Sometimes you're searching for sunshine in a glass. Enter yellow cocktails. With their stunning golden hue, yellow drinks are great for theme parties, showers, or a way to brighten a dreary day. Whatever your reason for mixing a yellow cocktail, rest assured you have plenty of flavors and options.
Delicious Yellow Cocktails
If you're the type of person to enjoy a boozier cocktail or something that's big on flavor while in a stemmed glass, these suit any need.
Lemon Drop Martini
This sweetly tart martini is a popular sour cocktail; after just one sip of this golden drink, you'll know why.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces citron vodka
- 1 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ½ ounce simple syrup
- ½ ounce orange liqueur
- Ice
- Lemon slice for garnish
Instructions
- Chill a martini glass or coupe.
- To prepare, rub the rim of the martini glass or coupe with the lemon wedge.
- With the sugar on a saucer, dip either half or the entire rim of the glass in the sugar to coat.
- In a cocktail shaker, add citron vodka, lemon juice, simple syrup, and orange liqueur.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into prepared glass.
- Garnish with lemon slice.
Bee's Knees
Golden as honey, the bee's knees cocktail is perfect for when the summer days are abuzz with sunshine, or even when you need a little extra sun in the winter. Alternatively, try the spicy tequila version, the bee sting cocktail.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces gin
- ¾ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ½ ounce honey
- Ice
- Lemon wheel for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Chill a martini glass or coupe.
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, gin, lemon juice, and honey.
- Shake well to chill cocktail and dissolve honey.
- Strain into chilled glass.
- Garnish with lemon wheel, if desired.
Alaska
Botanical and sharp, the Alaska martini isn't for the faint of heart.
Ingredients
- 1½ ounces gin
- ½ ounce yellow chartreuse
- 1-2 dashes orange bitters
- Ice
- Lemon twist for garnish
Instructions
- Chill a Nick and Nora glass or coupe.
- In a mixing glass, add ice, gin, yellow chartreuse, and orange bitters.
- Stir rapidly to chill.
- Strain into chilled glass.
- Garnish with lemon twist.
French 75
Don't underestimate the bubbles you find in this cocktail. They'll catch up to you faster than a gold medal sprinter.
Ingredients
- 1 ounce gin
- ½ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ¼ ounce simple syrup
- Ice
- Prosecco to top off
- Lemon peel for garnish
Instructions
- Chill a Champagne flute.
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into chilled glass.
- Top off with prosecco.
- Garnish with lemon peel.
Yellow Daisy
Don't be fooled by the name; this drink is anything but soft as a daisy.
Ingredients
- 1½ ounces gin
- 1¼ ounce dry vermouth
- ¾ ounce orange liqueur
- 4-6 drops absinthe
- Ice
- Lemon twist, optional
Instructions
- Chill a martini glass or coupe.
- In a mixing glass, add ice, gin, dry vermouth, orange liqueur, and absinthe.
- Stir rapidly to chill.
- Strain into chilled glass.
- Garnish with lemon twist, if desired.
Monte Cassino
The Monte Cassino is the golden rye brother of the gin-and-chartreuse cocktail, the Last Word.
Ingredients
- ¾ ounce rye
- ¾ ounce yellow chartreuse
- ¾ ounce Benedictine
- ¾ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Ice
- Lemon twist for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Chill a martini glass or coupe.
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, rye, yellow chartreuse, Benedictine, and lemon juice.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into chilled glass.
- Garnish with lemon twist, if desired.
Cheeky Monkey
An herbaceous and botanical cocktail, the ingredients may look questionable, but the cocktail delivers.
Ingredients
- 1 ounce citron vodka
- ¾ ounce yellow chartreuse
- 1¾ ounce freshly squeezed orange juice
- 3-4 dashes orange bitters
- Ice
- Orange wedge for garnish
Instructions
- Chill a martini glass or coupe.
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, citron vodka, yellow chartreuse, orange juice, and orange bitters.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into chilled glass.
- Garnish with orange wedge.
French 77
Enjoy the little sibling of the more potent French 75 -- similar flavors without that similar buzz.
Ingredients
- 1 ounce elderflower
- ¼ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Prosecco top off
- Lemon twist, if desired
Instructions
- Chill a Champagne flute.
- In chilled glass, add elderflower and lemon juice.
- Top off with prosecco.
- Garnish with lemon twist.
Yellow Jacket
A floral tequila forward cocktail, this will be a game-changer when it comes to how you see tequila.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces reposado tequila
- ¾ ounce elderflower liqueur
- ½ ounce yellow chartreuse
- 2-3 dashes orange bitters
- Ice
- Lemon twist for garnish
Instructions
- Chill a martini glass or coupe.
- In a mixing glass, add tequila, elderflower liqueur, yellow chartreuse, and orange bitters.
- Stir rapidly to chill.
- Strain into chilled glass.
- Garnish with lemon twist.
Yellow Submarine
Give your cocktail a festive summer spin with flavors of rum and banana.
Ingredients
- 1¼ ounces vodka
- ¾ ounce light rum
- ½ ounce banana liqueur
- Ice
- Lime twist for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Chill a martini glass or coupe.
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, vodka, rum, and banana liqueur.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into chilled glass.
- Garnish with lime twist, if desired.
Pineapple Daiquiri
Take your daiquiri to the next level with golden yellow pineapple flavors.
Ingredients
- 1½ ounces white rum
- ¾ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- ½ ounce simple syrup
- ½ ounce pineapple juice
- Ice
- Pineapple wedge for garnish
Instructions
- Chill a martini glass or coupe.
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, rum, lime juice, simple syrup, and pineapple juice.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into chilled glass.
- Garnish with pineapple wedge.
To Yellow Cocktails for the Lows
If you prefer your cocktails on ice or in a rocks glass, these are sure to satisfy any requirements.
Yellow Parrot
A beautiful amber cocktail, this checks all the sunny day boxes you look for in a drink.
Ingredients
- 1 ounce absinthe
- 1 ounce yellow chartreuse
- 1 ounce apricot liqueur
- Ice
- Lemon slice for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, absinthe, yellow chartreuse, and apricot liqueur.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into rocks glass over fresh ice.
- Garnish with lemon slice.
Yellow Hammer
A juicy, golden tropical-style cocktail, the yellow hammer is the best summer cocktail you've never heard of.
Ingredients
- ¾ ounce vodka
- ¾ ounce rum
- ¾ ounce almond liqueur
- 1 ounce freshly squeezed orange juice
- 2 ounces pineapple juice
- Ice
- Orange ribbon and cherry for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, vodka, rum, almond liqueur, orange juice, and pineapple juice.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into highball glass over fresh ice.
- Garnish with orange ribbon and cherry.
Yellow Bird
Another tropical-style cocktail, consider this your golden dose of vitamin C.
Ingredients
- ¾ ounce gold rum
- ¾ ounce light rum
- ¼ ounce Galliano
- 1½ ounces freshly squeezed orange juice
- ¾ ounce pineapple juice
- ¼ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- Ice
- Orange twist for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, gold rum, light rum, Galliano, orange juice, pineapple juice, and lime juice.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into rocks glass over fresh ice.
- Garnish with orange twist.
Penicillin
This classic cocktail may look soft, but it packs a wallop.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces Scotch
- ¾ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ¾ ounce honey
- ½ ounce ginger liqueur
- ¼ ounce single malt scotch
- Ice
- Candied ginger for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, add Scotch, lemon juice, honey, ginger liqueur, and single malt scotch.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into rocks glass over fresh ice.
- Garnish with candied ginger.
Gold Rush
Consider this golden-yellow drink to be the answer to "I don't like gin, but I like the idea of a bee's knees."
Ingredients
- 2 ounces bourbon
- ¾ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ¾ ounce honey
- Ice
- Lemon wheel for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, bourbon, lemon juice, and honey.
- Shake well to chill cocktail and dissolve honey.
- Strain into rocks glass over fresh ice.
- Garnish with lemon wheel.
Whiskey Highball
A simple cocktail, this two-ingredient drink adds a gentle sparkle to any occasion.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces whiskey
- Ice
- Ginger ale to top off
- Lime wedge for garnish
Instructions
- In a highball glass, add ice and whiskey.
- Top off with ginger ale.
- Garnish with lime wedge.
Peach Old-Fashioned
Give your old-fashioned an amber touch with a bit of peach flavor.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces bourbon
- ¾ ounce peach liqueur
- ½ ounce peach syrup
- 2-3 dashes orange bitters
- 3-4 dashes aromatic bitters
- Ice
- Peach slice and thyme sprig for garnish
Instructions
- In a mixing glass, add bourbon, peach liqueur, peach syrup, orange bitters, and aromatic bitters.
- Stir rapidly to chill.
- Strain into rocks glass over fresh ice.
- Garnish with peach slice and thyme sprig.
Golden Margarita
Take your margarita from a classic green hue to a stunning golden color.
Ingredients
- 1¾ ounce gold tequila
- 1 ounce orange liqueur
- ¾ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ½ ounce agave
- Ice
- Lemon slice for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, gold tequila, orange liqueur, lemon juice, and agave.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into rocks glass over fresh ice.
- Garnish with lemon slice.
All Abuzz
Like bees for pear blossoms, you'll be all abuzz for this cocktail after just one sip.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces pear vodka
- ¾ ounce orange liqueur
- ½ ounce honey
- Ice
- Club soda to top off
- Pear slice for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, pear vodka, orange liqueur, and honey.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into rocks glass over fresh ice.
- Top off with club soda.
- Garnish with pear slice.
Yellow Drinks for Any Occasion
Yellow cocktails are a great way to dress up any party; after all, who doesn't love a touch of gold? If you're looking for a cocktail that's your favorite color or to fit a theme, you can't go wrong with any of these cocktails.
