6 Refreshing Labor Day Cocktail Recipes

This post originally appeared on Refinery29.com.

You will most likely be headed out to a Labor Day barbecue of some sort this weekend (your small balcony equipped with grill counts, too), so it’s about time you start thinking about what to bring. While it’s just too easy to grab a case of beer and call it a day, we suggest you impress your friends and family with something a little more enticing than Miller Lite.

We’ve gathered six festive cocktail recipes from some of Chicago’s top mixologists that are guaranteed to liven up any party. Don’t worry about regretting that decision to skip bartending school, these libations are super simple to put together. In fact, navigating the weekend shoppers at the grocery store will prove to be more difficult.

Labor Day libations are only a click away.

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A Quiet Smoke in the Woods

Created by Mike Ryan, Sable Kitchen & Bar.

2 oz. The Black Grouse
.75 oz. Madeira
.25 oz Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
Two hard dashes Angostura bitters

Stir and strain, serve up in a coupe glass. Garnish with a Luxardo cherry.

Clean Break

Created by Benjamin Schiller, GT Fish & Oyster.

2 oz. NOLET’S Silver Dry Gin
.75 oz. Pimm’s No. 1
.75 oz. Lemon Juice
.75 oz. Simple Syrup
3 Dashes Peychaud’s Bitters
3 Cucumber Wheels
2 Grapefruit Swaths

Combine all, shake hard, double strain into a coupe.

The Royal Mile

Created by Charles Joly, Aviary.

1.5 oz. The Black Grouse
.5 oz. Benedictine Liqueur
.5 oz. Earl Grey Syrup
.75 oz. Lemon Juice
Egg White
Rare Tea Cellars Bitters

Combine all ingredients aside from bitters in a mixing glass and dry shake to combine ingredients. Add ice, shake, and strain into an old-fashioned glass with ice. Decoratively add bitters to top of cocktail.

(MORE: Master the Grill This Weekend)

Dry Lime In The Coconut

Created by Thomas Mooneyham of Henri and The Gage.

1.5 oz. Brugal Extra Dry Rum
1 oz. Ginger Syrup
.75 oz. Fresh Lime Juice
2 oz. Coconut LaCroix Sparkling Water

Combine Brugal Extra Dry Rum, ginger syrup, and lime juice in a mixing glass, shake and strain into a Collins glass with ice. Top with Coconut LaCroix, quick stir, and garnish with a lime wedge.

Dry Rum Cooler

Created by Pete Gugni of Scofflaw.

1.5 oz. Brugal Extra Dry Rum
.5 oz. Aperol
1 oz. Fresh Lime Juice
.75 oz. Simple Syrup
Cucumber
Tonic Water

Muddle cucumber and add Brugal Extra Dry Rum, Aperol, fresh lime Juice, and simple syrup to mixing glass. Shake and strain into a Collins glass with ice. Top with tonic water, and garnish with fresh cucumber.

Highland Breeze

Created by Lynn House, Blackbird.

2 oz. The Black Grouse
.5 oz. Fresh Lime Juice
1 tsp. Fresh Grated Ginger
2 tsp. Orange Marmalade
1.5 oz. Tonic

Combine lime, ginger, and marmalade in a mixing glass and stir until marmalade dissolves. Add The Black Grouse and ice, shake until well chilled. Double strain over fresh ice into a double old fashioned glass, top with tonic. Gently stir and garnish with a blood orange twist.

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