Must-Have Summer Cocktails

Drinks to sip when it’s time to chill

Chase Yakaboski

Summer Fling, Italian Sipper, Savoy Cocktail

According to Andrew Preeble, the 28-year-old barkeep at The Pizza Bar at Bud & Alley’s in Seaside, summertime means it’s time to concoct “mojitos, margaritas and anything frozen.”

Preeble, who has been tending bar in Santa Rosa Beach for five years, recommends a Tom Collins for chilling down the summer heat. When the heat is on, thirsty patrons clamor for white wine, pilsners, hefeweizens, golden/blonde ales and light beer.

“Session beers are great, too,” he says. “They are brewed with a lower alcohol content, so you can have a couple. There’s nothing like a good pilsner at lunch when it’s 95 degrees out.”

Preeble finds that male and female preferences are consistent year-round.

“Men tend to drink more beer, whiskey and ‘strong’ drinks, while women tend to prefer vodka-based cocktails and white wine,” he says. The equalizer? “Red wine and gin go 50/50, and pretty much everyone loves a good martini.”

There are precautions for drinking in the heat. Preeble says it’s always good to pace yourself, know your limits, enjoy everything in moderation, drink plenty of water and nibble on snacks.

“Protein and fats are your buddies when you’re drinking, sugar and carbs not so much,” he says.