Seaside destinations around the world have their own signature libations made with local ingredients and spirits — iconic creations that can transport you to a faraway place for a few blissful minutes. For those who are not quite ready to hop on a plane just yet, these recipes might do the trick for the time being.

Margarita

The origin of the margarita is unclear. There are at least four well-documented accounts claiming the invention of the cocktail, but we know it appears by name in recipe books as far back as the 1950s. Although mostly associated with Mexico, the margarita is as much a part of Texas culture as it is a staple at Mexican beach destinations.

Purists contend that a true margarita should exclusively contain fresh lime juice, tequila and orange liqueur. So, what about all the new flavors and presentations? When does a margarita stop being a margarita? The jury is still out on this hotly debated issue, but until we come to an agreement, we can consider these beach-worthy cocktails as variations on the classic.

Marguerite

Created by the bartender team, the Marguerite can be enjoyed at San Antonio’s Mon Chou Chou at The Pearl.

2 oz LALO Tequila
.75 oz Hand-squeezed lime juice
.5 oz Clement Creole Shrubb
.5 oz Herbs de Provence syrup

 Shake all ingredients over ice, strain and serve up in a coupe glass.

To make the syrup, add 2 tbsp Herbs de Provence to a cup of sugar dissolved in a cup of hot water and let cool.

The Grilled Watermelon Margarita
Courtesy of Cointreau

1 oz Cointreau
2 oz Silver tequila
1 oz Fresh lime juice
.5 oz Grilled watermelon syrup
.5 oz Fresh grapefruit juice

Cut watermelon into slices and grill until both sides have grill marks. After cooling, blend with simple syrup (1:1) and then fine strain. Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice. Shake and fine strain over ice into a Tajin-salted rocks glass. (3:1 Tajin to kosher salt.) Garnish with a lime wheel.

Daiquiri

The daiquiri is a widely misrepresented cocktail. The original drink, pronounced daiquirí, was concocted in Havana in the late nineteenth century at the iconic El Floridita bar in Old Havana, consisting only of rum, fresh lime and sugar; nothing to do with those artificially colored slushies sold on the streets of New Orleans.

A popular cocktail enjoyed along the beaches and bars in Cuba, it is as simple and refreshing as its cousin the mojito. Both cocktails are still enjoyed by visitors to El Floridita, which is known as “la cuna del daiquiri” — the cradle where the libation was born, and where Ernest Hemingway sipped it contentedly.

Classic Daiquiri

2 oz Light rum
1 oz Fresh lime juice
.75 oz Demerara sugar syrup

 Add the rum, lime juice and sugar syrup to a shaker with ice, and shake until well-chilled.
Strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with a lime twist.

Passion Daquiri

A fruity twist on the classic recipe. Courtesy of Mount Gay Black Barrel Rum

2 oz Mount Gay Black Barrel Rum
1 oz Fresh lime juice?
.5 oz Passionfruit syrup
.5 oz Cointreau

Add ingredients to a shaker, along with ice, shake and strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with a lemon wheel or peel.

Caipirinha

The Caipirinha is Brazil’s national cocktail, enjoyed throughout the country and especially ubiquitous along the country’s vast beaches. Unlike many of the world’s most popular cocktails that were invented by legendary bartenders at historic bars, restaurants and hotels, the caipirinha is a drink of agricultural convenience, made with what grew abundantly around the peasants of central Brazil.

The traditional Brazilian way to make a classic Caipirinha is to muddle lime slices with sugar in a glass, add cachaça, top with ice and serve with a stirring stick to mix the drink as it dilutes. However, some prefer shaking to fully mix all ingredients and dissolve the sugar granules. In Brazil, where tropical fruits are abundant, variations called “caipifrutas” are also popular, and can be made with any fresh fruit you have on hand.

Classic Caipirinha
Courtesy of Novo Fogo Silver Cachaça

2 oz Novo Fogo Silver Cachaça
Half a lime, sliced, with center pith removed
1 tbsp ultrafine sugar

 Muddle the limes and sugar in a shaker until the juice is fully squeezed and the sugar dissolves. Add cachaça and ice, and shake. Dump everything into a rocks glass.

Blackberry-Peach Caipirinha

2 oz Novo Fogo Silver Cachaça
Half a lime, sliced, with center pith removed
Half a tbsp ultrafine sugar
.5 oz Blackberry liqueur
 2 Slices of fresh peach

Muddle the limes and sugar in a shaker until the juice is fully squeezed and the sugar dissolves. Add peach slices and gently press to release their flavor. Add cachaça, blackberry liqueur and ice, and shake. Dump everything into a rocks glass. Garnish with blackberries.

Italian spritzes

Italy’s #1 cocktail, the Aperol Spritz can be traced back to the 1950s. Aperol was created in 1919 with a century-old secret recipe that has remained unaltered since its inception. These cocktails are perfect for summer sipping thanks to their low alcohol content and refreshing nature, reminiscent of the magnificent beaches along the Italian coastline.

Aperol Spritz -The ‘Perfect Serve’

Aperol
Prosecco
Soda, served from syphon or chilled bottle
Ice
Orange slice 

In a glass full of ice, combine Prosecco followed by Aperol in equal parts. Add a splash of soda and garnish with an orange slice.

Mai Tai

The Mai Tai is one of the most famous Tiki drinks in the world. Often credited to Victor “Trader Vic” Bergeron at his Trader Vic’s bar in the 1940s, it’s also said that Donn Beach laid the groundwork for the famous recipe during the 1930s at his Don the Beachcomber bar.

According to the story, Bergeron made up a cocktail for a friend visiting from Tahiti. Upon tasting it, he exclaimed “Mai Tai - Roa Ae” (“Out of this world - The best!”), giving Bergeron a name for the drink. Try this classic recipe and imagine yourself on a secluded Pacific Island beach.

Classic Mai Tai

Orgeat, an almond and orange blossom syrup, is available at most liquor retailers but any almond syrup can be substituted if needed. Kasama rum hails from the Philippines and boasts an exquisite tropical taste with hints of pineapple.

2 oz Kasama rum
.75 oz Fresh lime juice
.5 oz Curaçao
.25 oz Orgeat
.25 oz Simple syrup

Combine all ingredients with 12 ounces of crushed ice and some cubes in a shaker. Shake until chilled and pour into a double old-fashioned glass. Garnish with a spent lime shell and mint sprig.

Upscale Mai Tai
Courtesy of Grand Marnier

2 parts Appleton Estate 8-Year-Old Jamaican Rum
.5 part Grand Marnier Cordon Rouge
.5 part Fresh lime juice
.5 part Orgeat

Combine all ingredients in a shaker filled with ice (crushed and cubes). Shake until chilled and pour into a double old-fashioned glass. Garnish with a lime wheel and fresh mint sprig.

Piña Colada

The ultimate beachside cocktail was created in the 1950s at the Caribe Hilton in San Juan, Puerto Rico, by Ramón Marrero Perez, a bartender who wished to capture the sunny, tropical flavors of the island in a glass. Sadly, by the 1970s it had become part of the roster of overly sweet frozen drinks served at college bars.

Thankfully, with the revival of tiki drinks and a renewed interest in crafting cocktails with quality ingredients, this delicious classic is no longer frowned upon. If you can’t travel to the beautiful island now, you can at least recreate its most iconic cocktail at home.

Classic Piña Colada

2 oz Light rum (Puerto Rican, if possible)
1.5 oz Coconut cream
1.5 oz Fresh pineapple juice
.5 oz Fresh lime juice

 Add ingredients to a shaker with ice and shake vigorously for 20 to 30 seconds. Strain into a chilled Hurricane glass over pebble ice. Garnish with a pineapple wedge and pineapple leaf.

Frozen batch colada
Courtesy of Grand Marnier

1.5 parts Appleton Estate 8-Year-Old Jamaica Rum
.75 part Grand Marnier Cordon Rouge
1 part Coconut cream
1.5 parts Fresh pineapple juice
.5 part Fresh lime juice

Add all ingredients to a blender with ice. Blend and serve in a hurricane glass. Garnish with a pineapple spear and orange wedge.