Try these refreshing summer cocktails and drinks!

Nothing says summer vacation more than a beautiful view, good company and a cold beverage bursting with summer flavors in hand. Lucky for you, you won’t have to look hard to find it all in Southwest Michigan this time of year. Our 40+ wineries, cideries, distilleries and breweries along the Makers Trail have so many refreshing summer cocktails and seasonal drinks to share this year. Try as many as you can before your vacation is over!

Summer cocktails

• Round Barn Winery & Estate: Choose from fun & fruity Red Sangria, juicy & tropical White Sangria, sweet & tangy Cherry Sangria, light & lively Cranberry Sangria, fresh & juicy Peach Sangria and bright & crisp Raspberry Lemon Sangria. You can also try these at Round Barn Brewery, too.
• Free Run Cellars: July’s Cocktails for a Cause is called Bright Futures. It features Round Barn Red Sky Rum and Farm Market Cherry, fresh lime juice, agave nectar — topped with fresh mint. Keep checking back for next month’s featured cocktail. This one benefits the Benton Harbor Promise for post-secondary education of BH students. 
• Silver Harbor Brewing Company: Sip on some of their Peach Sangria.
• Chill Hill: Ask about the rotating sangria and specialty cocktail on the menu when you visit!
• St. Julian Winery: Check out these four summer cocktails.
• Iron Shoe Distillery: Add their Limoncello Liquor to your lemonade for the perfect summer drink. And check current specials for featured cocktails.
• Kingfisher Cocktails & Tacos: Try the Great Lakes Punch Fishbowl Cocktail with a friend!

Summer beers

• Ghost Isle Brewery: Peach Bum Blonde Ale. At 4.7% ABV and 7 IBU the punch this beer packs is all peach.
• Niles Brewing Company: Try the entire collection of the Sunset Milkshake IPA series! 
• Double Vanilla Sunset: Milkshake IPA with lactose and vanilla extract
• Strawberry Sunset Milkshake IPA: Strawberry Puree, lactose and vanilla extract
• Watermelon Sunset Milkshake IPA: Watermelon Purée, lactose and vanilla extract
• Mango Sunset Milkshake IPA:  Mango Purée, lactose and vanilla extract
• River St. Joe: Saint Joe Shandy, an easy-drinking Pastoral Pilsner mixed with housemade lemonade and fresh blueberry syrup. It's sure to make your day taste like summertime.
• River St. Joe: Bubbly mead made with fermented local wildflower honey. This sweet and mild offering can be customized by adding any of RSJ’s housemade farm fizz syrups. Try yours with lavender or summer berry.
• Round Barn Brewery: ⁣Zesty Lemon Shandy
• Watermark Brewing Company: Blueberry Foeder Sour / 6% is on tap this summer, loaded with local blueberries and served by the pint.
• North Pier Brewing Co.: Hashtag Fire is a 4.5% Strawberry Rhubarb Lager with sweet, fruity notes and a tart, puckering finish. 

Summer slushies

• North Pier Brewing Co.: Painkiller slushies topped with coconut whip for all you sailors at heart.
• Watermark Brewing Company: Check in often for the new featured boozy slushie flavor. Right now, it’s Orange Creamsicle!
• 12 Corners: Stay tuned in to this winery’s social channels for slushie flavor posts. Previously, they had a berry lavender slushie made with local berries.
• Tabor Hill Winery: Check the menu for featured slushies. Recently, the winery offered a delicious blueberry lemon treat.
• Peat’s Cider Social: This bowling alley turned cidery is offering one of the drinks of the summer! Stop by for a Summer Slush: mango-guava, pineapple and orange juice. Add vodka for fun if you want, or sip on the non-alcoholic version.
• Round Barn Brewery: Get your favorite sangria in slushie form! Just ask them to top off your slush with whichever Round Barn sangria you prefer.
• Other rotating slushie locations: Check out the featured slushie flavors on your next visit to Chill Hill, Lazy Ballerina Winery, St. Julian Winery, Lemon Creek Winery and Vineyard 2121.

Summer wines & ciders

• 12 Corners Vineyards: Beach Cottage White wine or Rose, Peach Wine and Triple Berry all amplify those summer sunshine vibes!
• Red Top Winery: Raspberry Cherry Cider
• St. Julian Winery: Taste something from the Forbidden Fruit Cider Series or sample the Strawberry Fields wine to satisfy those fruit cravings. 
• Peat’s Cider Social: Ocean Man is a mango, guava hard cider. The Outfielder hard cider is crafted with fresh watermelon. Both scream summer once their bursting flavors hit your tastebuds!

Enjoy your sunshine!

Take advantage of the many patios, vineyard porches, beer gardens, trails and other outdoor settings these makers offer you while you taste their delicious concoctions. Enjoy their creations, and let us know which is your favorite!