The summer of 2026 is quickly approaching. Because summer is right around the corner, it’s almost time for beachside cocktails, bottomless brunches, rooftop happy hours, and wedding receptions. All these occasions call for something fresh, light, refreshing, and summery. Check out the seven fastest categories below.
Bars, restaurants, watering holes, and drinking establishments are stocking up. What are they ordering? What is trending? What are consumers asking for? Over the last few years, the drinking public has shifted toward more ‘healthy drinking’, especially among millennials, and yearn for something new, fresh, sustainable, and exciting. Yet, we still see the classics, or least different takes on the classics, of summers past.
1. Champagne and all types of sparkling wine are showing incredible growth heading into summer. The emergence and easy drinking sparkling rosé, which is Instagram-friendly and meets the seasonal aesthetic, value-driven Prosecco, and Cava (sparkling from Spain) as alternatives to expensive and complex Champagne is very apparent.
Prosecco, in particular, is approachable, affordable, and fits a wide range of menus without feeling formal. Bubbles are having a glaring moment on the worldwide stage. La Marca and Isotta Prosecco and Laurent Perrier Brut are sparklers of note this summer.
2. Rosé blends are up significantly, which shouldn’t surprise anyone. It’s literally summer in a glass! Rosé performs in summer the way pumpkin spice performs in fall. Customers expect it, ask for it, and order it without hesitation. Try Rosé from different parts of the world, like Spain, Italy, Uruguay, and the Finger Lakes/New York.
There are truly 50 shades of Rosé in style and appearance, which greatly depends on grape variety used, where the grapes are grown, and maceration time. A bottle with friends on a deck or outside patio can be a great value and a cool crowd pleaser. Rosé cocktails, like rosé spritzers (with soda/flavored soda) are increasing.
3. Fruit/Floral liqueurs are a great addition to a cocktail menu. It allows to mix and match flavors of cocktails based on your preferences without switching out the spirit. It makes sense when you consider the type of drinks on summer cocktail menus. Craft cocktail bars should have an array of these liqueurs available as should you if doing a summer cocktail party.
Think Elderflower, peach, berry, citrus, raspberry, banana, violet, and hibiscus as flavors, not just garnishes. Look for St. Germain, Patron Citronge, Creme de Violette, and Combier brands to add to your spirits with syrups or mixers.
4. Non-Alcoholic spirits are rising and the demand is high. Remember when I mentioned the trend toward healthy drinking. This is one of the alternatives for customers who also want to stay sober and have a thoughtful drink experience. A tasty and pretty non-alcoholic cocktail (mocktail) without the buzz. Seedlip and Giffard are great brands to stock up on at home and taste eerily similar to the actual spirits. Hopefully you can find some of these when you visit your next place.
More customers are actively choosing non-alcoholic options not as a fallback, but as a preference, especially in warm weather when people want to stay hydrated and enjoy the experience without the alcohol. If no alcoholic spirits are available at your favorite bar, you should be able to order a yummy mocktail.
5. Blanco tequila continues to soar with no signs of slowing down. Tequila seems to always be on trend in the summer. With the plethora of cocktails that uses incorporates this agave spirit, it is an easy go-to. Margaritas, palomas, ranch waters, tequila sunrises, and tequila sodas are staples on menus. Ranch Water is a low-calorie highball cocktail made with blanco tequila, fresh lime juice, and sparkling mineral water.
High-volume places will serve a lot of ranch waters and margaritas. Ask for a margarita without the syrupy and sugary sour mixes. Ask for fresh lemon/lime juice with simple syrup (can be easily made to order), flavored syrups (sometimes a quick infusion will wirk), or agave nectar. Coravon, Volcan, and Mi Campo are favorite tequilas right now among operators. I personally like Teremana.
6. Mexican-Style Lager is a great summer session beer, and more are available than ever before. It is refreshing in summer, pairs with almost everything, and appeals to a wide audience. They are no longer niche picks. Dos Equis, Pacifico, or Modelo are some of the favorites, Secondary to this lager, another option would be a nice, crisp summer shandy.
7. RTDs (Ready-to-Drink cocktails) and hard tea are seeing immense growth. Specifically, within RTDs, spirit-based canned cocktails are seeing the most growth leading into the season. As a classic bartender and mixologist, it pains me to admit this, but convenience, cost, and flavor variety are huge factors for its popularity.
Hard seltzers paved the way, but now consumers are reaching for canned margaritas, espresso martinis, and spiked teas with the same confidence. If this is your thing, look for citrus-forward, tea-based, coffee-based, or tropical varieties. Twisted Tea and Cutwater lead the way.
What else am I seeing out there? Most bartenders would agree. Have you tried any of these –
Classic beverages like palomas and spritzes are here to stay. Made with tequila, grapefruit soda, and lime juice, palomas are a great alternative for those who find margaritas too sweet.
Bartenders call spritzes the “supermodels” of the cocktail world because as soon as someone sees one, they want one. Aperol Spritz and Hugo Spritz are mainstays. The Hugo is light, refreshing, and effervescent and has a great profile to introduce new flavors, like elderflower, or local herbs to the mix.
Gimlets, passion-fruit margaritas and lychee martinis surge in popularity. A gimlet is made with just a few simple ingredients like gin, lime juice, and simple syrup. A passion-fruit margarita is one of those drinks that people can enjoy year-round, but especially on a hot day. Fresh passion-fruit puree is a must! It is one of my favorites!
A lychee martini has a sweet, floral, and subtly tropical taste. It’s made by combining vodka or gin, lychee juice or liqueur, and fresh lemon or lime juice. Cucumber gimlets are coming on because cucumbers are in season during the summer months and produces a light, hydrated libation.
Vodka lemonades are refreshing bar staples, especially when your outside during peak summer months when it’s stoking. With strawberries in season as we head into the summer, there are many variations to try. Add some basil or peach or lavender to it as an infusion it puree. With kitchens already utilizing strawberries, it’s easy to take those ingredients and put together a simple, cost-effective vodka strawberry lemonade for a light and refreshing option this summer.
Expect these cocktails to become bar favorites as more people look to recreate tropical, vacation-like vibes without hopping on a plane or going on a full-blown vacation.
Hope you enjoyed this post. Have a great summer imbibing on all of these different elixirs and tell me your favorite go-to summer drink.
Cheers,
Michael XOXO