As someone who was born and raised North Carolina, I’ve tried to cope with the humid, unbearably hot summers in a multitude of ways: portable fans, ice packs in places they don’t normally go, cranking up the AC to arctic levels, and so on.
But as I’ve gotten older and wiser, I’ve come to learn that nothing beats the heat quite like a tall glass of something cool, refreshing, and filled with wine!
These summery wine cocktails are easy to make and will make you forget all about how much you’re sweating under the blazing sun.
Most of them are 5 ingredients or less, and feature whites, reds, rosés, and sparkling wines. From sangrias to slushies to spritzers, there’s something for everyone on this list!
So let’s get ready to take on the humidity and find our new favorite summer wine cocktails to drink on the beach, poolside, and while sitting on top of an air conditioner!
20 Refreshing & Easy Summer Wine Cocktails
By far the easiest cocktail on this list, this recipe calls for only one ingredient: a wine of your choice. Otherwise, you just need an ice tray and a blender, and you'll be in wine slushie heaven!
Prosecco + strawberry + basil + St Germain Liqueur = the actual BEST summer sangria imaginable. Seriously, this recipe is a masterpeice and would make even the hottest July afternoon bearable.
An easy and classic wine spritzer that only requires three ingredients! All you need is wine, club soda, and a twist of lemon to make this light and simple summer cocktail.
With rosé, rose petal simple syrup, and edible roses, this absolutetly gorgeous sangria is basically summer in a glass. It's a perfect for a fancy summer brunch and should be the go-to drink of every garden party.
Another delicious slushie recipe for the summertime! This one uses watermelon and some agave, so it's perfect if you want a little extra sweetness in your wine slushie.
Nothing says summer like a bouquet of fresh berries in your drink! This recipe uses two types of wine -- a white and a sparkling -- with triple sec, lime juice, mint, and whatever berries you have lying around. It looks delicious and would be perfect for the fourth of July!
This deliciously simple recipe shows you how to make your own blueberry simple syrup. Otherwise, you just need a white wine of your choice and club soda to make this beautiful summer cocktail.
You'll feel like Queen/King of your own tropical island sipping on one of these bad boys! Plus, since you're basically drinking a smoothie, you'll be getting in all of your essential vitamins for the day. (I mean, maybe. I'm no doctor.)
Don't worry, you don't have to cut up actual prickly pears for this recipe! You just need prickly pear syrup, which is available at pretty much any liquor store.
Summertime drinks are all about the fresh fruit, but this drink takes it another level by adding aromatic jasime liqueur and Angostura bitters. Throw in a bottle of white wine and maybe an edible flower or two, and you've got yourself a lovely little cocktail!
This cocktail is essentially a gin Mojito on steroids. It uses Vinho Verde as its base, which is undoubtedly one of the BEST summer wines around since it's so light and refreshing.
What's better than sangria? Sangria mixed into a margarita, of course! In this recipe, you whip up a batch of frozen margs and then drizzle (or heavily pour) the sangria on top. It's pretty to look at and the tequila provides a nice little extra kick.
For my fellow Southerners out there, sweet tea is a necessary beverage in the summertime when you want to cool down. This recipe just makes sweet tea that much better by adding wine, triple sec, and some seasonal fruits.
You can't have a summer wine cocktail round up without including one frozé! This is only three ingredients and has no frills -- no reason to mess with perfection.
Rhubarb doesn't get nearly enough credit when it comes to summertime produce. This perennial vegetable goes perfectly with strawberry and strawberry goes perfectly with Champagne, so by the properties of math, this cocktail is literally flawless.
Cucumber and honeydew are two summer favorites, and this recipe creatively puts them together to make a delicious, summery sangria! The recipe also uses St. Germain liqueuer and white rum to give this light tasting sangria a big ol' kick.
The ultimate summer cocktail gets a makeover by substituting heavier rum for white wine. The recipe calls for any unoaked white wine and loads of mint leaves to give it that mojito-like taste!
You can't have summer without your favorite beach cocktail! This recipe subs out rum for moscato, but still keeps the classic ingredeints of coconut milk and pineapple juice that we all know and love.
I would consider this another riff on a pina colada, but very different from the above recipe! This boozier recipe uses dry white wine, rum, passion fruit juice, and pineapple simple syrup.
There's no better way to end a hot July day than with a beautiful summer sunset! This cocktail uses agave syrup and orange juice for sweetness, lime for some zesty acidty, and sparkling rosé for... wine.
I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling cooler already! Some of these cocktails are fancier than others, but they will all serve the same, noble purpose of making your summer filled with wine and merriment.
Which cocktail are you excited to try? Do you have a go-to that I missed? Let me know in the comment section below so I can try it for myself!
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