While we might be waiting for our true summer weather here in San Francisco, it hasn’t stopped us from dreaming of cocktails with summer flair. Recently Pete Wells of NY Times posted the summer drink issue that had us swooning over the possibility of poolside cocktails…

The article takes us through some tips and tricks home bartenders can use in their own kitchen with fairly simple ingredients such as basil and cola. Our favorite trick? The simple raspberry syrup – taking advantage of transforming “past their prime” berries into a simple syrup you can easily store in your fridge whenever you feel like an adult refresher.

While generally our summer go to drink involves whipping up a margarita in the magic bullet, we wouldn’t mind trying some of these concoctions sometime soon – especially the Thai Basil Bliss* (recipe below):

5 Thai basil leaves
4 inch-wide cubes pineapple
1 tablespoon simple syrup
2 ounces blanco tequila
1 1/2 tablespoons lime juice
Soda or seltzer

In a cocktail shaker, crush 4 basil leaves and the pineapple to a pulp with a muddler or wooden spoon. Fill shaker about halfway with ice and add simple syrup, tequila and lime juice. Shake well and strain into a cocktail glass. Top with a splash of soda and float last basil leaf on surface.

Yield: One drink.

*Adapted from “Mix Shake Stir” (Little, Brown, 2009)