The Seven Best Summer Cocktails From The United States Bartender Of The Year

Too often, cocktails are an afterthought at summer soirees and parties where coolers full of beer and white wines tend to hold sway. While those beverages are fine, nothing steps up a get-together more than a well-crafted cocktail. It adds a certain level of sophistication that pairs perfectly with shorts and sundresses.

But a specific skillset is needed when whipping up a batch of drinks when the temperatures climb. The boozier beverages favored in the colder months often don’t translate well in the mid-day sun. You need something lighter on its feet to refresh your guests. That’s where Renato Tonelli, the 2023 U.S. Bartender of the Year, comes in.

Tonelli got his start in the hospitality industry working globally in Rome before broadening and perfecting his craft in Brussels, Melbourne, before eventually returning to New York City, where he was born and raised. By besting thirty of the nation’s top bartenders over three days at the United States Bartending Guild Presents World Class Competition, he earned his spot in the Global Finals in Sao Paolo, Brazil, this fall.

“Summer cocktails should be crushable and easy drinking. Something that hits the spot and that accompanies the rising temperatures,” says Tonelli. “Sticking to seasonal fruits is a plus, whether it be berries, stone fruits, or tropical fruits depending on your location. There’s nothing better than a juicy fruit that you’ve been waiting for all year long to indulge in.”

Here are seven unique recipes from Tonelli that perfectly pair with the summer sunshine and long evenings under the stars.

Por Mi Familia

This cocktail is a twist on an Old Fashioned served straight up. While Old Fashioneds are not often sought in the summer, this version has a more tropical take using the fruity notes of Don Julio Reposado, banana liqueur, and coconut water. The first five ingredients can be batched beforehand with filtered water and kept in the freezer to keep it extra cold upon serving on a hot summer’s day. The inspiration for this cocktail came from Don Julio Gonzalez’s love for his family, using the Reposado, the first tequila from the Don Julio category that he shared only with his close friends and family.

2 oz Tequila Don Julio Reposado

0.5 oz Banana Liqueur

0.5 oz Coconut Water

1 Barspoon Johnnie Walker Black

3 Dash
DASH
Chocolate Bitters

Yellow Chartreuse Rinse

Lemon Peel Expression

Lemon Twist Garnish

Combine the first five ingredients in a mixing glass and stir everything with ice. Taste with a straw to see if the dilution level is good for you (the drink shouldn’t taste too strong or harsh and shouldn’t taste thin or watery either). Before straining, pour a tiny amount of Yellow Chartreuse into the glass and twirl it around to rinse it. Strain the cocktail into a Nick & Nora or Coupe glass and add some lemon peel essence to the drink. Garnish with a lemon peel.

Por Mi Tierra

This is a refreshing take on a Limonata, a cocktail typically served during the hot summer months in Mexico, especially on the farms where agave plants are grown. It’s because of this that the cocktail takes its name in admiration for the land. Typically made with lime juice, sugar, and water, this cocktail has more tropical notes from mango and guava juice which act as the natural sweeteners, followed by some cilantro for freshness. Perfect for sipping on a hot summer day.

1.5 oz Tequila Don Julio Blanco

0.25 oz Barspoon Tio Pepe
PEPE

0.5 oz Mango Juice

0.5 oz Guava Juice

0.75 oz Lime

2 oz Soda Water

Garnish with Cilantro Sprig

Build all the ingredients except the garnish into a stemless flute glass. Mix everything with a barspoon to incorporate and garnish with a single cilantro leaf on top.

Spiced Champagne Cocktail

Sometimes in the summertime, we’re not looking for something too strong, but rather thirst-quenching and low in alcohol. This cocktail is a twist on a champagne cocktail typically made with sugar, bitters, cognac, and champagne. The main spirit here is Seedlip Spice, a non-alcoholic spirit that gives depth and flavor with the help of citrus notes from a combination of liqueurs and fortified wines, topped up with bubbles (it’s safe to say that there should always be a bubbly drink for the summertime).

2 oz Seedlip Spice

½ oz Italicus

¼ oz Benedictine

¼ oz Lustao Amontillado Sherry

2 oz Champagne

2 dashes Angostura Bitters

2 dashes Scrappy’s Cardamom bitters

Garnish: Star Anise

Combine all the ingredients directly into a stemless wine glass (if you don’t have a stemless wine glass you can use a regular one). Mix everything with a barspoon to incorporate and place a single star anise on top for aroma.

Mojito Mule

The inspiration for this cocktail was to make a cross between a Moscow mule and a Mojito with more complexity and less alcohol content. Citrus is the prominent flavor in this cocktail, thanks to Ketel One Citroens infusions of fresh lemons and limes, followed by a lingering kick of ginger root. As opposed to the others, this cocktail is served with crushed ice to keep it extra cold and to give that extra water content that is delightful to sip on a hot summer’s day.

1 oz Ketel One Citroen

½ oz Dolin Blanc

½ oz Lemon Juice

½ oz Ginger Syrup

¼ oz Suze

10 Mint Leaves

2 oz Fever Tree Soda

Crushed ice and swizzle

Garnish: Immersed Lemon Wheel, Lime Wheel on top, Mint Sprig

Place the mint leaves on the bottom of a tumbler glass and build the rest of the ingredients into the glass. Once all of the ingredients are in (besides the garnish), fill the glass with crushed ice. Mix or swizzle everything together using a barspoon, ensuring the mint leaves remain at the bottom of the glass. Top it up with more crushed ice, insert the decorative garnishes using tongs, and place a biodegradable straw in the drink.

Picnic Sangria

This cocktail is a twist on a sangria designed to have at a picnic. Flavors like fig and honey, which are present in the cocktail, are typical snacks that you would have at a picnic to pair with your cheeses or fruits. Rather than going with red or white wine, I wanted to give this drink more complexity and tartness using orange wine, a category that is growing with more popularity. Ketel One Peach and Orange Blossom and Apple
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Kombucha are used in a tiny amount to give that ‘fruity’ element that sangrias so often have.

1 ¼ oz Ketel One Family-Made Vodka

½ oz Honey Syrup

0.25 oz Fig Liqueur

0.5 oz Lemon Juice

1 ¼ oz Orange Wine

2 Dash Ketel One Peach & Orange Blossom

2 Pink Lady Kombucha (Health Aid)

Garnish: Mixed Herbs

Build all the ingredients directly into a serving glass (a glass soda can looks great), topping up lastly with Pink Lady Apple Kombucha. Stir everything together to incorporate and garnish with any mixed herbs or edible flowers. The more, the better!

Bat City

This is for the Manhattan drinkers who want their drink to feel more ‘summery,’ and nothing tastes more like summer than watermelon. Rather than using Bourbon or Rye, Don Julio Anejo can give a similar flavor profile with the addition of tropical cooked fruits that pair well with the freshness of watermelon. Sherry and Cabernet Sauvignon help to provide acidity and tannins to the drink rather than giving heavier notes like some sweet vermouths give. When coming up with this cocktail, I really wanted to make something that could stand up in a barbecue like the ones that you find in Texas (where I competed). I named the cocktail ‘Bat City’ because of the nickname given to Austin, Texas, and because bats are the traditional pollinators of the agave plant species where tequila comes from.

1.75 oz Tequila Don Julio Anejo

0.5 oz Watermelon Juice

0.5 oz Amontillado Sherry

0.25 oz Cabernet Sauvignon

1 Barspoon Ancho Reyes Chili Liqueur

2 dash Orange Bitters

Garnish: Cilantro

Build all the ingredients in a mixing glass and stir with ice. Strain into a chilled Nick & Nora or Coupe glass and garnish with a single leaf of cilantro.

Our Sea

Named after the Mediterranean Sea and what the Romans called ‘Mare Nostrum’ (Our Sea), this cocktail is an ode to my Italian roots and the flavors you find there. Flavors like almonds, lemons, mint, and thyme are combined with the saline notes that you get from Johnnie Walker Black Label and Talisker 10. Everything is shaken up with Greek yogurt to give some tartness and texture to the drink, which should be enjoyed at the end of a meal as a digestif. Bright, creamy, and fresh to replace any gelato and satisfy your sweet tooth!

1 oz Johnnie Walker Black Label

.25 oz Talisker 10

.5 oz Orgeat (Small Hand Foods)

1 Barspoon of Lemon Juice

3 Dashes of Yellow Chartreuse

5 Dashes of Fernet Branca Menta

3 Barspoons of Greek Yogurt

Garnish: Plucked Thyme Leaves

Build all the ingredients in a shaker except for the thyme leaves. Make sure to stir the Greek yogurt with the other ingredients to incorporate it fully. Once mixed, shake with ice and double strain into a tiny cordial or dessert glass. Pluck some thyme leaves and place them floating on the top of the drink.