7-UP/Sprite Zero too. I drink beer with freshly-squeezed lemonade. It feels classier. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2011, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-summertime-libations/587876/13 "2011-07-05T05:53:08Z")
Beer. Crappy, American, sex in a canoe lager. The only good thing about Global Warming is that others might learn that, as tasty as a warm version of something tastier can be, when you’ve mown the lawn in temperatures that would break Mom’s thermometer, you aren’t looking for a room-temperature bitter. ---
**Author:** ![antonio107](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7ea924/32.png) [@antonio107](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antonio107)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2011, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-summertime-libations/587876/14 "2011-07-05T05:56:58Z")
A Caesar. And I ain’t talking salad. Learn it, America. All this time, your bloody maries were missing clam juice! 😃 Nice spicy, savoury Caesar. Chased with a beer. Great patio drinking! ---
**Author:** ![Charley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/97f17d/32.png) [@Charley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charley)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2011, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-summertime-libations/587876/15 "2011-07-05T06:41:45Z")
Pimm’s. Huge great jug of Pimm’s made the proper way, with half a produce stand floating in it. Begin to serve the second the sun appears in late spring, and continue till Autumn. (Followed by a brief pause, until Winter Pimm’s time in December). Slight touch of alcohol to make it grown-up, but tastes more like a soft drink than most ‘proper’ drinks. This year, having timed my pregnancy so badly, I’m yet to experience the first Pimm’s of the year, but I’ve discovered the Virgin Mojito, which has been a beautiful substitute. ---
**Author:** ![Critical1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Critical1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Critical1)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2011, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-summertime-libations/587876/16 "2011-07-05T07:09:33Z")
Cucumber Vodka, on the rocks. take vodka, cut up a cucumber or 3 into long steak fries and drop in the vodka and leave in the fridge for a week or 2. (note with a vacuum seal you can do this in a couple days instead) I use Vikingfjord Vodka, its a potato vodka that is 7 times distilled. its cheap and perfect for infusions. its so damn good and refreshing that its dangerous, its to drinkable. and something I am learning more and more is how many people dont know how to drink something like this. so here it goes Take a glass, add ice, go ahead and fill it at least half way. take ROOM TEMP cucumber vodka and do a sort of slow pour over the ice swirl the drink around, hold it in your hand and after a few minutes take a sip, if its to strong then hold it and give the ice a few more minutes to melt and try another sip. it will hit a level where you can simply sip it easy and with no burn. you can also do this with ginger, dried fruit, whatever for the most part. ---
**Author:** ![eenerms](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/cdc98d/32.png) [@eenerms](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eenerms)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2011, 10:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-summertime-libations/587876/17 "2011-07-05T10:15:36Z")
Margarita on ice(not blended) 0r Vodka lemonade. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2011, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-summertime-libations/587876/18 "2011-07-05T10:53:14Z")
I normally drink ice water or ice tea, occasionally ice coffee. If I am going to indulge in alcohol I will have variously a gin and tonic, lime rickey, mojito or sangria. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2011, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-summertime-libations/587876/19 "2011-07-05T11:39:27Z")
The great Aussie summertime drink, other than beer, is the mostly non-alcoholic lemon, lime and bitters. The few drops of Angostura Bitters have a little alcohol. You can turn it into an alcoholic drink with a shot of vodka. For full enjoyment they have to be made properly. Put the bitters in the bottom of the glass, cover with plenty of ice and slowly pour in the lime cordial/lime juice and lemonade/lemon squash. Ideally the bitters stay down the bottom like a little pink sunset and as you sip the drink the taste slowly changes as they mix through. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2011, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-summertime-libations/587876/20 "2011-07-05T12:05:52Z")
A properly made Margarita is rather strong; the [Paloma](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paloma_(cocktail)) is a more gentle tequila drink. (Need to stay hydrated in a Texas summer.) Basically, it’s a tall tequila over ice, topped off by grapefruit soda. Or use fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice–with fizz supplied by club soda. Although ruby red grapefruit juice & grapefruit soda work well together. Add a bit of lime if you like; some like a pinch of salt. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-summertime-libations/587876.md?page=2)