A little more fun than midnight mass, Mikki Kristola’s bright and invigorating spritz variation is built around the particular charms of Suze, a bitter, gentian-based Swiss liqueur that enjoys a bit of a cult following among bartenders. The liqueur’s earthy and grassy tones help this drink stand out from Camparicentric cousins like the Americano cocktail or the Rome with a View, and in ways that extend beyond flavor: Suze’s yellow hue pops in the glass, offering a visual cue for refreshment. “The color is wild,” says Kristola. “It really just makes my mouth water.”

Glass: Collins | Garnish: Grapefruit Twist | Ingredients: 1 ounce Suze, 1 ounce blanc vermouth (preferably Dolin blanc), 1 ounce lime juice, ¾ ounce simple syrup, Soda water

Combine the Suze, vermouth, lime juice, and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker. Add a small piece of ice and shake until chilled. Strain into a collins glass over a spear of ice. Top with soda water, then garnish with the grapefruit twist.

Bartending legend Dale DeGroff keeps it simple with his watermelon cooler, which is a supereasy combination of sauvignon blanc, St-Germain, watermelon juice, and a small dose of agave syrup. With an ABV that’s below that of the average glass of wine, it’s a prime candidate for daytime drinking.

Glass: Collins | Garnish: Cucumber ribbon, lime wheel | Ingredients: 3 ounces sauvignon blanc, 2 ounces fresh watermelon juice, ½ ounce elderflower liqueur (preferably St-Germain), 1 teaspoon agave syrup (recipe follows).

TO MAKE THE AGAVE SYRUP: Put ½ cup agave nectar and ¼ cup hot water in a heatproof container and stir to combine. Let cool completely before storing in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.

Pour all the ingredients into a collins glass filled with ice, then garnish with the cucumber ribbon and lime wheel.

Light and fragrant, this easy-sipping twist on the caipirinha relies on three simple ingredients— lime, fresh basil, and bianco vermouth—and was made for summer afternoons. It also sticks to a useful principle of session cocktail construction when it comes to aromatized wines, vermouth, and amari: don’t be afraid to keep it simple. They are bottled cocktails in and of themselves, after all.

Glass: Rocks | Garnish: Lime wedge, small basil sprig | Ingredients: 3 basil leaves, 2 lime wedges, 2 ounces blanc vermouth (preferably Martini bianco)

Combine the basil leaves and lime wedges in a rocks glass and use a muddler to lightly crush them together. Add the vermouth, top up with crushed ice, and swizzle to mix. Garnish with the lime wedge and basil sprig.

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