31 Best Cocktails To Sip By The Pool, Ranked

The Cosmopolitan may not have been created as a pool drink, but it's pink and pretty and seems fairly summery despite being made with fall's favorite fruit, the cranberry,  To make an extra pool-friendly, low-ABV version, you can divide this recipe between two tall glasses and fill each one with seltzer to make a refreshing Cosmo Fizz. Add some lime wheels and maybe a pretty paper straw, then kick back in your lounger and enjoy this stylish sipper.

Recipe: Refreshing Cosmopolitan Cocktail

Pimm's Cup may be the official drink of tennis watching, at least in the U.K., but we feel that it makes for a good all-around summer refresher, particularly if you're fond of cucumber water. In fact, as it's made with this vegetable as well as fresh strawberries, it might even help you to use up some of that surplus summer produce. We also appreciate that it's pretty light on booze, so you need not hesitate to pour a second round.

Recipe: Pimm's Cup Cocktail

The French 75 may have been named after a type of artillery used during the First World War, but it's a drink better suited to peaceful poolside reverie than to the battlefields where its eponym was employed. It's somewhat similar to the Tom Collins in that it's made with gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup, but instead of seltzer water, the drink gets its fizz from sparkling wine. While you could use fancy French Champagne, you may want to save the good stuff for drinking on its own and employing a cheaper vintage as a mixer.

Recipe: Lemony French 75 Cocktail

The Belmont Stakes, aka the third jewel in the Triple Crown, takes place in the month of June, so of course its signature drink is a summery one. The Belmont Jewel may not be as well-known as the mint julep, but we prefer it for poolside imbibing because the heavy, smoky flavor of the bourbon is balanced out by the freshness of the lemonade and pomegranate juice. Try this drink in a tall glass packed with crushed ice and garnished with a sunny lemon wheel and maybe a few fresh strawberries. Even though there are no berries in the drink itself, they make a much better garnish than pomegranates do (plus the latter fruit is typically not in season until fall).

Recipe: Classic Belmont Jewel Cocktail

Peaches are such a summery fruit — unlike fresh berries, stone fruits like peaches aren't something you can always find in the supermarket year-round. While you could use peaches in any number of cocktails, perhaps the best-known one is the Bellini. It's basically a peachier version of a mimosa, one that replaces the orange juice with peach puree. While this recipe calls for prosecco, you can use a less-sugary sparkler if you feel that a drier wine would better offset the peaches' natural sweetness.

Recipe: Classic Peach Bellini

If there's anything better than a classic margarita, it's one with a slight kick to it. We're not talking about the boozy kick — of course, it has that from the tequila — but a little bit of heat from sliced jalapeño. As the chile only has half a minute in the shaker to infuse the drink with its flavor, this drink isn't particularly incendiary, although you can add extra pepper slices (or re-use the ones from the shaker) as a garnish. Even just a slight hint of chile flavor, though, makes for a fun twist on an old favorite.

Recipe: Refreshing Spicy Margarita

This sweet-tart strawberry daiquiri drink is made with light rum, but the dominant flavor is that of strawberries with a little zing from some fresh lime juice. The amount of simple syrup used here is just a suggestion, too, and can be adjusted up or down as needed. While this recipe says it makes just two drinks, you actually get a whole blender full, which is more like four drinks unless you're using super-sized glasses.

Recipe: Frozen Strawberry Daiquiri

Simple soda-based drinks are perfect for poolside imbibing as they have a sweet, simple flavor that goes nicely with a side of summertime nostalgia. The cherry bomb is a drink with a name guaranteed to delight your inner child — as long as your outer adult is past their 21^st birthday, of course. The cocktail itself isn't particularly cherry-flavored as it's made from lime or lemon-lime soda spiked with rum, but it does get a hint of flavor and some pretty pink color from a splash of grenadine. You can also add a few maraschinos for a garnish, and as a bonus, the liquid from the jar can double as the grenadine (since essentially that's what it is).

Recipe: Bubbly Cherry Bomb

The Dirty Shirley, as its name implies, is a boozed-up version of a classic kiddie cocktail. Our version is made with lemon-lime soda and grenadine spiked with vodka, although if you prefer you can go with the classic ginger ale instead. You can also swap out the vodka for any other type of spirit you may prefer. One great thing about making Dirty Shirleys is that once you or your companions have had enough alcohol, you can just leave out the liquor and revert back to Shirley Temples.

Recipe: Dirty Shirley Cocktail

The tequila sunrise was the inspiration for a 1970s pop hit, and to no surprise, the drink was very popular during that decade. This tequila/orange juice concoction is having a bit of a revival, however, due to its fruity flavor and cheery color scheme, not to mention the cool ombré effect from the grenadine "sunrise" at the bottom. For poolside sipping, pour the tequila sunrise into a tall glass, and don't forget the orange slice and maraschino cherry. Drink garnishes are often an afterthought, but we love how this one manages to echo both the flavors and the colors of the cocktail.

Recipe: Classic Tequila Sunrise

When we speak of iced tea as a summertime classic, we're usually referring to the standard version made with actual tea and no booze. The Long Island iced tea, while it's tea-free and chock full of booze, can also be quite refreshing. In fact, therein lies the risk, since this drink packs a powerful punch that kind of sneaks up on you. Should you prefer something that won't curtail your fun in the sun too early, though, you can reduce the amount of alcohol to a single tablespoon of each kind and add more ice and/or soda to the glass.

Recipe: Classic Long Island Iced Tea

The Paloma may be one of the most popular cocktails in Mexico, and for good reason — it's just so darn simple! Snag a grapefruit soda, spike it with tequila, and you're all set. Here, however, we're making a slightly fancier (and much drier) version of the drink by using a combination of grapefruit juice and club soda as our mixers. There's also a bonus recipe for a chili powder-spiced salt rimmer that you can use if you feel like dressing up your glass.

Recipe: Classic Paloma Cocktail

Ahh, Tiki drinks, could anything be more fitting for an afternoon by the pool? Sure, your backyard may not be filled with swaying palm trees, but a drink like the rum runner can help you to dream of tropical breezes. As the name implies, this cocktail is based on rum, but banana and blackberry liqueurs and pineapple juice add to the sweet/tart fruity fabulousness. While the rum runner is on the strong side, you can easily stretch it into two frozen drinks by pouring the ingredients into a blender with a few cups of ice.

Recipe: Tropical Rum Runner Cocktail

Rum punch sounds like something that 18th-century gentlemen would imbibe by the bowlful, and yes, there are numerous rum punch recipes that do date from that time period. Our recipe, however, owes more to the Tiki era than the Colonial one. It's actually fairly simple for a Tiki drink since it only calls for one type of booze (rum, of course) mixed with orange and pineapple juices, plus a splash of grenadine for color. You can also add a dash or two of bitters if you'd like to temper the sweetness of the drink.

Recipe: Sweet Rum Punch

The Bahama Mama is a midcentury Tiki drink that rates high on our list due to the fact that all of its ingredients are quite easy to come by: rum (dark and coconut), orange juice, pineapple juice, and grenadine. While we have nothing against orgeat, falernum, or other out-of-the-ordinary mixers, the simpler the drink, the more time we have to chill by the pool. We also like the fact that the Bahama Mama manages to be light and refreshing while still maintaining that tropical Tiki vibe.

Recipe: Classic Bahama Mama Cocktail

Beer has long been a favorite summertime beverage, so it was a no-brainer to add a beer cocktail to our list.  The reason why we chose the Michelada as our top poolside libation, though, is that it ticks all of the boxes: it's pretty simple to make, it's light and refreshing, it's fizzy, and it's even citrusy from the lime juice. The Michelada is also relatively low in alcohol as cocktails go, and if you use light or even non-alcoholic beer, you'll have something you can sip on all day long.

Recipe: Best Michelada