Must-Try Summer Cocktails in Atlanta

By Daniela Cintron

Published April 21, 2025
Last Updated June 25, 2025

Artículo disponible en español.

It’s hot, and Atlanta has a variety of fresh and replenishing craft cocktails to help you bear the heat and enjoy blissful summer days in the city. Whether you are a tequila lover, a vodka drinker or a wine aficionado, there is something for everyone. Here is a list of some of the best drinks to try around Atlanta this summer. 

“What are you, the police?” at BoccaLupo

The most captivating thing about this cocktail is not just the name, but how easy it drinks. Head to BoccaLupo and get yourself a sip or two of the refreshing gin-based cocktail. Taste mint, lemon and cucumber and be amazed at the fact that the recipe involves Greek yogurt. The cocktail is on the menu year-round, but its refreshing, crisp and tart flavor makes summer feel like the best time of the year.

Humo y Flores at Banshee

If you can’t decide between mezcal and tequila, this is your summer drink. Make your way to East Atlanta Village and enjoy Banshee’s relaxing patio with a Humo y Flores in hand. The Italicus, lime, grapefruit, orange blossom water and hopped bitters make this drink a perfect summer sip.

Pisco Sour at Madre Selva

The recently opened Peruvian restaurant, Madre Selva, started with the right foot, bringing an award-winning, renowned Peruvian mixologist. Pisco Sour will never be the same after you try theirs. The Peruvian cocktail, with roots in the Peruvian and Chilean cultures, is pisco-based with citrus juice and sweetener components. Sit at their patio and sip the evening away.

Pine Needle at Gunshow

Get over to Gunshow and call over the bar cart. The Pine Needle cocktail will transport you to an island. I’m not sure which one, but it’s one where there are bananas. Think of a French 75, but tropical and with hints of kiwi and banana. The bubbles and the gin hit in all the right spots.

Flavorful Margaritas at Chido and Padre’s

Nothing screams summer like a margarita at Chido and Padre’s in Buckehad. Take your pick from the many flavors from hibiscus, blood orange and peach — the options are endless. Take things up a notch and order a tequila flight to share with a friend. The perfect patio scenario on a summer day.

Strawberry Harvest Sangria at Drawbar

Nothing says summer more than a drink that has the sweet taste of fresh picked strawberries. Sip on this inviting drink from one of Atlanta’s newer rooftops, Drawbar. This restaurant and bar located in Bellyard Hotel has the perfect view of a city thriving under the summer sun. 

$7 Cocktails at Cooks & Soldiers

Enjoy a cocktail at Cooks & Soldiers on the Westside while taking a break from the sun at the remodeled enclosed patio or outdoors on the front patio. Every Sunday, all Summer through Labor Day, “Pinxtos on the Patio” offers guests $9 pintxos (small bites) and $7 cocktails. My favorite is the blood orange ranch water and grapefruit. Nothing says “summer” like a Sunday evening like this.

Strawberry Frozé Slush-Tail at King of Pops

Featuring some of the best local seasonal fruits, summers in Atlanta must always include a sweet treat from King of Pops. Making it even more fun for adults, King of Pops also offers incredible summer cocktails for adults at the location in Ponce City Market. This summer, don’t miss the Strawberry Frozé slush-tail with rosé, elderflower liqueur, strawberry and lemon. 

Hojiso Highball at Mujō

In the intimate and modern atmosphere of Mujō on the Westside, refresh with a Hojiso Highball — an elegant drink composed of rice shochu, shino syrup, lemon, soda and pickled plum. Sip and treasure the unrepeatable nature of the moment, just like it is intended at Mujō. Ichi-go, Ichi-e. 

Dreams of Amalfi at Ecco Midtown

Snag a spot at the patio this summer at Ecco Midtown and experience the magic of vodka, limoncello, spirulina and mint. Every sip will make you feel like you are on the Amalfi Coast, just living your best life in the summer.

Fallen Stars at Spaceman

For the perfect skyline view of Buckhead, head over to Spaceman located at Hyatt Centric Buckhead. The hotel offers a vibrant space to spend a summer day while sipping on a carefully crafted cocktail, such as a Fallen Stars. Made with gin, Benedictine liqueur, Liquid Alchmeist ginger, pineapple juice, simple syrup and fresh lemon juice, every sip feels like a sweet treat — something we all deserve on a hot summer day.

Beltline Punch at 9 Mile Station

Head over to the rooftop at Ponce City Market for one of the best views in town and some of the most refreshing summer cocktails at 9 Mile Station. Let the Beltline Punch carry on through the summer with this delicious cocktail made of Rooftop Vodka, lemon, J. F. Haden’s Key Lime, Rose, Angostura and orange. 

Más Así at The Iberian Pig

Enjoy a Sunday evening with a cold bottle of Más Así Alvarinho. The light and fresh wine is made with grapes from the borders of Portugal and Spain by the Castellucci Hospitality Group, a family-owned collection of restaurants around Atlanta. Más Así is sold at their restaurants, including Cooks & Soldiers and The Iberian Pig Buckhead, which have all the feels for a summer family meal at the enclosed patios.

Ketel One Flight at Lingering Shade

Lingering Shade has a variety of refreshing cocktails to enjoy on a hot summer day. Their Summer Spritz Menu includes an Aperol Spritz, Hugo Spritz, Select Fulano Spritz, Lofi Spritz and Prickly Pear/Orange Blossom Spritz. While their spritz menu changes throughout the summer, you can also enjoy the Ketel One Flight, which includes three flavors: Cucumber/Mint, Peach/Orange Blossom and Grapefruit/Rose paired with soda water.

Heads up, their Spritz menu will be leaving on July 25.

Azotea Frozen Margarita

Enjoy the view from the rooftop at Azotea Cantina in the middle of the vibrant Atlantic Station. To keep your thirst at bay while enjoying the skyline, sip on an Azotea frozen margarita made with Blanco tequila, house curacao, lime and agave. Classic and effective.

Country Thyme Lemonade at South City Kitchen

Yes, lemonade is the official drink of summer in the hot South. So, if we add some vodka to it and rooftop views in the heart of Buckhead, we have the perfect combination. Come and grab a seat under the sun at South City Kitchen in Buckhead with a Country Thyme Lemonade, and enjoy the warmth of Atlanta. 

Zero-Proof Options

There are so many options across the city for zero-proof cocktails with as much thought behind them as alcoholic cocktails. We love it when we order a zero-proof cocktail and the options are not just sugary juices. Brush and Lucky Star are some of my latest favorites. I sipped on a non-alcoholic French 75 at Brush with NA Gin, Lemon and NA Sparkling. I also enjoyed a de-alcoholized Manhattan at Lucky Star that tasted like a Summer night in the big city. They have other options, such as a Bee’s Ginger with “gin” or the Chrysanthemum with a Dry Vermouth that contains very low alcohol levels.

If beer is more your jam, explore breweries and beer gardens in Atlanta with great patios. Whatever drink sparks your interest to cool off this summer, check out our Ultimate Guide to Patio Dining in Atlanta and head outside to enjoy the warm summer weather.

Daniela is the content manager and bilingual editor for Discover Atlanta. As an award-winning bilingual journalist, she is passionate about shinning light on untold stories about culture, food and Atlanta.