Hello Sunshine: Your Guide to the Top 6 Spring Cocktails of 2025
Spring has officially sprung in 2025! As the days get longer and the air gets warmer here in Leuven (and everywhere!), our taste in cocktails naturally shifts. We put away the heavy, warming drinks of winter and reach for something lighter, brighter, and altogether more refreshing. This year, the trends point towards garden-fresh herbs, delicate floral notes, elegant bubbles, zesty citrus, and the ever-popular agave spirits finding new expressions.
Ready to update your home bar menu for the season? Here are 6 fantastic cocktails that perfectly capture the essence of Spring 2025:
1. Hugo Spritz
Move over Aperol, there’s another Spritz capturing hearts! While not brand new, the Hugo Spritz continues its ascent in 2025, perfectly aligning with the trend for floral flavours and lower-ABV options. It's delicate, aromatic, and incredibly refreshing.
Why it's perfect for Spring '25: Light, floral (elderflower), bubbly, and effortlessly chic. Taps into the ongoing love for spritzes and botanical flavours.
Key Ingredients: Prosecco, Elderflower Liqueur (like St-Germain), Soda Water, Fresh Mint, Lime Slice.
2. Gin Basil Smash
Vibrantly green and bursting with flavour, the Gin Basil Smash is a modern classic that feels incredibly current with the "garden-to-glass" ethos popular this year. The peppery aroma of fresh basil combined with tart lemon and botanical gin is invigorating.
Why it's perfect for Spring '25: Uses fresh herbs, visually stunning, powerfully refreshing, and offers a sophisticated twist on a gin sour.
Key Ingredients: Gin, Fresh Basil Leaves, Fresh Lemon Juice, Simple Syrup.
3. French 75
A timeless classic that radiates springtime elegance. Named after a WWI artillery piece, this cocktail packs a delightful punch but remains refined and celebratory. The combination of gin, lemon, and Champagne is pure magic.
Why it's perfect for Spring '25: Combines popular gin with celebratory bubbles. Its bright citrus profile and effervescence make it ideal for spring parties or brunch.
Key Ingredients: Gin, Fresh Lemon Juice, Simple Syrup, Champagne (or other quality dry sparkling wine).
4. Paloma
Tequila's popularity shows no sign of slowing down in 2025, and the Paloma remains one of the best ways to enjoy it, especially in warmer weather. Simpler than a Margarita but just as satisfying, its blend of tequila, tangy grapefruit, and lime is a guaranteed thirst-quencher.
Why it's perfect for Spring '25: Capitalizes on the tequila trend with a refreshing, citrus-forward profile. Easy to make and endlessly drinkable.
Key Ingredients: Tequila (Blanco recommended), Grapefruit Soda (or fresh grapefruit juice + soda), Fresh Lime Juice.
5. Lavender Bee's Knees
Classic cocktails are seeing revivals, often with modern twists. The Bee's Knees, a simple Prohibition-era mix of gin, lemon, and honey, gets a beautiful spring update with the addition of lavender – a flavour highlighted in 2025's floral trend reports.
Why it's perfect for Spring '25: Blends a classic gin cocktail structure with trending floral notes. The lavender adds an aromatic complexity that feels fresh and seasonal.
Key Ingredients: Gin, Fresh Lemon Juice, Lavender Honey Syrup (honey infused with lavender).
6. Strawberry Rosé Spritz
Combining two spring/summer staples – rosé wine and fresh strawberries – this spritz is light, fruity, and festive. It’s less about complexity and more about capturing simple, seasonal enjoyment in a glass.
Why it's perfect for Spring '25: Utilizes seasonal fruit (strawberries become available!), incorporates the ever-popular rosé wine, and offers a light, bubbly experience.
Key Ingredients: Dry Rosé Wine, Fresh Strawberry Purée or Syrup, Soda Water or Sparkling Wine, Optional Lemon/Lime Juice.
There you have it – six fantastic cocktails to sip and savour as we embrace the beauty of Spring 2025. From herbaceous refreshers and floral fizzes to bubbly delights and tequila twists, there's something here to suit every taste.
Which one will you be mixing up first to welcome the sunshine? Cheers to a wonderful spring season!