
Cool Off with These Refreshing Summer Cocktails
Cool off at Brasserie 19 with the Chienne De Base.
There’s something irrational about our urge to drink alcohol in the sun while our bodies are craving hydration — especially in Houston’s heat. But who are we to pass up a drink? After all, cocktails have a singular purpose: to cool you down. It’s officially time to indulge in those refreshing spritzers, boozy martinis, and rosés that make a Houston summer worth the heat.
Here’s what’s on the menu this season:

Image: Jenn Duncan
Pineapple Express, $14
Wild, 2121 N Shepherd Dr
Order the Pineapple Express from the Tulum-inspired bar just in time for summer. The vibrant pink drink is Wild’s response to a Moscow Mule. The cocktail’s mix of sweet and spicy — vodka and ginger, plus an edible mandarin orange and hibiscus flower — will ship you to the tropical destination of your dreams. wildconcepts.com
Spice Trader, $13
Bosscat Kitchen & Libations, 4310 Westheimer Rd
If you could do without flowers and frills in your drink, Bosscat Kitchen & Libations is carrying a cocktail with a robust and tangy flavor. The Spice Trader is an auburn-colored cocktail with a Wild Turkey rye base. The taste is unforgettable but balanced with passion fruit, citrus, plenty of allspice, and bitters. bosscatkitchen.com

Image: Jenn Duncan
The Kool-Aid (Oh Yeah), $42
Present Company, 1318 Westheimer Rd
Remember when we used to slurp down those Kool-Aid jammers? And if you still wouldn’t mind sipping on a sugary drink, Present Company is reviving that nostalgia with an adult-style Kool-Aid. Dubbed the Oh Yeah, the cocktail is a sweet poppy-seed fruit punch for you and your friends. The best part? The drink is an actual Kool-Aid pitcher, and if you want that summer feel, our best suggestion is to add rum. presentcompanyhtx.com

Image: Jenn Duncan
Chienne De Base, $12
Brasserie 19, 1962 W Gray St
Bartender Lucio Fernandez keeps it simple this season with the Chienne De Base, which translates to “Basic Bitch” in English. The ingredients are straightforward — simple vodka, St. Germain, grapefruit juice, and soda; blended, but no tart aftertaste. Request a salted rim, and get a “Salty Bitch.” brasserie19.com

Image: Jenn Duncan
Aphrodite, $16
Thirteen, 1911 Bagby St
Awaken your senses this summer at Thirteen with the Aphrodite. The drink’s fuchsia color base derives from rosé Champagne; however, the cocktail’s boozy blend of prickly pear cordial and Ketel One Peach tastes so fruity that you almost forget you’re drinking alcohol. thirteenhou.com

Image: Jenn Duncan
Paula Fay, $16
Bloom & Bee, 1600 West Loop South
Paula Fay peonies are the gorgeous blossoms that arrive in the summer, and Bloom & Bee reimagines the flower in a lovely magenta cocktail, the Paula Fay. If the summer heat is weighing on you, prepare to be revived — the drink ups the ante with a splash of Ketel One Botanical Peach Blossom, St. Germain, and yellow Chartreuse. thepostoakhotel.com

Image: Jenn Duncan
Sevilli Vanilli, $15
1751 Sea & Bar, 191 Heights Blvd
There’s no summer without citrus. Get your dose of Vitamin C with the Sevilli Vanilli at 1751 Sea & Bar. A play on the name of the defunct German R&B duo, the bright orange drink has mascarpone-infused Tanqueray Sevilla orange and is topped off with a brûléed orange slice. 1751houston.com