10 Most Refreshing Summertime Vodka Cocktails

Whether you're lounging on the beach or a sunny porch, these are the drink recipes that you'll need to know in order to do it properly. Grab a bottle of Stoli vodka and lean back, way back, and enjoy the sunshine.

1. Cucumber Cooler

Steven Guzzardi / CC BY-ND http://2.0 / flic.kr

The cucumber cooler is an even more refreshing take on the G&T and perfect for keeping you cool on the beach or the poolside.

Ingredients:

1 2" piece cucumber, thinly sliced crosswise,

1 additional slice for garnish

1⁄8 tsp. fresh thyme leaves

1 1⁄2 oz. Stoli® vodka

1⁄2 oz. simple syrup

1/4 cup crushed ice

Instructions:

Take the cucumber slices, thyme, and ice and crush them until mushy. Then, add the rest of the ingredients, cover in a mixer or other covered container, shake, and pour contents into a glass. Add cucumber slice as garnish.

2. Harvest Cooler

vanessa / CC BY http://2.0 / flic.kr

Watermelon and agave are two ingredients most indicative of "summer," and in this drink, they create a great combination of flavor.

Ingredients:

2 oz. Stoli® vodka

1 oz. fresh lime juice

1/2 oz. agave nectar

5 cubes, fresh watermelon

Soda water

Ice cubes

Instructions:

Gently crush the watermelon cubes at the bottom of the shaker, then add all remaining ingredients (save for the soda water) and shake. Strain into an ice-filled glass (preferably "Collins" style), add soda water.

3. Voodoo

Matthias Rhomberg / CC BY http://2.0 / flic.kr

Perfect for chilling on the beach with a few people, the voodoo will help cast a spell on you, but hopefully not a curse. Serves four.

Ingredients:

1 cup Stoli® vodka

1 cup mango nectar

8 lime wedges

12 mint leaves

Club soda

Chopped fresh mint for garnish

Instructions:

Take the lime wedges and mint leaves and mash in a cocktail shaker. Add in the vodka and mango nectar, shake vigorously. Pour the result into four ice-filled glasses, and top with club soda. Garnish with chopped mint and serve.

4. Beachcomber

yoppy / CC BY http://2.0 / flic.kr

You can't exactly go wrong by combining banana, pear, and lemon, and certainly not when you're mixing a summer drink. Serves four.

Ingredients:

1 cup Stoli® vodka

1/2 cup banana liqueur

1/2 cup pear nectar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Fresh edible flowers for garnish

Instructions:

Combine all ingredients into a shaker or pitcher, stir vigorously. Pour into four ice-filled glasses, and garnish with edible flowers. Serve.

5. Spicy Peartini

Breville USA / CC BY http://2.0 / flic.kr

Sweet and spicy? A perfect combination to keep your taste buds happy during the hot summer months.

Ingredients:

1 oz. Stoli® vodka

1 oz. spiced rum

1 oz. pear nectar

Cinnamon sugar

Sliced pear for garnish

Instructions:

Take all ingredients except the cinnamon sugar and add to an ice-filled shaker. Shake vigorously and strain into a cocktail glass rimmed with cinnamon sugar; garnish with sliced pear.

6. Emerald Mint Martini

James Vela / CC BY-SA http://2.0 / flic.kr

Not only does the emerald mint martini look super cool, but there's few other refreshing, summery drinks that work better as a nightcap or after-dinner dessert cocktail than this.

Ingredients:

3/4 oz. Stoli® vodka

1/3 oz. dry vermouth

1/3 ounce crème de menthe

Instructions:

Pour ingredients into an ice-filled shaker and shake gently. Then, strain into a martini glass and serve.

7. Blackberry Crush

Quinn Dombrowski / CC BY-SA http://2.0 / flic.kr

You should always go with what's in season, and blackberries (the fresher, the better) are the perfect cocktail addition.

Ingredients:

4 blackberries

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon Simple Syrup

1 1/4 ounces Stoli®

Seltzer

Ice

Mint sprig

Instructions:

In a glass, combine blackberries, lemon juice, and simple syrup; lightly crush berries to release their juice. Add ice and vodka; top with seltzer. Stir to combine. Garnish with a mint sprig.

8. Summertime in Paris

Quinn Dombrowski / CC BY-SA http://2.0 / flic.kr

Just because you're not *in* Paris, doesn't mean you can't act like it.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 oz. Stoli®

1/2 organic rosemary sprig

1/2 oz. Meyer lemon juice

1/2 oz. lemongrass simple syrup

Dash of soda

Instructions:

Muddle rosemary with lemon juice and simple syrup in a shaker. Add ice and Stoli vodka and shake. Strain over fresh ice in a rocks glass and top with soda. Garnish with fresh rosemary sprig and serve.

9. Salted Plum and Vodka Tonic

Matt_Weibo / CC BY-SA http://2.0 / flic.kr

Here's an unexpected twist on the vodka tonic. The addition of sea salt brings out the sweetness of the red plum.

Ingredients:

1 red plum, pitted and sliced (reserve one slice)

1 ½ oz. lime juice

1 oz. simple syrup

2 oz. Stoli®

Tonic water

Sea salt

Instructions:

Place plum slices in a cocktail shaker, and muddle or smash with a wooden spoon. Add lime juice, syrup, and vodka, then shake with ½ cup ice. Strain into glass with fresh ice. Top with tonic water and garnish with a plum slice; sprinkle sea salt on top just before serving.

10. Rhubarb Basil Cocktail

http://leyla.a / CC BY-SA http://2.0 / flic.kr

More fresh ingredients, and this time: rhubarb. Make sure you take a picture of your finished product, with its perfect pinkish hue.

Ingredients:

3 medium to large basil leaves, rolled and cut into thin strips

3 tablespoons rhubarb purée (recipe below)

1 1/2 ounces Stoli®

ice

club soda

Rhubarb Purée

12-13 stalks of rhubarb

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

Instructions:

Put the basil in the bottom of a glass and press with the back of a spoon to bruise slightly. Add the rhubarb purée and stir. Add vodka and ice cubes and top with club soda. Garnish with a basil leaf.

Chop the rhubarb into small, 1/2-inch pieces. Put in a medium saucepan with the sugar and water. Cook, covered, stirring occasionally, over medium heat for about 10 minutes, until the rhubarb is soft.

Transfer the mixture to a food processor or blender (or use an immersion blender) and purée until smooth. Set a fine mesh strainer over a bowl and pour the rhubarb through the strainer, pressing to get as much of the rhubarb out as possible. Discard the leftover fibrous bits.

Use rhubarb purée in this cocktail, pour over ice cream, or stir into a rhubarb fool.