12 Refreshing Hennessy Summer Cocktails

12 Cocktails with Hennessy That Are Perfect for Summer Days

The sidecar is a classic cocktail traditionally made with an orange liqueur – Cointreau, Grand Marnier, dry curaçao, or a triple sec – lemon juice and cognac. Its recipe dates back to the end of WWI, and it has become a staple of sophisticated cocktail lounges and bars. 

To make this classic cocktail, first coat the rim of a coupe glass with sugar, then add the three ingredients together with some ice cubes to your cocktail shaker and shake until the concoction is well chilled. Strain into your glass, and garnish with an orange slice or twist.

Suppose you prefer a longer drink. You can give the Sideroad a try instead.

With such an apt name for a summer cocktail, these Hennessy cocktails should be perfect for a hot day or sipping by the pool. The recipe combines the floral, fruity notes of St. Germain elderberry liqueur with Hennessy Very Special, lemon juice, simple syrup, and Sprite.

The resulting drink is a summery adult lemonade that will have your taste buds dancing through the summer months.

A melange of summer fruit flavors – orange, strawberry, peach, lemon, and lime – come together with cognac to create one of the best Hennessy cocktails to enjoy this summer. The fruity flavors are provided by blue curacao, triple sec, strawberry vodka, peach schnapps, lemonade, and lime juice.

To build these fruity drinks, first, add some blue curacao to the bottom of a hurricane glass with a few ice cubes. Then, fill your shaker with ice and add the strawberry vodka, peach schnapps, triple sec, lime juice, and lemonade and shake to mix. Finally, float the Hennessy on top by pouring it over the back of a bar spoon, and garnish with a lime wheel.

For a taste of tropical Mexico alongside a fine French cognac, you can’t go wrong with a Hennessy margarita. For the tequila, a tequila reposado will work well, and you can opt for Cointreau or triple sec for the orange liqueur.

You’ll also need some limes and salt. First, rub a wedge of lime around the rims of your glasses and apply the rim salt. Then add the following to your cocktail shaker: tequila, Hennessy, orange liquor, lime juice, and a few ice cubes. Give it a good shake, and strain it into the prepared glasses.

Strawberries and lemonade are virtually synonymous with the summer, and this Hennessy cocktail blends the berry flavor with a bubbly Champagne wine and a hint of lemon. To make this strawberry-lemonade-Hennessy cocktail, you’ll need some fresh strawberries, water, and sugar to prepare a sweet strawberry syrup with and lemon for fashioning a garnish.

Bring the strawberries, water, and sugar to a boil to make the syrup, and then combine it with the Hennessy and Champagne in your glass, and add ice.

Perhaps the easiest cocktail to make on our list of the best Hennessy cocktails for the summer, the French Connection just calls for two ingredients. And in case you haven’t guessed from the name of this simple drink, both ingredients are classically French.

In addition to the Hennessy cognac, you’ll also need a bottle of Grand Marnier, which is an orange-flavored liqueur which is made from a blend of cognac, distilled essence of bitter orange, and sugar. Simply shake together two parts Hennessy Very Special with one part Grand Marnier and some ice, strain, and serve.

Come Kentucky Derby day, why not stray from tradition and mix up your mint juleps with French cognac rather than Kentucky bourbon? While it may sound sacrilegious to some, the sweet and complex flavor of the Hennessy works well with the fresh mint leaves to create a delightfully refreshing summer cocktail.

Grab a Julep cup or a tall glass filled with crushed ice and a few muddled mint leaves. Add the cognac and the simple syrup, and stir to mix. The refreshing and smooth taste of this sweet derby-day drink is sure to be a crowd-pleaser.

If you want to be transported to the tropics as soon as summer is in the air, these Caribbean-inspired cocktails can help. You’ll first need to make a batch of pineapple and ginger-infused brown sugar simple syrup, but after that, it’s a very simple cocktail to make.

You’ll also need to source a bottle of Hennessy Pure White Cognac and grab a lime and plenty of ice. Pop the ice into a rocks glass, add in the cognac and your freshly-made syrup, and give it a gentle stir.

A simple re-imagining of the classic Moscow mule recipe, the Hennessy mule just calls for two main ingredients: Hennessy cognac and either ginger beer or ginger ale. As one of the simplest cocktail recipes, all you need to do is add the Hennessy and ginger ale to a rocks glass with ice, garnish with a lime wedge and fresh ginger, and enjoy.

For some, the quintessential summer tiki drink is the pina colada, and by adding some French sophistication in place of the white rum, you can knock up a batch of superb cocktails.

Aside from the cognac, you’ll need cream of coconut, pineapple juice, and lots of ice. Simply blend the ingredients together, pour, and garnish with pineapple wedges. Et voilà, you have a sweet and delicious drink built over a bed of crushed ice.

The humble spritz is an Italian wine-based cocktail commonly served as an aperitif, which is a simple mix of sparkling wine (often Prosecco), digestive bitters, and soda water. These decadent cocktails call for Hennessy V.S.O.P., either Chandon Brut or Moet Chandon Champagne, elderflower liqueur, soda water, and a lemon twist or wheel as a garnish.

Leave aside the Champagne and soda water, and add the other ingredients to a shaker with ice. Shake to chill, then strain into a Collins glass and top up with equal pours of the Champagne and soda.

Perfect for sipping as you watch the game with friends, the Alley-Oop is a Hennessy drink that combines cognac with orange juice and tonic water. The sweet orange flavor complements the cognac and creates a great summer sipping drink.

To make this Hennessy cocktail, fill a Collins glass with ice and add cognac and orange juice. Stir it to combine the flavor and chill the liquid, and add an orange slice or wedge as a garnish.

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