25 Unexpected Spring Cocktails To Make At Home

It's always during the first few months of the year that those of us that live in cold-weather climates begin to itch for the spring season. Spring represents a period best spent leisurely drinking cocktails on outdoor patios and soaking up the sun. It might feel like winter is never-ending, but once those first few warm days hit, we all have our sights set on the sights, sounds, and flavors of the season. 

Spring is all about brightness. The flowers are blooming again and the world gets a whole lot greener. That transition can be reflected in the cocktails we drink during this time of year as well. After all, some flavor profiles like citrus fruits and floral infusions can make a drink taste like the embodiment of a spring day. 

If you have no idea what we're talking about, we've got you covered with 25 cocktail recipes perfect for making in the spring. From fresh mint in a mojito to tropical fruit sangria, these drinks all have something special about them that reminds us of sunnier days ahead, even if the weather outside isn't exactly cooperating. 

The XYZ cocktail is as basic to make as the name suggests, even though it's not a super common bar order. It's an unassuming citrus-infused stiff drink that's shocking refreshing despite being pretty boozy. The XYZ only needs three ingredients to come together — orange liqueur, like Grand Marnier or Cointreau, light rum, and fresh lemon juice. The ingredients are shaken well over ice and served in a fancy glass, making it look like a drink that took way more effort than it did.

Recipe: Basic XYZ Cocktail 

The Garibaldi cocktail is a lot more complicated than it sounds, as the drink gets its multi-syllabic name from a 19th-century Italian revolutionary leader. Essentially, the Garibaldi is fresh orange juice mixed with Campari, a bitter Italian aperitif, which is a timeless combination. The drink is a classic combination of bitter and sweet that is light and refreshing, perfect for a treat after a long day of landscaping or other spring cleaning activities. 

Recipe: Traditional Garibaldi Cocktail 

Pisco is an underrated spirit outside of South American cultures like Peru and Chile, and this type of brandy is best enjoyed in a traditional Pisco Sour. This cocktail is super frothy thanks to the addition of an egg white, and fresh lime juice and Angostura bitters help to balance out the drink. Pisco sours are light and airy cocktails reminiscent of a spring breeze, with plenty of added lime juice for added tang. 

Recipe: Authentic Pisco Sour

The Negroni is a staple Italian cocktail that's bitter and boozy, but it isn't necessarily the most refreshing drink. Our recipe for a white negroni is a bit lighter and more floral, making it a better swap for the sharper original once the weather turns. The recipe includes gin, gentian liqueur like Suze, and Lillet blanc shook together with a lemon twist. It's a classy cocktail that's meant to be sipped, but has a complex flavor reminiscent of lavender lemonade. 

Recipe: White Negroni Cocktail

Those loyal wine drinkers who are looking to mix up their usual glass of red for spring should look no further than our easy wine slushie recipe. It couldn't be easier to make as it just blends sweet red wine with frozen mixed berries, so it's technically a two-ingredient cocktail. The slushie is like the boozy version of sorbet, but the wine adds more depth to the fruit's tart and sweet flavors. 

Recipe: Easy Wine Slushie

The Green Ghost might sound like a spooky drink for Halloween, but it's really a citrusy classic cocktail reminiscent of spring greenery. It's another simple drink with a base of gin and green chartreuse, which is herbal and adds an earthy element to the drink. Those liquors are mixed with a little fresh lime juice for a small green drink that packs a mighty punch any time of the year. 

Recipe: Green Ghost Cocktail

Odds are that by the year 2023, you've likely heard of the trendy Aperol Spritz. It's the fun drink people love to sip on warm-weather occasions, like long brunches or rooftop cocktail parties. Aperol has a bitter orange taste that is livened up with bubbly Prosecco. Our spritz recipe includes a splash of club soda to mellow out the drink even more, making it perfect for day drinking on a balmy afternoon.

Recipe: Classic Aperol Spritz

Whisky on the rocks can be an abrasive drink that isn't as thirst-quenching as a bubbly cocktail. The best of both worlds for whisky lovers is our recipe for a Japanese whisky highball. We mix strong Japanese whisky with either ginger ale, for added sweetness, or club soda, for a plain flavor. The soda helps to open up the flavors of the Japanese whisky while also making it more palatable for sipping, and it's only one extra step (two, if you count the lemon twist) to turn a regular shot into this spring-ready drink. 

Recipe: Japanese Whisky Highball

Coconut-flavored anything reminds us of the beach, so coconut martinis are a must to channel that ultimate summer attitude. Our recipe uses vodka and a coconut rum like Malibu, so it's pretty boozy. To re-enforce that coconut flavor, we add coconut cream (which is different from coconut milk) and a desiccated coconut rim for a triple punch of the fruit. This drink might resemble snow, but one sip will melt away all of your worries that one more storm will hit before spring arrives. 

Recipe: Coconut Martini Cocktail

Fruit and alcohol are match-made in warm weather heaven, so skip the middle man by adding booze right into a slice of fresh produce. An easy way to achieve this is through our simple vodka-spiked watermelon recipe. It requires you to be patient after pouring an entire bottle of vodka into a mini watermelon, but the results are worth it for a juicy slice of fruit that doubles as a shot of liquor. 

Recipe: Easy Vodka Spiked Watermelon

A mint julep earns its spot on the list of spring-ready cocktails for similar reasons as the mojito, but this version is for people who prefer drinking whiskey as their liquor of choice. Our recipe includes muddled fresh spearmint leaves, stirred with simple syrup and bourbon whiskey. It doesn't have lime juice like a mojito, but feel free to add a little squeeze — it'll only make this drink brighter and more summer-ready. 

Recipe: Classic Mint Julep

People are meant to enjoy Pimm's cup when the heat is sweltering and nothing will cool you down beside a refreshing cocktail. The drink is built around Pimm's No. 1, a gin liqueur that's lighter than straight alcohol so one cocktail won't give you a headache. We mix the liqueur with lemonade, sparkling water, and fresh slices of cucumber and strawberry to make a drink that looks like a bouquet of spring flowers. 

Recipe: Pimm's Cup Cocktail