Despite the frigid weather, summer is coming. You can feel it in the air: the slight warmth on the days without snow, the sun being seemingly more present than usual. In anticipation of this great seasonal event, many minds begin to plan the events and parties they may throw in the nice summer heat. As we are all aware, no party of legal drinking age adults is complete without a nice cocktail to serve at one. Presented in this article are three summertime cocktails the mojito, the sangria and the mimosa. 

First off, we will discuss the brunch delight known as the mimosa. This equal-parts orange juice and champagne cocktail is actually a take on another popular cocktail known as Buck’s Fizz, which is made with a 1:2 ratio of orange juice and champagne. Mimosas are rumored to have been created in Paris at the Ritz by a bartender named Frank Meier in 1925, though he never actually took credit for this invention. Another theory credits the cocktail’s creation to Alfred Hitchcock in San Francisco during the 1940s. No matter who made the cocktail first, a mimosa is a staple cocktail and any early morning party or brunch get together.

Next, we have sangria. The history of this cocktail stretches back to ancient Greece, where they would mix wine with sugars, spices and anything else that they could find. The ancient Greeks preferred sangria due to unhealthy water, and so they would add alcohol and spices to make the water drinkable and platable. This practice would eventually be taken up by the people of Spain, where they would coin the word “sangria” which means blood in Spanish. After a few disruptions to production, the drink would pop back up in 1964 at the World’s Fair in New York City. European law states that all sangria come from Spain or Portugal, but it is commonly created at home. This cocktail is perfect if you have a large afternoon pool party, and you can just put a pitcher of this stuff out for all to enjoy.

Last but not least we have the mojito. Seemingly a combination of a mint julep and a daiquiri, the mojito originates from Cuba. Back in the day, rum was actually pretty awful tasting. So, people would add pretty much anything to cover up the taste. Then, during Prohibition when everyone just loved to go to Cuba and drink, they would take the cocktail and make it even fancier. A traditional mojito is a combination of rum, mint, lime, seltzer water and ice in a tall glass. Due to its many ingredients and fancy appearance, this is a cocktail that you should serve for your late night summer parties by the pool.

These are but a few summer-themed cocktails but are certainly some of the ones that’d make those summer parties you might have really stand out. So, if you want to add a little kick to your boozy pool parties and summer get-togethers, be sure to choose a cocktail that will make it truly memorable.

Tyler Duncan can be reached at collegeavenue@collegian.com.