These Low-Alcohol Cocktails Will Make Your Day Drinking Easier

Slow down, chill out, drink less.
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Naomi Driessnack

With summer comes the promise of day drinking: at the beach, at a cookout, on your front porch. And for day drinking—especially in the heat—you’re going to want a cocktail that’s light on the booze. Save your Old Fashioneds and Negronis for fall; summer is all about low ABV (alcohol by volume) drinks. We asked a few bartenders to share their favorites to get your summer started off right.

Shandies
A.K.A. beer cut with something non-alcoholic. They're often made with lemonade, but Jeff Hammett of Guild in Austin makes a shandy with wheat beer, fresh lime juice, and grapefruit juice. “It goes a long way on a hot summer day.” It's also a great way to doctor up a beer you might not be crazy about drinking straight.

Spritzes
The spritz is a classic: a bit of booze, a bit of prosecco (or whatever sparkling wine you've got), a bit of club soda over ice. Yamilet Covarrubias of CostaBaja Resort in La Paz, Mexico explains the drink’s “popularity relies on its freshness and low level of alcohol.” Kristin Lozano of Sawyer Hotel in Sacramento likes the classic Aperol spritz, but she’s also got a soft spot for making them with Lillet Blanc: “it's especially nice if you’ve been hitting the barbecue and poolside junk food too hard.”

Americano
This classic combo of Campari, sweet vermouth, and club soda can be a little hard to order at a bar, notes Andrew Woodley of The Street Food Hall in Waikiki, “especially if they have an espresso machine.” But it’s a low-ABV wonder. Gabriele Guidoni of Bond 45 in New York likes it, too, calling it “a classic Italian aperitif.”

Bamboo
This super-versatile cocktail is “essentially a Sherry Manhattan,” says Chris Resnick of Minnow Bar in Miami. Jeff Cleveland of The Rowan in Palm Springs agrees, calling it “an elegant drink”: “Plus you can try it with different sherries and vermouths, so it becomes different every time.”

Tom Collins
And, finally, a classic for the gin fans. Suwadee “Pink” Petchamnan of Banyan Tree Phuket knows a thing or two about hot weather drinks, and for something low-ABV she can’t beat a Tom Collins: “It doesn’t hide too much of the natural aromas of the gin. You can easily have more than one glass, and with almost any meal. It’s also quite refreshing.” We'll drink to that.