By: Courtney Miller, Peak Associate 

With great weather comes great responsibility . . . to celebrate with fancy patio-ready beverages! So we at The Peak compiled this list of classic, and not-so-classic cocktails and mocktails for your enjoyment. Drink safe!

Need-to-know: How to make a flavoured Simple Syrup

• 1 cup water
• ½ cup sugar (any kind)
• ¼ cup flavouring agent (add more for a stronger flavour)

In a small pot, bring the water and sugar to a simmer, stirring to help the sugar dissolve. Add your flavouring agent and take off the heat for 15 minutes. Strain out the flavouring agent and enjoy.

Pro-tip: the smaller the pieces of your flavouring agent are, the stronger the flavour of the syrup will be. So for the jalapeño syrup, if you only like a little spice, slice the jalapeño in half and remove the seeds before making it into syrup. If you like a lot of spice, chop it finely with all the seeds.

Suggested syrup flavours: raspberry, orange, ginger, lime, lemon, blueberry, peach…

COCKTAILS

Note: Please note that most cocktails are mixed in terms of ratios, so make as much or as little as you want!

Beginner

Canadian Sangria

• 1 bottle of red wine, preferably the cheapest your hard-saved money can buy
• 1 sliced orange
• 1 sliced lime
• 1 sliced apple, core removed
• 1 juiced orange
• 2 cans of ginger ale
• Ice

Pour everything into a pitcher. Stir. Drink. Repeat.

Hard Ginger Ale

• 4 parts ginger ale
• 1 part liquor (whatever you’re feeling or whatever you have)
• Ice

Fill a glass with ice. Pour in the liquor of choice. Top with ginger ale.

Fruity liquor + Bubbles

• 3 parts sparkling wine
• 1 part liquor (anything fruity: peach schnapps, raspberry Sour Puss, grape vodka, etc.)

In a glass, pour in the hard liquor, then pour in the bubbly. Stick out a pinky as you sip.

Intermediate

Blue Hawaii

• 3 parts pineapple juice
• 1 part coconut cream
• 1 part rum
• 1 part blue curaçao
• Ice

Fill a glass with ice. Pour the rum, cream, curaçao, and pineapple juice into a jar (if you have a cocktail shaker, use that, but I’m assuming that you, like me, don’t have money for that). Put a lid on the jar and shake vigorously. Pour over the ice.

Daiquiri

• 3 parts rum
• 2 parts lime juice
• 1 part syrup (flavoured or unflavoured — your call!)*
• Ice (optional)

In a jar, combine the rum, lime juice, and syrup. Put a lid on the jar and shake vigorously. Pour into a glass, prefilled with ice if desired.

Margarita

• 2 parts tequila
• 1 part orange liqueur (for a non-traditional margarita, pick a different fruit-flavoured liquor)
• 1 part lime juice
• Ice

Fill a glass with ice. In a jar, combine the tequila, orange liqueur, and lime juice. Put a lid on the jar and shake vigorously. Pour into the ice-filled glass.

Expert

Rainbow shots

• 12 parts pineapple juice
• 1 part grenadine
• 2 parts vodka
• 2 parts blue curaçao
• Ice

Line up seven identical shot glasses. Add grenadine to a jar, and fill the jar three-quarters with ice. Using a large spoon (think serving spoon), rest the spoon bowl-down on top of the ice. Slowly pour the pineapple juice into the jar by pouring it onto the spoon. This effectively layers the drink. Pour the vodka slowly into the jar via the back of the spoon, layering it on top of the pineapple juice. Pour the blue curaçao over just the tip of the back of the spoon, so the curacao is only on one side of the jar. Immediately remove the spoon and use a strainer to keep the ice in the jar as you pour into your shot glasses, starting with the side of the jar with the blue curacao. As each glass fills, move directly to the next one without stopping the pour. Enjoy these proud summer drinks as your friends look on in awe.

MOCKTAILS

Beginner

Shirley Temple

• 6 parts lemon-lime soda
• 1 part grenadine
• Ice

Pour the grenadine into a glass. Fill the glass with ice. Pour in the lemon-lime soda slowly.

Moscow Mule

• 4 parts ginger beer
• 1 part lime juice
• 1 part club soda
• Ice

Fill three-quarters of a glass with ice. Add lime juice and club soda. Top with ginger beer. Stir, if you’re feeling frisky.

Roy Rogers

• 3 parts cola
• 1 part grenadine
• 1 Maraschino cherry

Add ice to a glass, pour the cola and grenadine into the glass, then top with a Maraschino cherry. It’s not an optional garnish, because you’re worth it.

Intermediate

Watermelon ginger spritzer

• 6 parts cubed watermelon
• 1 part ginger syrup*
• 1 part lime juice
• 2 parts club soda
• 2 mint leaves
• Ice

Blend the watermelon, syrup, and lime together. Stir in the club soda by hand. Pour the ice into a glass about halfway. Add watermelon mixture to the glass, top with mint.

Italian cream soda

• 6 parts club soda
• 3 parts syrup (whichever flavour you want)*
• 1 part whipping cream
• Ice

Pour the syrup in the bottom of a glass. Fill the glass two-thirds with ice. Slowly pour in the club soda. Pour the whipping cream on top. Serve layered, mix before drinking.

Maple blueberry mojito

• 14 mint leaves
• 1 part lime juice
• 1 part maple syrup
• 4 parts blueberry juice
• 5 parts club soda
• Frozen blueberries

Put 10 of the mint leaves in a glass. Use the handle of a wooden spoon to beat the leaves against the glass. Add everything but the frozen blueberries and remaining mint leaves, and stir. Garnish with blueberries and mint.

Expert

Spicy watermelon aqua fresca

• 8 parts cubed watermelon
• 2 parts coconut water
• 1 part jalapeño syrup*
• 1 slice of lime
• 2 mint leaves
• Ice

In a blender combine the watermelon, water, syrup, and ice. Pour into a glass, top with lime and mint leaves.