Best Summer Bourbon Cocktails to Sip All Season

It’s okay to admit it. When you think “I want a refreshing summer cocktail”, bourbon isn’t always your knee-jerk reaction. That’s why you have us – your friends at Cox’s & Evergreen Liquors – to help you widen your spirit horizons and remind you that bourbon drinks aren’t just a novelty in summer. Here in the South, they’re a summer staple. The key? Infuse with seasonal flavors and keep it very, very cold.

Summer bourbon cocktails are one of our favorite drinks to sip during a BBQ, a back porch night, or at the lakehouse. Why? We keep it simple, and we lean hard on brightening up bourbon’s traditional layers.

Why Bourbon Belongs in Summer Cocktails

We aren’t just being hospitable – bourbon has a rightful place in your summer drink. Vanilla, oak, wheat, caramel, spice…the flavor profile blends beautifully with summer fruits, herbs, and especially citrus. There’s also a wide variety of bourbon options: Cox’s & Evergreen makes it easy to explore new flavors with local and premium bourbon selections, including lighter expressions and infusions.

Whether you love classics or creative twists, here’s our lineup of go-to bourbon cocktail recipes to spark your summer happy hour.

The Best Bourbon Drinks for Summer

Paper Plane Slushies

After we tried this Smitten Kitchen recipe for frozen bourbon slushies, we thought this crazy-simple beverage might become our entire summer personality (we literally keep a 24 oz. mason jar in our freezer at all times). We’ve tweaked the original recipe ever so slightly by adding two tablespoons of water…we felt it opened up the bourbon flavors and gave the slushies an even more, well, slushy consistency when we served it straight from the freezer.

Paper Plane Slushies Recipe (inspired by Smitten Kitchen)

*Makes 6 servings, ½ cup each.

• 3/4 cup bourbon

• 3/4 cup Amaro Nonino (or substitute Averna Amaro if you prefer, for a similar flavor)

• 3/4 cup Aperol

• 3/4 cup lemon juice

1. Mix everything in a jar and place in the freezer for 8 hours or overnight. It can be left for several weeks.

2. For serving: Stir mixture so the partly ice and partly liquid portions mix into a slushy consistency.

3. Pour into rocks glasses with ice.

Bourbon and Lemonade

We told you bourbon mixed drinks could be simple. This might be the easiest bourbon cocktail recipe in our summer happy hour list, and yet…it’s just so darn good. No notes.

For the goldilocks zone of bourbon:lemonade ratio, we live by the 2:3 rule. Two parts bourbon to three parts lemonade. Example:

Bourbon and Lemonade Recipe (can we even call it that?)

• 2 oz bourbon

• 3 oz lemonade

• Ice.

1. Mix and stir with ice.

2. There is no step two.

Bourbon Peach

Fresh peaches, mint, and bourbon. It’s summer in a glass. Bright, fresh, with juicy, ripe peaches balanced by the natural sweetness and complexity of bourbon. We’d say “Enjoy!” but it’s impossible not to.

Bourbon Peach Cocktail Recipe

• 2 oz bourbon

• ½ fresh ripe peach, chopped (or 2–3 peach slices)

• 4-6 fresh mint leaves

• ½ oz fresh lemon juice

• ½ oz simple syrup (adjust to taste, especially if peaches are very sweet)

• Ice

• Mint sprig and a peach slice for garnish (optional)

1. Muddle the chopped peach and mint leaves in the bottom of a shaker or sturdy glass.

2. Add lemon juice and simple syrup (to help break it all down).

3. Add bourbon and a handful of ice, then shake well (10–15 seconds).

4. Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice.

5. Top with mint sprig and peach slice for true Southern flair.

Bourbon Spritz

A twist on the elegant Italian favorite. Also an excellent choice for someone who enjoys a light bourbon cocktail, especially as a daytime drink, or with appetizers at your next dinner party.

Bourbon Spritz Recipe

• 1.5 oz bourbon

• ¾ oz Aperol

• ½ oz fresh lemon juice

• 3 oz sparkling wine (Prosecco is traditional, but cava or dry bubbles work too)

• Splash of club soda

• Ice

• Orange slice (optional garnish)

1. Fill a wine glass or large rocks glass with ice.

2. Add your bourbon, Aperol, and lemon juice.

3. Top with your sparkling wine and a splash of club soda.

4. Garnish with an orange slice.

Bourbon Arnold Palmer

This is bourbon and lemonade’s caffeinated cousin. Just as simple, just as delicious, and helps you re-energize after mowing the grass, finishing the baseball tournament, a full afternoon of tubing on the river…you name it, this pick-me-up is bourbon and summer at its best.

The bourbon? We like Four Roses Single Barrel, because its softer, slightly more floral notes are a natural partner for the lemonade and tea.

The mixer? Half tea, half lemonade, full flavor.

Bourbon Arnold Palmer Recipe

• 2 oz bourbon

• 3 oz unsweetened iced tea

• 3 oz lemonade

• Lemon slice & mint (optional garnish)

• Ice

1. Fill a tall glass with ice.

2. Add all the liquids, and stir gently.

3. Garnish with a lemon slice and/or mint leaf to give it a little sophistication.

Berry Bourbon Fizz

This is how you find a great use for that jumbo bag of frozen berries that never quite made it into the smoothie habit you’re trying to develop. We like to mash frozen berries with a fork (or a muddler if you’re feeling fancy) and then pour in our bourbon, club soda, and a hint of citrus.

Berry Bourbon Fizz Recipe

• 2 oz bourbon

• ½ cup frozen mixed berries

• ½ oz fresh lemon juice (about 1 tbsp)

• 4 oz club soda (or to taste)

• Ice

1. Muddle the berries with a fork or muddler, with the lemon juice. Let sit for a minute.

2. Pour in the bourbon and lightly stir with ice.

3. Top with club soda (if you like a cleaner look, you can pour the drink through a strainer to catch berry pieces).

Bourbon Cocktail Essentials (200–250 words)

If we’ve successfully convinced you that bourbon is an absolute spirit of summer, you’ll want to round out your bar prep for the season with easy go-to summer mixers: lemonade, ginger beer, iced tea, mint, peaches, fresh strawberries, and a few good oranges (those things last forever in the fridge). With this stocked toolkit, you’ll be ready to host happy hour, post-pool drinks, or any other reason to whip up a refreshing bourbon cocktail…we’ve even seen the folks who lean toward a hard seltzer lift up their glass after that first satisfying sip of a summer bourbon beverage and sigh with contentment. It’s a thing of beauty (and we love hard seltzers as much as anyone).

Other tips to help you feel ready to battle heat waves with chilled bourbon?

Best Types of Bourbon for Cocktails:

• Wheated - A wheated bourbon like Maker’s Mark 46 brings sweeter, more complex notes of vanilla, caramel, oak, and toasted brown sugar…all of which support summer flavors and cut down on any spice.

• High-Rye - Speaking of spice, a high-rye bourbon is exactly what you want when a little spark makes sense. A classic is Bulleit Rye, which is a perfect option for the Paper Plane Slushies we keep on hand from May through September.

• Small Batch - Small batch bourbons like 1792 are easy on the palate…they’re smooth, silky, and complex. They’re an ideal ingredient for cocktails with only a few ingredients, where the bourbon can really shine. Think bourbon and lemonade (especially to cut the sweetness).

• Feature a few Cox’s exclusive or recommended bottles
  
  

Pairing Tips & Party Ideas

While we could just write the word “anything” to really underscore our view on keeping summer simple, we also know great flavors can launch any experience to another level when it comes to enjoyment, memories, and a great party. Pair the bourbon cocktail recipes we’ve provided with the classics: BBQ, grilled peaches, pasta salads, and/or charcuterie.

Seriously, hand someone a grilled hot dog and partner it with a bubbly, brightly-hued Bourbon Spritz from our recipe list above, and you’ll all be in awe at how the two seem like summer buddies…like that friend you only ever saw at summer camp, but you both always picked up right where you left off.

Party Tips:

• Create a bourbon cocktail flight for summer parties. (Keep it simple with 3-4 options).

• Stock a “make your own garnish” station with fresh berries, and sprigs of fresh mint, thyme, rosemary, and slices or oranges, lemons, and limes.

• Spiked ice cream floats: Stock a few flavors of ice cream (or just vanilla, because bourbon and vanilla are practically cousins), root beer or Coca-Cola, and a classic bourbon like Maker’s Mark. No rules, just the closest thing to a grown-up ice cream truck.
  
  

Stock Up for Summer at Cox’s

Ready to stir up something seasonal? Visit Cox’s & Evergreen Liquors to explore the best bourbons for summer sipping. Our knowledgeable crew loves to lead you to the bourbon for your tastes…we stock a wide array of crowd favorites and local selections that are curated with care. You’re also welcome to pop by for one of our tasting events, because you never know where you might find your new go-to summer cocktail. Cheers!