If the hot weather and countertops covered with green beans and tomatoes didn’t tell me it was summer, I always had another telltale sign when I was a kid. Mom would take out her tall, slender, frosted glass and mix herself a gin and tonic with a fat wedge of lime.

That was her special gin and tonic glass, meant just for her favorite summertime cocktail.

Although I’ve met many people who also find gin and tonics refreshing, I’ve never been able to stomach them myself. Maybe because I dislike gin and I dislike tonic. I could suck on the lime wedge, but what good would that do me?

I’ve always been fascinated by people’s “signature” drinks. I know some folks stick to their Jack and Coke no matter the season, but I do find that some people switch up their drink of choice in the summertime.

My personal favorite summertime cocktail is a Cape Cod: vodka mixed with cranberry juice and garnished with lime. I like margaritas, but they can sometimes be overly sweet and heavy, in my opinion. And mojitos are good, but take a little time to throw together.

What makes a good summertime cocktail, besides simplicity? I would say light flavors, no dairy ingredients and lots of ice. Citrus flavors are typically very refreshing during hot weather, too.

I’ve got a fantastic book called “Slurp” by Nina Dreyer Hensley, Jim Hensley and Paul Lowe (I guess it took lots of people to test out all those concoctions). I’m going to share a summery recipe or two from this book, and I’d love to know: What’s your favorite summertime cocktail?

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