Summer Breeze: A Simple Maker's Mark Drink

By Colleen Graham

Updated 10/25/19

Summer Breeze Cocktail recipe

The Spruce

  • Total: 3 mins
  • Prep: 3 mins
  • Cook: 0 mins
  • Yield: 1 cocktail (1 serving)
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
257 Calories
0g Fat
28g Carbs
2g Protein
See Full Nutritional Guidelines Hide Full Nutritional Guidelines
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1 cocktail (1 serving)
Amount per serving
Calories 257
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 4mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 28g 10%
Dietary Fiber 4g 16%
Protein 2g
Calcium 75mg 6%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Refreshing, easy, and a great way to enjoy a fine bourbon on those warm days of summer, the Summer Breeze, courtesy of Maker's Mark Bourbon Whisky, has it all. While this drink may look like the average whiskey highball, it has a couple of twists that make it rather interesting.

It all begins with the muddling of a fresh orange with Cointreau, that fantastic orange liqueur which we find so useful in the bar. Once the citrus mix is done, the bourbon and ginger ale are added to top it off in fine, refreshing style.

The Summer Breeze is a great drink when you want to bring a nice whiskey into any summer party. Share it with friends at your next barbecue or just sit back and enjoy it on the patio. 

Ingredients

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Summer Breeze Cocktail recipe
    The Spruce

  2. Muddle an orange slice and a splash of Cointreau in an old-fashioned glass.

    Summer Breeze Cocktail recipe
    The Spruce

  3. Add equal parts of bourbon and ginger ale.

    Summer Breeze Cocktail recipe
    The Spruce
  4. Summer Breeze Cocktail recipe
    The Spruce

  5. Top off with ice and serve.

    Summer Breeze Cocktail recipe
    The Spruce

  6. Serve and enjoy!

Tips

  • You can make this drink taller by building it in a highball glass. In this case, it's not recommended to pour equal parts bourbon and soda because that would be too much whiskey. Instead, pour a shot of bourbon, add ice, then fill the glass with about twice as much ginger ale.
  • Premium ingredients are key. The whiskey and liqueur suggestions are top-shelf spirits, so there is no reason why your ginger ale shouldn't be as well.
  • While popular ginger ales like Schweppes and Canada Dry are nice, you can easily step up to one of the specialty soda companies for most mixed drinks. Vernors is a favorite for many ginger ale fans and Q Ginger and Fever-Tree Ginger Ale are excellent choices as well.

How Strong Is the Summer Breeze?

The great thing about whiskey-soda drinks is that you can make them as strong as you like. If you're looking for a casual happy hour drink, you might add a little more soda. Then again, on those nights when whiskey is on your mind, you might back off a bit on the ginger ale and allow Maker's Mark to take center stage.


Let's look at how the Summer Breeze can weigh in when it comes to the alcohol content:

  • Old-fashioned glass with 2 ounces each bourbon and soda: 19 percent ABV (38 proof)
  • Highball glass with 2 ounces bourbon and 4 ounces soda: 13 percent ABV (26 proof)


As you can see, both drinks add up to the strength of the average cocktail, yet that extra pour of soda in the highball creates a much milder drink. Which you choose is up to you because it's great either way.

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