12 Super Simple Beer Cocktails to Cool You Down This Summer
The whole "liquor before beer..." spiel is officially irrelevant.
If you would have told me two years ago that I'd prefer a beer over a cocktail—or, better yet, both together—I'd be convinced you're living in an alternate universe. And yet, here we are. Avoid falling into the "beer person" or a "liquor person" trap and try whipping up these super easy beer cocktails, ahead.
Dressed Michelada
Ingredients:
2 oz Jose Cuervo Especial Silver
.5 oz Cholula
.75 oz lime juice
.5 oz orange liqueur
1.5 oz lager beer
Lime wedge
Directions:
Add tequila, lime, Cholula, and orange liqueur to a shaker. Shake until mixed. Strain over ice into a pint glass and top with lager. Garnish with lime wedge.
Courtesy of Jose Cuervo Especial
Strawberry Cucumber Spritzer
Ingredients:
6 oz Stella Artois Spritzer
1 oz gin
.5 oz elderflower liqueur
2 cucumber slices
2 strawberries
Directions:
In a cocktail shaker, muddle cucumber slices and strawberries thoroughly. Add gin, elderflower liqueur, and shake over ice. Strain into a glass. Add Stella Artois Spritzer. Garnish with skewered cucumber ribbon and strawberry slice.
Courtesy of Stella Artois
Summer Shandy
Ingredients:
3 oz. light beer (like a pale ale)
6 oz. Peach Nectarine Sparkling Ice
Strawberry, for garnish
Directions:
In an ice filled glass, combine light beer and Peach Nectarine Sparkling Ice. Garnish with a strawberry slice and serve.
Courtesy of Sparkling Ice
Beergarita
Ingredients:
1 oz. Tequila
1 oz. Tattersall Grapefruit Crema
.5 oz. Lime Juice
6 oz. Light beer (i.e. Kolsh)
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a glass over ice. Garnish with a lime wedge. Salt rim optional.
Courtesy of Tattersall Distilling in Minneapolis
Authentic Michelada
Ingredients:
1 Key lime or ReaLime® (to taste)
4 oz. Clamato® Original
1 dash Worcestershire sauce
2 dashes habanero pepper sauce
1 12-oz. bottle of beer
Ice
1 lime wheel
Tajín®
Directions:
Run lime across rim of mug. Dip mug in Tajín to coat evenly. Add ice. Add lime juice, Worcestershire sauce, and habanero pepper sauce. Fill with Clamato and beer. Garnish with a lime wheel.
Courtesy of Clamato
BACARDÍ Lime Shot with Beer
Ingredients:
12 parts Beer
1 part BACARDÍ Lime
Directions:
Pour beer in a glass. Pour BACARDÍ Lime flavored rum in a shot glass then pour into the beer.
Courtesy of BACARDÍ
Fidelito
12 oz. Modelo Negra
1 ½ oz. Casa Noble Reposado Tequila
½ oz. PIMM’S THE ORIGINAL No. 1 Cup
1 oz. lime juice
1 oz. vanilla syrup
2 dashes bitters
Mint leaves
Directions:
Mix all ingredients in a shaker with ice, excluding Modelo Negra and mint leaves. Shake and pour over ice. Top with Modelo Negra. Serve remaining beer with cocktail. Garnish with mint leaves.
Courtesy of Modelo
Beermosa
Ingredients:
6 oz Wheat Beer
2 oz Cava
2 oz fresh squeeze grapefruit juice
Directions:
Mix the beer and cava, insert grapefruit juice and mix.
Courtesy of Centro in Minneapolis
Sunshine Boilermaker
Ingredients:
1 can of pale lager
1.5 oz. of bourbon
Sparkling Ice Lemon Lime
Lemon (garnish)
Directions:
In a pint glass, pour beer at an angle to eliminate head. Add 1.5 oz. of bourbon. Top with Sparkling Ice Lemon Lime. Garnish with lemon wedge.
Courtesy of Sparkling Ice
Cincuenta y Cinco
Ingredients:
12 oz. Modelo Negra
1 oz. jalapeno-infused reposado tequila
1 oz. chile liqueur
1 oz. fresh lime juice
½ oz. agave
Spicy chili salt
Lime wheel
Directions:
Rim a highball glass with spicy chili salt. Add tequila, chile liqueur, fresh lime and agave to a shaker. Shake and strain over fresh ice. Top off with beer. Serve remaining Modelo Negra with the cocktail. Garnish with spicy chili salt rim and lime wheel.
Courtesy of Modelo
Raspberry Spritzer Cooler
Ingredients:
8 oz Stella Artois Spritzer
.5 oz lime juice
⅛ cup raspberries (about 6)
2 cilantro sprigs
1 tsp honey
Directions:
In a cocktail shaker, add raspberries, lime juice, cilantro, honey, and 2 oz Stella Artois Spritzer. Shake over ice until chilled. Pour the entire contents into glass. Top with the remaining 6 oz of Stella Artois Spritzer. Garnish with a raspberry.
Courtesy of Stella Artois
Classic Estrella Michelada Recipe
Ingredients:
Tajin
Salt
4 Dashes Maggi
¼ Teaspoon Worcestershire
¼ teaspoon Tabasco
¾ ounce Squeezed Lime Juice
1 ounce Clamato
Ice
Estrella Jalisco
Directions:
Use lime juice to rim the lip of the glass with a Tajin and Salt mixture. Pour into the glass the Maggi, Worcestershire, Tabasco, lime juice, and Clamato ingredients and stir. Fill ½ of the glass with ice then the remainder of the glass with Estrella Jalisco. Mix the Michelada mixture and garnish with a lime wedge.
Courtesy of Estrella Jalisco
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Rachel Epstein is a writer, editor, and content strategist based in New York City. Most recently, she was the Managing Editor at Coveteur, where she oversaw the site’s day-to-day editorial operations. Previously, she was an editor at Marie Claire, where she wrote and edited culture, politics, and lifestyle stories ranging from op-eds to profiles to ambitious packages. She also launched and managed the site’s virtual book club, #ReadWithMC. Offline, she’s likely watching a Heat game or finding a new coffee shop.
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