These Pretty Cocktails Will Impress At Your Next Dinner Party

As you plan your next spring soireé, make pretty cocktails a priority. To properly prepare you, TZR tapped top mixologists and experts to share their recipes for aesthetically pleasing spring cocktails that are as easy on the eyes as they are the tastebuds.

Honey Bear

Crafted by NEFT Vodka’s in-house mixologist, Luke Barr, this sweet-tart drink is a must for summer. Muddle 5 raspberries and combine with 2 oz NEFT Vodka, 1 oz lemon juice, and .5 oz honey syrup in a mixing tin with ice. Shake vigorously and pour into Collins glass. Top with Prosecco. Garnish with a lemon twist or berries.

Pisces Aries Cusp

Nashville bar The Fox Bar & Cocktail Club touts this drink for its dreamy aesthetic. To make, add 1.75 oz Banhez Espadin & Barril Mezcal, .25oz Aperol, .25oz Macadamia nut liqueur, .75oz turmeric papaya syrup (dissolve 1 cup white sugar in 1 cup fresh papaya juice over gentle heat, then whisk in 1 tbsp powdered turmeric), and .75oz lemon juice. Add ingredients to a mixing tin with ice, shake, and strain into a chilled Nick & Nora Glass.

Spring Elderflower Punch

Perfect for your next garden party, this sweet punch is the mastermind of Mickey Mullins, beverage director of New Orleans’ The Bower. To make, simply combine 1.5 oz denizen rum, .5 oz elderflower liquor, .5 oz fresh grapefruit juice, 1 oz rosé with ice in a cocktail shaker. Shake thoroughly and pour over ice into a rocks glass. Garnish with fresh farm flowers and serve.

Iced Irish Coffee

Coffee lovers will love this recipe from Kevin Pigott, Tullamore D.E.W. Irish Whiskey global brand ambassador, featuring 1.5 oz Tullamore D.E.W. Irish Whiskey, .75 oz Irish cream, 1 oz espresso, and .25 oz simple syrup. Combine ingredients and shake over ice. Strain into a rocks glass and add fresh ice, garnish with mint leaf or coffee beans.

Lavender Balsamic Spritz

For this seasonal treat, combine 1 oz vodka, 1 oz Monin® Lavender Syrup, .5 oz fresh lemon juice, and a sprinkle of balsamic vinegar in a shaker in the order listed. Cap and shake vigorously. Pour into a serving glass and add ice as needed. Top with 4 oz prosecco and 2 oz club soda. Garnish with lavender.

The Pomegranate Spritz

This update on the Aperol Spritz from Pelham House Resort in Dennisport, MA contains 1 oz gin, 1 oz Pama Pomegranate Liqueur or pomegranate juice, .5 oz lemon juice, and 3 oz sparkling wine of your choice. Add all ingredients to a glass, adding the sparkling wine last. Add ice cubes and garnish with lemon wheels and pomegranate seeds.

Cucumber Basil Lime Gimlet

This refreshing cocktail by Paul Kushner, CEO of cocktail platform My Bartender is great for a summer party in that it can be pre-made in larger batches — and it’s pretty to look at. The ingredients are fairly simplistic, comprising cucumber, basil, vodka, lemonade, and lime juice. Just don’t forget to add the translucent slices of cucumber to bring the drink to life.

Top O’ The Morning To Ya

In celebration of St. Patrick’s day, award-winning mixologist and hospitality industry consultant Carlos Ruiz loves this Irish-inspired cocktail with a tropical twist. It features .25 oz pineapple juice, .75 oz matcha simple syrup, .75 oz fresh lemon juice, and 2 oz Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey. In a cocktail shaker, add all ingredients. Shake with ice and strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with a lemon wheel.

Blood Orange Margarita

Not only is this cocktail from expert mocktail mixologist and the founder of Raising the Bar, Abbie Romanul pretty, but it’s also alcohol-free. To create pour a couple of teaspoons of hibiscus salt onto a small plate. Take a martini glass and gently coat the rim in blood orange syrup, then roll in the salt to cover. Add .75 oz Blood Orange Cordial, 1.5 oz Ritual Tequila Alternative, and .75 oz lime juice, to a cocktail shaker with ice and shake for 20 seconds. Strain into martini glass and garnish with blood orange wheel.

Sunshine Spritz

With the sunshine comes the equally sunny cocktails, like this 3-ingredient concoction from aperitif brand Le Moné that should only be housed in a fun cup. To make, simply mix 2.5 oz Le Moné Meyer Lemon and 0.5 blanco tequila. Top the drink with soda water and garnish with a lime or lemon wheel.