Nothing signals a celebration quite like a festive cocktail, and this season, your options are plentiful. The BeautyEQ team share what a pleasure it is to serve pretty cocktails at home for any convivial occasion, by editor Trudi Brewer.
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Start stocking up on premium ingredients and perfecting those bar-worthy techniques.
Today’s cocktails are all about style and indulgence, from pre-mixed options that deliver consistency and convenience to creative offerings that help you achieve outstanding entertainment. The varieties on offer have never been so good. Whether it’s a girls’ night in, a festive family get-together, or an intimate date night, these luxe-y cocktails are our top picks for elevating any summer celebration.
Lady H Duchess Summer Escape Gin Cup, $42
There are cocktails that evoke memories of holidays, and then there's the Piña Colada—a drink that transports you straight to a beach, settles you into a hammock, and delivers a tropical flavour that surprises you with every sip. Introducing this stunning limited edition bottle that not only looks like summer but also tastes like it. This delightful cocktail is a blend of pineapple, mango, and coconut, made with Lady H’s New Zealand-crafted gin, which features juniper, floral notes, warming spices, and vibrant citrus aromas. It is best enjoyed over ice or mixed with soda or tonic water. Garnish with a wedge of pineapple or orange, and you're ready to relax, laugh, and soak up the sunshine—even if the closest beach is just your screensaver.
If cocktails had a personality, this new pretty pink Lychee & Yuzu Sour would be the irresistible flirt, one who sweeps into the room wearing a glossy grin and leaves everyone wondering how something could be both sweet and sassy at the same time. If you want to create that rooftop bar vibe at home, you can serve this over ice, shake and sip, and still look like a glam, laid-back host who can pull off a party with impeccable taste. The brand calls this blend of juicy lychee and tangy yuzu "sunshine in a glass"- we could not agree more.
This feisty little drop wears its New Zealand Spirits award for best new pre-batched cocktail 2025 like it’s the star of the show—and honestly, it is. If a chilli marg is your love language, consider this your new low-effort, high-reward fling. Bursting with New Zealand lime juice and a cheeky kick of jalapeño, it brings the heat without the sweet—bright, zesty, and just the right amount of spice. Remember, a chilli marg isn’t just a cocktail—it’s a whole personality. To serve: First things first: ice cold is non-negotiable. A chilli marg should hit the glass frosty enough to make you shiver, then warm you back up. The rim of the glass is where the action happens, and the crown of this cocktail. So go for a mix of flaky salt, chilli powder, and a whisper of sugar to keep things balanced- then all that is left to do is serve it to someone who appreciates a little drama in their glass.
Born from the simple request to “wake me up and mess me up,” the legendary cocktail Espresso Martini is our unofficial mascot of late-night ambition, the drink that whispers, “We’re not tired… we’re ready to party.”So what makes it so irresistible? The hypnotic aroma of fresh coffee, rich and roasty, the sip of smooth vodka, and velvety coffee liqueur. It’s sophisticated, and oh so easy to drink, and can double as a dessert. This delicious, convenient shake-and-pour midnight treat is made with premium New Zealand vodka, distilled and charcoal-filtered, and cold-brewed fair trade coffee. With hints of vanilla, cocoa, toasted oak, and a touch of chocolate, it’s the perfect slow sip or a cocktail to down with purpose—either way, it knows precisely what you need: a boost, a buzz, and plenty of glamour.
Big Dill Pickle Gin, $80
In a world where cocktails are forever trying to battle it out in the fruit and sweet stakes, a Pickletini saunters in with zero sparkle, no umbrellas, and plenty of fire. A Pickletini is what happens when the classic martini sneaks off with a jar of dill pickles and returns proudly wearing the brine like a couture fragrance. With this mix, the magic lies in the blend of the botanicals used in pickling: coriander seeds, fennel seeds, bay leaf, black and white pepper, caraway, fresh lemon zest, and, of course, dill, blended with Vermouth and pickle juice, and, of course, the star of the show, a New York-style pickle. As far as cocktails go, our style director says, Pickletini is proof that great cocktails don’t have to be complicated—but they do have to have sass.
If this cocktail were an unexpected dinner guest, it would be the effortlessly cool one who arrives right on time, smelling faintly of citrus and with oodles of confidence. In short, the life of the party. So why do we love this Gin Sour? It’s the refined harmony of botanicals, in the gin like juniper, coriander seed, orris root, angelica, and citrus peel. With what we consider the best blend of summer fruit. Sun-ripened strawberry and tart rhubarb. In short, the balance of that bright lemon gin, with the silky whisper of foam and that blend of summer fruit, and you have a drink that bridges worlds. It’s classy without being stuffy, refreshing without being boring, and grown-up without the pretension. The perfect pre-dinner cocktail that can help you slide into a dinner party with style. This Gin Sour doesn’t shout. It doesn’t need to. It simply arrives, does its job flawlessly, and leaves you wondering why you bother drinking anything else.
Style-inspiring and captivating.