Summertime

The Summertime cocktail is an easy-to-make highball drink, that’s built directly in the glass over ice – no need for shaking, blending or any technical bartending tools.

Our recipe for a Summertime cocktail is what is also known as a Long Martini and mixes equal parts vodka, dry vermouth, and fresh lemon juice, then topped with tonic water. Its versatility allows for endless inspiration, be it the choice of garnish, soda water vs tonic water, or flavored vodka.

Crisp, citrusy, mineral and slightly herbal. The Summertime cocktail is fresh and spirit-forward, where you get the mineral effervescent from the tonic water, the herbal notes from the dry vermouth and the sourness and bright acidity from the lemon juice. It’s a wonderful drink to sip in the summertime but works equally well year-round.

• Pre-chill your glassware
  Pre-chill your highball glass in the freezer for approximately 30 minutes. This will keep your drink cold and crisp longer, adding to a better drinking experience.
• Fresh lemon juice
  One of the key elements of this drink is the bright and acidic flavors of lemon juice, and you’ll only achieve that if you use fresh squeezed lemon juice. Skip the bottled stuff in supermarkets and press your own lemons with a citrus press or citrus elbow.

• Vodka Martini
  The inspiration for the Summertime (aka Long Martini). A classic Vodka Martini is a stirred cocktail made with 45 ml vodka to 5 ml dry vermouth, garnished with lemon zest. A true classic and a symbol of sophistication, discover how to make a classic Vodka Martini.
• Flavored vodka
  Follow the drink recipe on this page but swap original Absolut Vodka for any Absolut flavored vodka. For example, if you want to heighten the lemon flavors of your Summertime cocktail, opt for Absolut Citron.

  If you want to add another citrus element to your drink, try Absolut Lime or Absolut Grapefruit. Mix it up and make your own drink.

• Flavored tonic water
  Add new flavor nuances to your Summertime cocktail by experimenting with different tonic waters. For example, you could use an elderflower and cucumber tonic water to add a new profile and a whole new level of freshness. Alternatively, opt for a pink grapefruit tonic water to accentuate the grapefruit garnish and add more citrus to your drink.
• Ginger beer
  Replace tonic water with ginger beer and suddenly you’ve got a spicy Summertime! Trust us, ginger and lemon work so well together, and with the herbal notes of the dry vermouth, you’ve now got a drink with even more complexity.
• Lime juice instead of lemon
  If you prefer lime over lemon, simply swap lemon juice for lime juice. It’s a different flavor but it’s a great one.
• Lime cordial
  Substitute lemon juice for lime cordial and you’ve essentially got a Vodka Gimlet. It’ll be noticeably sweeter and less refined, but it’s still a great drink.

• The Summertime cocktail epitomizes what a highball drink means. Therefore, we recommend serving this drink in a highball glass filled with ice cubes or a Collins glass.
• We like to garnish our Summertime with a grapefruit wedge.
• A lemon twist adds an elegant touch that heightens the lemon juice.
• You could also garnish your drink with a cucumber twist or float a couple of cucumber wheels directly into your glass to add yet more freshness to your drink.
• If you’d like something more visual and aromatic, both a sprig of mint or sprig of basil works incredibly well in this drink. Experiment with each and see which nuances you like best in your drink.