If you furrow your brow at the idea of a wine cooler, you may only know them as a cloyingly sweet drink, but that couldn't be further from the truth. A wine cooler, at its core, is a juicier wine spritz with extra flavor coming from juice flavors and an easily controllable amount of sweetener. With less potency than a regular cocktail, a wine cooler drink is the way to go for those days when you're looking for spirits without the heavy buzz.
Fuzzy Navel Wine Cooler Drink
Give your fuzzy navel a lighter spin with some wine and fizz.
Ingredients
- 4 ounces dry white wine, such as sauvignon blanc
- 1½ ounces freshly squeezed orange juice
- ¾ ounce peach schnapps
- ¼ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Ice
- Club soda to top off
- Orange slice and mint sprig for garnish
Instructions
- In a mixing glass, add ice, white wine, orange juice, peach schnapps, and lemon juice.
- Stir rapidly to chill.
- Strain into glass over fresh ice.
- Top off with club soda.
- Garnish with orange slice and mint sprig.
Peach Wine Cooler Cocktail
Are you looking for a peach drink that goes hard on the peach? Look no further.
Ingredients
- 4 ounces dry white wine
- 2 ounces peach nectar
- 1 ounce peach schnapps
- ¼ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Ice
- Club soda to top off
- Peach slice and mint sprig for garnish
Instructions
- In a mixing glass, add ice, wine, peach nectar, peach schnapps, and lemon juice.
- Stir rapidly to chill.
- Strain into glass over fresh ice.
- Top off with club soda.
- Garnish with peach slice and mint sprig.
Strawberry Daiquiri Wine Cooler
Turn your strawberry daiquiri into a cool and refreshing sip with a wine cooler spin.
Ingredients
- 4 ounces white wine, such as pinot grigio
- 1 ounce strawberry liqueur
- ¾ ounce lime cordial
- ¼ ounce silver rum
- Ice
- Club soda to top off
- Strawberry slices for garnish
Instructions
- In a mixing glass, add ice, wine, strawberry liqueur, lime juice, and rum.
- Stir rapidly to chill.
- Strain into glass over fresh ice.
- Top off with club soda.
- Garnish with strawberry slices.
Gardener's Choice Wine Cooler
This wine cooler packs a whole garden in a glass, perfect for the gardener and those aspiring to have a green thumb.
Ingredients
- 4 ounces white wine
- 1 ounce cranberry juice
- 1 ounce white grape juice
- 1 ounce plum liqueur
- ¾ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Ice
- Club soda to top off
- Sage sprig, lemon wheel, and plum slices for garnish
Instructions
- In a mixing glass, add ice, wine, cranberry juice, white grape juice, raspberry liqueur, and lemon juice.
- Stir rapidly to chill.
- Strain into glass over fresh ice.
- Top off with club soda.
- Garnish with sage sprig, lemon wheel, and plum slices.
Berry Wine Cooler
Indecisive about what berry flavor to use? Don't want to decide? Pack 'em all in.
Ingredients
Instructions
- In a highball glass, add ice, rosé, watermelon juice, strawberry liqueur, and blueberry vodka.
- Stir to mix.
- Top off with club soda.
- Garnish with lemon slice.
Cranberry Wine Cooler
Give your wine cooler a tart spin with cranberry juice.
Ingredients
- 4 ounces white wine
- 3 ounces cranberry juice
- ½ ounce cherry liqueur
- ½ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ¼ ounce simple syrup
- Ice
- Lemon slice for garnish
Instructions
- In a mixing glass, add ice, wine, cranberry juice, cherry liqueur, lemon juice, and simple syrup.
- Stir rapidly to chill.
- Strain into wine glass over fresh ice.
- Garnish with lemon slice.
Lemon Wine Cooler
Take things a little sour, or keep it sweet like a lemon drop by adding simple syrup with this lemony cooler.
Ingredients
- 4 ounces white wine
- 1 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ¾ ounce citron vodka
- Ice
- Lemon club soda to top off
- Lemon wheel for garnish
Instructions
- In a highball glass, add ice, wine, lemon juice, and vodka.
- Stir to mix.
- Top off with lemon club soda.
- Garnish with lemon wheel.
Perfect Pear Wine Cooler
Enjoy the juicy, sweet flavors of pear in this refreshing wine cooler.
Ingredients
- 4 ounces white wine, pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc
- 1 ounce pear nectar
- ¾ ounce pear liqueur
- ¾ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ½ ounce pear vodka
- Ice
- Pear slices for garnish
Instructions
- In a rocks glass, add wine, pear nectar, pear liqueur, lemon juice, and pear vodka.
- Stir to mix.
- Garnish with pear slices.
Homemade Cooler Drinks to Keep it Chill
Pre-made wine coolers can sometimes leave much to be desired or undesired if the flavors aren't what you're looking for in a cooler. With a homemade wine cooler drink by your side, you know you're getting what you want, so it's the perfect one every time.