Transport Yourself to Paradise with These International Cocktails

[Photo: Toa Heftiba]

[Photo: Toa Heftiba]

As the months go by and we continue to stay at home for the most part, many of us are fantasizing about the day we can go on vacation again. To help satisfy that yearning for travel, several of the world’s most incredible luxury resorts have shared some of their most popular cocktail recipes with us that you can easily recreate at home.

Fun Summer Cocktail Recipes to Celebrate Happy Hour at Home

From Amanyara’s Cooler Mocktail hailing all the way from Turks & Caicos to Hilton Aruba’s Aloe Aqua Cocktail, these fun and refreshing drinks will instantly transport you to paradise. Read on to learn how to make these international cocktails in your own kitchen for the ultimate at-home vacation experience.

Amanera Old Fashioned from Amanera (Dominican Republic)

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Situated on the Dominican Republic’s rain-forested north shore above Playa Grande Beach, Amanera is a stunning Caribbean retreat that offers guests a beach, jungle, and adventure paradise—all in one. The Amanera Old Fashioned is one of the hotel’s signature drinks and a must-try during your next visit, but for now, you can make it at home in anticipation of your future trip to the island getaway.

Ingredients:

  • 2 oz Dominican Dark Rum

  • 1 Cube of Brown Sugar

  • Club Soda

  • 3 Drops Angostura Bitters

  • Orange Peel (Garnish)

  • 1 Piece of Local Organic Chocolate (Garnish)

Instructions: 

  1. Place sugar cube inside a rock glass.

  2. Add Angostura bitters and splash of club soda.

  3. Muddle the sugar cube.

  4. Add the sphered ice (can substitute with regular ice cubes).

  5. Pour the rum while stirring gently.

  6. Place the chocolate and orange peel as garnish.

Amanyara Cooler Mocktail from Amanyara (Turks & Caicos)

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If you’re looking to lay off the alcohol but still want to have some fun, this wellness drink courtesy of Amanyara’s head mixologist is the perfect compromise. It helps boost your immune system (something we could all use a little more of these days), soothes the liver and reduces stress, and assists to astringe fluid from the body and cool it down. It’s the perfect drink companion while you lounge on a deckchair and dream about Amanyara in Turks & Caicos.

Ingredients:

  • 3 oz. of Fresh Grapefruit Juice

  • 3/4 Fresh Lime Juice 

  • Fresh Mint Leaves 

  • Club Soda 

  • Honey for sweetness (optional)

Instructions:

  1. Mix the fresh grapefruit juice, lime juice, and mint leaves, then blend together.

  2. Strain into a tall glass over ice.

  3. Top with club soda.

  4. Garnish with a slice of grapefruit and fresh mint leaves.

Aqua Aloe Cocktail from Hilton Aruba Caribbean Resort & Casino (Aruba)

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Considering that aloe is Aruba’s top export, it’s no surprise that Hilton Aruba Caribbean Resort and Casino has also turned the powerful plant into a popular poolside cocktail. Bursting with freshness, it includes lime juice and mint leaves—perfect for when you need a quick refresh from the summer heat.

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 oz Aloe Vera Juice

  • 1 1/2 oz Hendrick’s Gin

  • 1/2 oz Lime Juice

  • 4 to 5 Mint Leaves (plus a few extra for garnish)

  • Splash of Tonic

Instructions:

  1. Shake aloe vera juice, Hendrick’s Gin, lime juice, and mint leaves in a shaker with plenty of ice.

  2. Pour without straining into a tall glass, top with tonic and garnish with mint.

Ilún from Tierra Chiloé (Chile)

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In the native Mapudungún language—an Araucanian language spoken by more than 500,000 indigenous people in Argentina and Chile—Ilún means “to wish.” This beverage is a favorite at Tierra Chiloé, a boutique spa island hotel resort that celebrates the local island traditions and unique geographical setting by showcasing the best cuisine and cocktails. Once you sip on this drink, you’ll be wishing you were at Tierra Chiloé!

Ingredients:

  • Crush 1 Peach with ½ Lime and 3 dashes Angostura Bitters

  • 30 ml White Vermouth

  • 30 ml Irish Whisky

  • 30 ml Simple Syrup

Directions:

  1. Crush the peach with the lime. 

  2. Add three dashes of Angostura bitters.

  3. Combine with the other ingredients, stir and pour over ice.

  4. Garnish with a strawberry.

Wengamen from Tierra Chiloé (Chile)

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Also from Tierra Chiloé, the name of this cocktail means “to open a path” in Mapudungún.

Ingredients:

  • 30 ml Sirena Vodka, from Chiloé (made with local native potatoes; can be replaced with any vodka)

  • 20 ml Drambuie

  •  60 ml Orange juice

  • ½ squeezed lime with 3 dashes Angostura Bitters

  • 20 ml simple syrup

  • 20 ml egg whites

  • Orange & cinnamon essence

Directions:

  1. Combine the ingredients, stir, and pour over ice.

  2. Add three dashes of Angostura bitters.

  3. Garnish with a lime.

[Images courtesy of individual properties]

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Kamala Kirk is a University of Southern California graduate and has been an editor/writer for more than a decade. She has written for E! Online, Total Beauty, TravelAge West, Malibu Times Magazine, and many more. She resides in Los Angeles and is a proud pug mom. Follow her on Instagram: @kamalakirk

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