Retro summer cocktails your grandpa might remember

🍹 Old, Weird & Slightly Questionable: Retro Summer Cocktails to Revisit (or Regret)

Some summer cocktails age like fine wine… others age like warm milk on a windowsill. From minty green nostalgia bombs to mysterious orange concoctions, these vintage drinks are making a comeback—or at least a comeback tour.

Ready to taste the past? Let’s dive into some questionable classics:

🌿 Grasshopper

Minty, green, and tastes like a Thin Mint had a wild night.

Ingredients:

• 1 oz crème de menthe (green)

• 1 oz crème de cacao (white)

• 1 oz heavy cream

Instructions:
Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with grated chocolate or a mint leaf if you’re feeling fancy.

🌺 Mai Tai (The OG Trader Vic Recipe)

A tiki classic that’ll sneak up on you like a Florida man.

Ingredients:

• 1 oz dark Jamaican rum

• 1 oz aged Martinique rum

• 0.75 oz lime juice

• 0.5 oz orange curaçao

• 0.25 oz orgeat syrup

• 0.25 oz simple syrup

Instructions:
Shake all ingredients with ice and pour (without straining) into an old-fashioned glass. Garnish with mint, lime shell, and a spent regret or two.

🌊 Blue Hawaiian

Blue Curaçao, pineapple, rum, and regret. Looks like a slushie. Hits like a freight train.

Ingredients:

• 1 oz light rum

• 0.75 oz blue curaçao

• 2 oz pineapple juice

• 0.75 oz cream of coconut

Instructions:
Blend all ingredients with ice until smooth, or shake and strain over ice in a hurricane glass. Garnish with a pineapple slice and a cherry.

🟠 Harvey Wallbanger

Vodka, orange juice, Galliano. Basically a grown-up Tang.

Ingredients:

• 1.5 oz vodka

• 4 oz orange juice

• 0.5 oz Galliano

Instructions:
Build vodka and orange juice in a highball glass over ice. Float Galliano on top. Stir gently and serve with a slice of orange and a flashback.

🎀 Pink Squirrel

Crème de Noyaux, crème de cacao, and cream. It’s a milkshake. With booze.

Ingredients:

• 1 oz crème de Noyaux

• 1 oz white crème de cacao

• 1 oz heavy cream

Instructions:
Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail or coupe glass. Garnish with a cherry if you dare.

Final Thoughts:
These retro cocktails are weird, wonderful, and worth a spin—especially if you're feeling nostalgic or brave. Serve them at your next backyard bash and let the chaos (and conversation) flow. For the perfect party complement, consider our gift baskets for men to keep the good times rolling.