Summertime opens the door to a whole range of fun outdoor activities: beaching, picnicking, backyard barbecues. What do all of these have in common? They all call for some appropriately summery cocktails or mocktails.
The best Summer drinks not only take advantage of what's in season, which right now includes a bevy of juicy fruits, but are also refreshing and light, in both flavor and calories. We've culled some of the most delicious and refreshing Summer drink recipes that are packed with fresh fruit flavor but low on calories. Click through for the recipes and start planning your next outdoor get-together.
Just the name alone suggests all things light and summery, and the combination of vitamin-rich tropical fruits, like pineapple and papaya, and Brazilian cachaça makes The Brazilian an ideal drink to sip beachside.
There are few things more refreshing than ice-cold lemonade on a hot Summer's day, but this mint limeade might be one of them.
At just 144 calories, this classic margarita is also a cinch to make (it requires only three ingredients, plus ice). You'll be drinking, serving, and sipping these all Summer.
Watermelon might just be the fruit of the Summer. Add fresh watermelon juice and basil to your margarita to create the ultimate warm-weather cocktail.
No one said that day drinking had to entail alcohol. In fact, you'll feel even more refreshed sipping on this booze-free cherry limeade under the hot sun.
If you like margaritas in the summertime, then you'll absolutely adore the paloma. Think of a grapefruit margarita, but even more refreshing because of the inclusion of fizzy club soda. This paloma recipe also happens to have a modest 150 calories.
Is there anything more fun than muddling berries for your cocktail? This tequila bramble recipe calls for fresh blackberries and uses tequila instead of gin. It's also less than 200 calories!
Ginger may not be a fruit, but its spicy kick combined with the fizzy soda water makes the ginger fizz cocktail an ideal choice for Summer. Plus, you can sip these, only 155 calories, guilt-free.
These rainbow coconut water spritzers are like Summer in a glass. Take your pick of your favorite colorful seasonal fruits — like strawberries, blueberries, cherries, peaches, blackberries, and watermelon — and pack them in.
If mezcal is your go-to Summer spirit, you'll love this citrusy margarita garnished with a grilled grapefruit slice.
You can't go wrong in the Summer with a nice rum cocktail. This healthy mojito recipe will transport you right to a tropical beach, and clocks in at less than 125 calories.
Punch up your mojito by adding Spindrift's low-calorie raspberry lime soda made from real fruit juice.
This lavender mint lemonade is as tasty as it is pretty, making it the perfect mocktail for bridal and baby showers.
Bubbly prosecco makes any cocktail more delicious and fun to drink. When you combine it with fresh raspberries and peach juice, then you basically have a Summer shindig in a glass. Plus, this raspberry peach prosecco punch is only 103 calories!
If you love rhubarb pie, then you'll love adding the distinctly tart stalks to your Summer cocktails. This rhubarb pink lemonade is bright and zingy and only 170 calories.
Rosé is practically synonymous with Summer, so it's practically our duty to mix it into our cocktails. All it takes to make this rosé spritz is a dash of club soda, a squeeze of fresh lemon, and whatever fruit you'd like to garnish with or muddle and mix in. Strawberries and rosé are a classic pairing.
It doesn't get any simpler than this sparkling lime mocktail. Just take lime-flavored sparkling water or seltzer, fresh mint leaves, and a dash of agave syrup (optional), and mix.
Don't know what to do with the leftover basil you got for your caprese salad? Make this basil gimlet. Using Japanese shochu instead of gin or vodka brings the calorie count down from 215 to less than 100 calories.