The favourite spicy brunch cocktail gets a Scottish twist, complete with Buckfast and a slice of pickle for punch

This is our take on the ultimate brunch cocktail, though of course we had to give it a Gaelic stamp of some kind, so have added a shot of Buckfast and renamed it Maìri. If you’re not familiar, Buckfast is a sweet tonic wine, apparently known for its “healing” properties, made in Devon by Benedictine monks, but that has been adopted by the Scots as our own.

Clare Coghill, chef-owner, Café Cùil, Isle of Skye

Make the most of the season’s freshest produce with a light but richly flavoured tomato-dosed dinner and a booze-laced, New York-inspired dessert

At Toklas, ingredients such as datterini tomatoes and ripe peaches are taking centre stage. These recipes celebrate the simplicity of summer cooking, allowing produce to shine with minimal intervention. From a risotto layered with sweet tomatoes, pecorino and mint to roast peaches finished with amaretto and mascarpone, they capture the character of the season – fresh, generous and full of flavour.

A vibrant and playful twist on the classic cocktail, with a bright, citrus kick and a subtle herbal note

Fresh, vibrant and full of summer character, this is a playful twist on the classic. It’s juicy and refreshing, with a bright, citrus kick and a subtle, herbal note that keeps things light and balanced. It also works very well with non-alcoholic tequila. If you like, double the syrup quantities, because it’s delicious drizzled over pancakes or diluted with sparkling water for a refreshing, summery drink.

Adrian Gonzalez Parrondo, director of bars, Six Senses, London W2

A frozen piña colada-style boozy drink/dessert

A frozen drink and a classic dessert all rolled into one. Instead of piña coladas and getting caught in the rain, we’re whipping up these and manifesting a sunny summer.

Jayma Voorheis, general manager, Half Cut Market, London N7

Cherry pops and citrus zings in this twist on a Hemingway special

A bright, citrus-forward riff on the classic Hemingway special, with cherry depth and a clean white rum base.

Daniel Emson, bar manager, The Culpeper, London E1

Orange wine and mezcal mingle in this smoky, Georgian-inspired drink

A smoky, refreshing highball inspired by Georgia’s amber wines and qvevri winemaking tradition (large clay vessels buried underground for fermentation). The mezcal works beautifully with the wine, which traditionally has structure and tannin from extended skin contact in those qvevri, and with the hint of citrus. The result is a cocktail that feels ancient and modern at the same time.

Jack Porter, DakaDaka, London W1

Come into the garden for a sparkling summer spritz with flavours of elderflower, apples, eau-de-vie and a splash of absinthe

A bright, floral summer spritz, inspired by the gardens of France and simplified for home purposes.

Leon Gasco, bar manager, Bar Antoine, London W1

This spicy gin and citrus combo has a kick that belies its modest size

Gimlets may be on the small side, but they tend to make up for that by packing a pretty decent punch. This gently spiced, citrus-forward example is no exception, and makes for a gloriously summery aperitif.

Harneet Baweja, owner, Empire Empire, London W11

A refreshing Mancunian twist on two classic British gin-based drinks, infused with elderflower liqueur and earl grey

This is a reimagining of two classic British drinks, the English garden and the London fog, but with a Mancunian twist. It brings together gin, earl grey, elderflower and honey in a refreshing, lightly floral cocktail that’s perfectly suited to drinking in the garden on a hot day. We like to champion local producers, so use Salford Distillery’s gin, but any well-balanced, citrus-forward dry gin will work.

Lucy Bryant, Society, Manchester

With a champagne cordial base, this is the perfect drink for long, hot nights

This is our take on a refreshing highball or spritz for those warm summer evenings.

Joe White, Posie, Manchester

A bittersweet blend of sake, Cynar and Aperol that’s as light and refreshing as early summer days are long

This is very light, refreshing and goes down a little too easily, which makes it perfect for early summer.

Joshua Owens-Baigler, co-founder, Osteria Angelina, London E1

Bloody mary, but not as you know it …

This sour-spicy twist on the classic brunch drink is very easy to recreate at home.

Heath Ball, owner, The Red Lion & Sun, London N6

A funky, fresh pre-batch to set your summer party alight

The rebujito is a classic Spanish cocktail that’s typically made with sherry and a lime/lemon soda. This lifts it up a notch, and also takes well to being batch-made for summer party drinking.

Steve Georgiou, beverage manager, Alta, London W1

The magic of easy-make ice-cream combined with the comfortingly familiar flavours of the classic Italian dessert

I can be a real creature of habit when it comes to ice-cream. You could present me with the most creative flavoured scoops in the fanciest gelato shop and I will unfailingly choose mint chocolate chip, pistachio or coffee – not at the same time, of course, I still have some sense. I recently came across a tiramisu ice-cream and my interest was piqued; it’s one of my favourite desserts. Here, I’ve turned it into a no-churn version for ease and added a mascarpone layer to stay true to the original dessert.

A margarita with an aromatic kick from south London’s coolest Caribbean eatery

Don’t be put off by the name, because this isn’t blow-your-head-off hot – the scotch bonnet infusion is quick, so the flavour is subtle and aromatic, rather than aggressive. The chilli-infused base would also work in other classic tequila cocktails, especially a spicy vampiro.

Nathaniel Mortley, chef/owner, 2210 by Natty Can Cook, London SE24

A lower-ABV highball that brings together cherry cola, red wine and Italy’s favourite bitter artichoke aperitif

Our highball menu at Circle 13 champions lower-ABV pours for relaxed evenings of petanque. This one’s a favourite at our park takeovers, as well as a nod to the Basque-inspired pintxo kitchen at our first permanent site in east London.

Marc Sarton Du Jonchay, Circle 13, London E2

A daiquiri endowed with citrussy lemongrass syrup and a welcome waft of herbal shiso

A daiquiri is a cocktail that shows just how far you can get with only three ingredients: rum, sugar and lime. Our version includes fresh shiso leaves for herbal notes you don’t expect, but absolutely want with rum (and if you use red shiso, the vibrant pink colour it imparts just makes everything cooler). If you have time – even just half an hour – it’s worth chucking a few shiso leaves into the rum ahead of time, then giving it a good shake and leaving it to steep. The syrup can be made with white sugar, but soft light brown sugar will remind the rum of home, and add a warmer, richer finish that works well with the lemongrass.

Abie Lamin, general manager, Cafe Kowloon, London E8

A zesty, grown-up, after-dinner digestif that drifts into the arena of the rum old fashioned but in a fancy glass

A balanced, after-dinner refresher that layers sweetness, bitterness and richness in equal measure. The result has a clean, bitter-edged finish, making this perfect for the season, when the nights still hold a bit of a chill in the air.

Giovanni Dellaglio, assistant bar manager, Le Magritte at The Beaumont hotel, London W1

A sophisticated sour flavoured with a dense and intense rhubarb cordial

The spiced rhubarb base doesn’t make quite as much as you might imagine, because it’s reduced so much that you end up with a super-thick and very intense cordial. That said, any leftover cordial also works well as a soft drink mixed with water and lemon juice to taste; it’s pretty tasty poured over thick yoghurt and/or fruit, too.

Stan O’Brien, Vivien, Edinburgh

A delicate, elegant and aromatic sour that’s a bit like a floral white lady

A delicate, elegant and aromatic sour with notes of floral jasmine tea balanced by bright citrus, making it fresh and perfect for spring. By all means make double or triple the infused gin, if you like, because it also works beautifully in an elevated jasmine gin and tonic (plenty of ice, quality tonic and a lemon twist), or stirred into a simple floral martini with a splash of dry vermouth, or lengthened into a light spring spritz topped with sparkling wine and a dash of soda.

Fredi Viaud, bar manager, Julie’s, London W11