The bounty of fresh produce makes the sunshine and warm weather of summer even better. It's easy to take advantage of the season's fruits, veggies, herbs, and flowers and create stunning garden-fresh cocktails.
If you have a green thumb, think about choosing plants for a bartender's garden. Creating fresh drinks from what you grow in the backyard is especially rewarding. You don't have to be a gardener to enjoy the freshest drinks of the year, though. A trip to the local farmers market or fruit and veggie stand will do just fine.
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    Lilac Lemon Drop Martini

     
    Colleen Graham's Lilac Lemon Drop Martini
    S&C Design Studios
    If you enjoy the floral taste of lavender drinks, give lilac a try. Lilacs are among the first blooms of spring and their sweet fragrance is not the only lovely feature of these flowers.
    You can harvest those backyard blooms and mix up the lilac lemon drop martini. The flowers are used to make a lilac simple syrup, the key ingredient for this simple vodka cocktail. It's quite lovely and the ideal way to celebrate spring.
  • 02of 10

    Sparkling Borage Cocktail

     
    Sparkling Borage Cocktail
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    Tempt your taste buds with a lovely and delicate herbal cocktail. This one is as easy to make as borage is to grow in the garden. As a bonus, the plant's pretty blue flowers are edible!
    In the sparkling borage cocktail, the flowers are frozen in ice cubes and the herb is used in a simple syrup. You'll also pour your favorite gin, add a touch of elderflower, then top it off with a juniper soda. It's simply enchanting and the ideal cocktail for summer soirees.
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    Rhubarb-Rosemary Daiquiri

     
    Rhubarb Rosemary Daiquiri
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    Rhubarb season is a perfect time to bake up a rhubarb crisp, but have you thought about juicing this popular veggie? With a cocktail recipe like the rhubarb-rosemary daiquiri, you now have the perfect excuse to give it a try.
    Juicing rhubarb takes a bit of effort, though it's not terribly hard and you'll be rewarded on the first sip. It gets even better your favorite rum and a homemade rosemary syrup, which give this underestimated ingredient a new life. 
  • 04of 10

    The Green Giant

     
    Prairie Organic Vodka's Green Giant Cocktail Recipe
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    Fresh snap peas and tarragon are the featured ingredients in this simple vodka cocktail. It's a great way to kick off the season because snap peas are among the first veggies of spring and they're really easy to grow.
    The green giant is fantastically simple. You will need four snap peas and one sprig of tarragon for each drink. To this, a nice organic vodka, honey, lemon juice, and dry vermouth are added. The result is a unique, slightly sweet drink you'll definitely want to share. 
  • 05of 10

    Celery Cup No. 1

     
    H. Joseph Ehrmann's Celery Cup No. 1 Cocktail Recipe
    Beata Bernina/Moment Open/Getty Images
    Teeming with fresh ingredients, one trip to the farmers market should set you up perfectly for the celery cup no. 1. For this recipe, you will need to gather celery, cilantro, and cucumber.
    The cocktail is a play off the famous Pimm's Cup and it includes the British liqueur that shares its name. Yet, it is the organic cucumber vodka that really sets the backdrop for the garden-fresh goodness. It truly is the ultimate "green" cocktail.
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    Strawberry Gin & Tonic

     
    Strawberry Gin & Tonic Cocktail Recipe
    S&C Design Studios
    Whether you grow your own or buy fresh strawberries at the market, they are a delightful addition to countless drinks. While strawberry lemonade and strawberry daiquiris are fun, they're also a delight in a gin and tonic.
    The strawberry gin and tonic begins by creating a simple syrup with the plump, fresh berries. From there, simply choose your favorite bottles of gin and tonic. In minutes you'll be relaxing on the patio with a charmingly sweet cocktail.
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    Garden Patch Smash

     
    Colleen Graham's Garden Patch Smash Cocktail
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    A spiked, fresh soda that celebrates the garden's berries is just a few ingredients away. The hardest part of the garden patch smash? Deciding whether to pour tequila or mango rum!
    A homemade syrup is used once again because it's the best way to preserve the flavors of fresh produce. This one is a raspberry-lavender syrup and it's a fun addition to the mix of fresh blueberries, lavender soda, and the liquor of your choice.
  • 08of 10

    Watermelon Cucumber Cooler

     
    Easy and Fresh Watermelon Cucumber Cooler Aviation Gin Cocktail Recipe
    Aviation Gin
    When the days start to get really hot, you'll want to mix up the watermelon cucumber cooler. It is one of the most refreshing summertime cocktails you will find and it never disappoints.
    This recipe begins with a fantastic American gin that is light on the juniper. Aviation's floral and citrus notes are the perfect pairing for fresh cucumber and watermelon juice. Add a little soda and some sweet-sour accents and your backyard barbecue is complete.
  • 09of 10

    Ruby Queen

     
    Rob Krueger's Ruby Queen Cocktail with Cutty Sark Scotch Whisky
    Cutty Sark Scotch Whisky
    This cocktail may be a little too much fun and it's definitely a unique drink. If you're up for an adventure, juice some beets and mix up a ruby queen.
    Beets are not a common cocktail ingredient by any means. You might even expect something plain like vodka to be the liquor of choice, but that's not so. Instead, we choose a great blended Scotch whisky! With a little honey, lemon, and fresh tarragon, it works remarkably well.
  • 10of 10

    Bugs Cutty

     
    Rob Krueger's Bugs Cutty Cocktail with Cutty Sark Scotch Whisky
    Cutty Sark
    Vitamin-packed and boozy, too! The Bugs Cutty is another fun and truly bizarre cocktail recipe. It's an ideal way to change out a bloody Mary routine and perfect for brunch.
    This interesting cocktail recipe also uses scotch and, as the name implies, carrot juice. It isn't a gimmicky recipe, though, since it also adds a classy amaro and a little Chartreuse. This is definitely a taste experience you will not soon forget.