Memorial Day weekend signals the start of summer, drawing many Americans to embark on long trips, take advantage of holiday deals, and host gatherings. These celebrations typically include barbecue favorites and a chance to experiment with cocktails that embody the refreshing vibes of the season, featuring ingredients like lemonade, watermelon, and other fruits.

There’s no specific spirit tied to Memorial Day, allowing for a diverse range of cocktails made with various liquors such as mezcal, vodka, Scotch, rum, tequila, and gin. Here’s a curated list of 16 cocktails that are perfect for enjoying over the Memorial Day holiday weekend:

Tomatini

Ingredients:

• 1 ripe Campari tomato (about ½ cup), quartered
• 1 ½ oz Ketel One Vodka
• ¹/₃ oz white balsamic vinegar
• Pinch of salt and black pepper
• 1 bar spoon of simple syrup
• Garnish: Black pepper and a cherry tomato

Method: Muddle the tomato in a shaker, add the remaining ingredients with ice, shake, and double strain into a martini glass. Garnish with black pepper and a cherry tomato.

Wild Turkey Paper Plane

Ingredients:

• ¾ part Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon
• ¾ part fresh lemon juice
• ¾ part Amaro Averna
• ¾ part Aperol

Method: Combine ingredients in a shaker with ice, shake, and strain into a rocks glass. Garnish with a lemon wheel.

Lemon Wedge

Ingredients:

• 1.5 oz Dewar’s 12 Year Old
• 2 oz lemonade
• 3 oz club soda

Method: Mix Dewar’s and lemonade in a highball glass over ice, top with club soda, and stir. Garnish with a lemon wedge.

Roasted Strawberry Margarita

Ingredients:

• 1 oz Cointreau
• 2 oz Mezcal
• 1 oz fresh lime juice
• 0.5 oz roasted strawberry puree

Method: Blend roasted strawberries, add to shaker with other ingredients, shake, and strain into a rocks glass over ice. Garnish with lime and a roasted strawberry.

Piña Spritz

Ingredients:

• 1.5 oz Buchanan’s Pineapple
• 5 oz club soda
• 1 oz coconut water
• Garnish: Tajín rim and pineapple half moon

Method: Rim glass with Tajín, fill with ice, mix in Buchanan’s and coconut water, top with soda water, and garnish with a pineapple slice.

Orange Creamsicle

Ingredients:

• 1.5 oz Baileys Original Irish Cream
• 0.75 oz orange liqueur
• 0.75 oz simple syrup
• 0.75 cup ice
• Garnish: Orange wedge

Method: Blend all ingredients until smooth, pour into a glass, and garnish with an orange wedge.

Royal Blackberry Lemonade

Ingredients:

• 1.5 oz Crown Royal Blackberry
• 6 oz lemonade
• Garnish: Lemon and blackberry

Method: Combine Crown Royal and lemonade in a highball glass filled with ice. Stir and garnish with lemon and blackberries.

Patrón 100 Highball

Ingredients:

• 1.25 oz PATRÓN 100 Tequila
• 0.5 oz honey syrup
• 0.5 oz passion fruit puree
• 0.75 oz mandarin juice
• Dashes of saline and cardamom bitters

Method: Shake all ingredients and top with soda in a Collins glass with ice.

Gray Whale Surfrider Splash Cocktail

Ingredients:

• 1.5 oz Gray Whale Vodka
• 2 oz lemonade
• 2 oz sparkling water

Method: Combine all ingredients in a Collins glass filled with ice and stir gently. Garnish with lemon and mint.

Smoky Paloma

Ingredients:

• 1.5 oz Undone No. 4 Not Mezcal
• 3 oz Thomas Henry Pink Grapefruit
• 0.75 oz fresh lime juice
• Pinch of smoked salt
• Garnish: Grapefruit wheel

Method: Mix ingredients over ice in a glass and garnish with grapefruit.

Avaline Spiced Pear Sangria

Ingredients:

• 1 bottle Avaline red wine
• 2 Bartlett pears, sliced
• 2 oranges, sliced
• 6 cinnamon sticks
• 2 cups pear juice
• 4 tbsp orange liqueur

Method: Combine all ingredients in a pitcher, refrigerate to blend flavors, and serve over ice.

Take Me Away

Ingredients:

• 2 oz Espolòn Tequila Añejo
• 0.5 oz Ancho Reyes Original Chile Liqueur
• 0.25 oz banana liqueur
• Pinch of salt
• 1 drop of tiki bitters

Method: Stir ingredients with ice, strain into a rocks glass over ice, and garnish with orange peel.

Rosa Regale Sparkling Rosé Grapefruit Rosé Spritz

Ingredients:

• 3 oz Rosa Regale Sparkling Rosé
• 1 oz orange liqueur
• 0.5 oz grapefruit juice
• 2 oz club soda

Method: Shake all but the sparkling rosé with ice, strain over ice, and top with the sparkling rosé. Garnish with mint and orange peel.

Lyre’s Amalfi Spritz

Ingredients:

• 2 oz Lyre’s Italian Spritz
• 3 oz Lyres Classico

Method: Stir ingredients in a glass filled with ice, garnishing with an orange slice.

McQueen Cucumber Refresher

Ingredients:

• 2 oz McQueen and the Violet Fog Ultraviolet Gin
• Soda water
• 2-3 cucumber slices
• Mint and basil

Method: Muddle cucumber, mint, and basil, add ice and gin, shake, and strain. Top with soda and garnish.

Bumbu Banger

Ingredients:

• 2 oz Bumbu Original
• 2 oz strawberry puree
• 0.5 oz lime juice
• Ginger ale
• Lime

Method: Shake and strain into a glass over ice, top with ginger ale, and garnish with lime.

These cocktails are designed to elevate your Memorial Day celebrations, incorporating fresh ingredients and diverse flavors to create unforgettable summer sips.