11 Favorite Summer Cocktails from Metro Phoenix Restaurants

Photo by Gabriella Jaffee

Sake Snowcones from Sushi Roku

Toss the gin and tonic. And don't settle for a mediocre margarita. We've got 11 fresh summer cocktails that will have you dreaming of July all year long (really). Bottoms up.

Photo by Melanie Mathieu

The Tennessee Peach at Del Frisco's Grille

Tennessee Peach at Del Frisco's Grille
Who doesn't love fresh, juicy peaches in the summer? So just imagine them in a cocktail, mixed with Jack Daniels sour mash whiskey (from Tennessee), Arizona honey, lime juice and jalapeño -- a luscious little combo that brings a touch of heat to the sweet ($10). Now imagine drinking the Tennessee Peach on a second-story patio overlooking Squaw Peak. Sweet, indeed!

Check out the full summer cocktails slideshow here.

Photo by Melanie Mathieu

The Coconut Margarita at The Mission

Coconut Margarita at The Mission
The cocktails here are pricey, no doubt, but sometimes a little splurge is in order -- especially when a classic cocktail like the margarita has been tweaked in such a deliciously tropical, Pina Colada kind of way. The Coconut Margarita brings together premium Cruz del Sol tequila (an ultra-smooth, award-winning reposado made by a trio of ASU alums), Grand Marnier, coconut cream liqueur, pineapple juice, sweet and sour and toasted coconut ($15). Any questions?

Photo by Melanie Mathieu

Crudo's Dazed and Infused

Dazed and Infused at Crudo
Chef-owner Cullen Campbell's sparely furnished new restaurant, specializing in crudo (Italy's elegant answer to sashimi), is already making waves with serious food-lovers since its June opening. And Micah Olson's beautifully crafted cocktails create yet another reason to go. Try his Dazed and Infused (a feminine little number that in no way conjures Led Zep) and you'll see what all the fuss is about: sparkling wine, strawberry-infused aperol (an Italian aperitif with an orange flavor), fresh lime juice and passion fruit syrup ($10). Yum!

Photo by Gabriella Jaffee

The Hemingway Daquiri at Citizen Public House

The Hemingway at Citizen Public House
Ernest Hemingway loved him some daiquiris, and The Hemingway (or Papa Doble) was created in Havana in his honor. Mixology maestro Richie Moe stays true to the original, throwing Don Q Cristal clear rum in a shaker with grapefruit juice, lime juice, sugar and maraschino cherry liqueur, then serving this handsome refresher straight up in a martini glass with a garnish of lime zest ($11). It makes easy, all-night-long drinking as long as you remember the sun also rises.