As An Ex-Bartender, I Know These Spirits Will Level Up Your Summer Cocktails

We hope you love the products we recommend! All of them were independently selected by our editors. Just so you know, HuffPost UK may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page if you decide to shop from them. Oh, and FYI — prices are accurate and items in stock as of time of publication.

Summer is cocktail season – I don’t make the rules.

Not that winter isn’t, but we must be programmed with something that means the second the sun comes out we want to flock to sit out and sip on all kinds of spritzes.

As an ex-bartender, I’ve witnessed this first-hand, year after year. And I get it: I myself am a cocktail drinker.

While a Campari spritz might be my go-to come summer, I’m always experimenting with trying the latest cocktail creations at the establishments I visit, or making my own at home.

So to celebrate World Cocktail Day, here are six spirits, and one Rosé, I’ll be using to make cocktails all summer long, along with recipes for each of them.