Top 10 cocktail recipes for May 2025
Summer is nearly upon us (for those in the Northern Hemisphere) and that means we’ve dug into our big bag of warm weather recipes for this month’s roundup.
Palomas, Garibaldis, Spritzes – summer is almost here in the Northern Hemisphere and all the season’s chief cocktails are here with it.
In this month’s list of recipes, warm weather serves have taken the lead, though for our readers in the Southern Hemisphere, there’s no reason why these recipes can’t work in colder conditions either, pretending it’s still summer. Ignorance is bliss.
For more cocktail inspiration, check out our roundup of recipes for March and April.
And if you have a cocktail recipe that you’d like considered for next month’s roundup, email info@thespiritsbusiness.com.
The Wildflower Collins
Inspired by the botanicals of the Secret Garden Gin, this floral Collins is a true taste of nature.
Ingredients:
- 50ml Secret Garden Elderflower & Jasmine Gin
- 25ml Lemon juice
- 15ml Wildflower syrup (made from foraged or homegrown edible flowers)
- 100ml Soda water
- Ice
- Edible flowers (for garnish)
Method: To make wildflower syrup, simmer edible flowers in a mix of equal parts sugar and water, then strain. Fill a tall glass with ice, and add gin, lemon juice, and syrup. Top with soda water and stir. Garnish with an edible flower. Sustainability tip: use local, seasonal flowers, and avoid mass-produced garnishes.
English Garden
One could easily picture the characters of Downton Abbey enjoying this refined garden sipper, which is appropriate because Highclere Castle was where the period drama was filmed.
Ingredients:
- 45ml Highclere Castle Gin
- 30ml Elderflower liqueur
- 75ml Apple juice
- 15ml Lime juice
Method: Shake the ingredients in a shaker and strain into a Collins glass filled with ice. Garnish with apple and ribbons of cucumber.
Dante
Tatratea’s peachy cocktail passes the summer vibe check with flying colours.
Ingredients:
- 40ml Tatratea 42% Peach
- 100ml Tangerine juice
- 50ml Ginger beer
- 15ml Lemon juice
- Ice
Method: Fill the shaker with ice and add Tatratea 42% Peach, tangerine juice, and lemon juice. Mix everything well and pour into a glass. Top up with ginger beer, and garnish with a slice of lemon or a wedge of tangerine.
Vivir Paloma
World Paloma Day is observed annually on 22 May – a day worthy of celebration, and done so via a few of these serves made with Vivir Tequila.
Ingredients:
- 50ml Vivir Blanco or Reposado
- 60ml Pink grapefruit juice
- 10ml Lime juice
- Soda water
- Salt rim and pink grapefruit wedge to garnish
Method: Prepare a Highball glass with a salt rim. Add all ingredients except the soda water into a cocktail shaker with ice Shake until cold and strain into a glass with ice. Top up with soda water, and garnish with pink grapefruit.
Ukiyo Blossom Hana Chiru
This cocktail’s name means ‘cherry fall’, and celebrates the transient beauty of the cherry blossom season.
Ingredients:
- 50ml Ukiyo Blossom Gin
- 50ml Clarified cherry and yuzu cordial
- Yuzu-flavoured foam
Method: Add the Ukiyo Blossom Gin and clarified cherry and yuzu cordial to a mixing glass with ice and stir for 30 seconds. Strain into an ice-filled rocks glass and top with yuzu-flavoured foam. Garnish with a cherry blossom.
La Paloma Ocho
This is another recipe for Mexico’s national drink the Paloma, which is the Spanish word for ‘dove’.
Ingredients:
- 50ml Tequila Ocho
- 10ml Fresh lime juice
- 10ml Simple syrup
- Top with grapefruit soda
Method: Start by rimming a Highball glass with coarse sea salt, then build all ingredients in the glass over cubed ice, and garnish with a grapefruit slice.
Dolcevita
Disaronno has joined forces with Drink Kong bar in Rome to create this tropical twist on the sour, which was designed in honour of the Italian liqueur’s 500th anniversary this year.
Ingredients:
- 40ml Disaronno
- 20ml Rabarbaro Zucca
- 15ml The Busker Triple Cask Triple Smooth
- 20ml Fresh lemon juice
- 10ml Pineapple juice
- 5ml Agave syrup
Method: Shake all the ingredients together with ice and strain.
Paper Plane
This riff on a Paper Plane – typically requested with Bourbon – uses The Octave Brackla single malt instead, bringing a rounded warm spice to the cocktail.
Ingredients:
- 25ml The Octave Brackla single malt whisky
- 25ml Amaro – such as Nonino Quintessentia
- 25ml Aperol
- 25ml Lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
Method: Shake all ingredients and shake, double strain, and serve straight up. It can be garnished with a small paper plane, if you’re good at origami.
Santoni Garibaldi
This classic Italian cocktail conquered New York’s cocktail scene with just two ingredients, and you can do the same at your next garden party…
Ingredients:
- 60ml Amaro Santoni
- 120ml Orange Juice
Method: Fill a highball glass with ice. Add the Santoni and orange juice, stir to combine, and garnish with a grapefruit wedge.
Oyster Martini
Snag an oyster for this Martini twist from Absolut that evokes summer days spent by the ocean.
Ingredients:
- 50 ml Absolut Vodka
- 5 ml Dry Vermouth Juice from 1 oyster
- Garnish (on the side): 1 oyster in its shell
Method: Chill a Martini glass. Fill up a mixing glass with ice cubes. Add all the ingredients to the mixing glass, and stir it gently. Strain the drink into an ice-cold martini glass, and serve it with the oyster on the side.
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