If there’s one stand-out perk of summer, it’s the joy of pimping your standard spirit-and-juice combo with a metric tonne of fruit salad and calling it a cocktail.
A summer punch is the perfect accompaniment to an impromptu alfresco party as it can be assembled in minutes and offers a refreshing alternative to the usual beer-and-wine options. Keep it simple by combining Pimm’s No.1 Cup with lemonade, mint, cucumber, strawberry and citrus slices or build your own punch with your choice of spirit, fruit juice and botanicals topped up with sparkling water.
Here’s our choice of the best fruit-forward cocktails around.
Singapore Sling
It’s hard to beat this hot-climate classic. Mix a short measure each of gin, cherry brandy and Benedictine in a jug with ice and Angostura bitters. Stir till cold, then pour into a hurricane or highball glass, before adding a good glug of pineapple juice and a squeeze of lime juice. Top with sparkling water and garnish with a cherry.
Strawberry Daiquiri
This cocktail captures the essence of summer. Simply puree a punnet of strawberries in a blender, sieve to remove some of the seeds, before whizzing together with a good amount of ice, a couple of measures of white rum, sugar syrup and lime juice. At Edmunds, we use both strawberry liqueur and puree in our amazing, ready-to-serve Strawberry Daiquiri.
Lychee Martini
If you're a fan of classic cocktails with an exotic twist, you'll love our fragrant Lychee Martini. We use premium sapling vodka, together with lychee liqueur and puree to create the perfect balance of floral and fruity. We suggest topping it up with prosecco to create a super-swanky tipple for special occasions.
Kumquat Margarita
Summer is the perfect time to toy with fun and fruitier versions of the classic Margarita. Stick with the tried-and-tested tequila, triple sec and lime flavour trio but consider adding other piquant notes such as passionfruit or kumquat. Our Kumquat Margarita is fresh and fragrant – adding the exquisite tang of ripe kumquats to the lime top notes.
Paloma
If you like your Margaritas even fresher, this lesser-known Mexican cocktail is a sure-fire winner. The combination of blanco tequila, grapefruit juice, lime and agave nectar is perfect – just pour over ice and top with soda water (grapefruit flavour for preference) before serving with a citrus slice. Edmunds’ Paloma uses premium El Rayo tequila for authentic flavour.
