Swim Team Summer Bev Check 2026

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Beverages are one of life’s simple pleasures. No matter how down bad you are, you can always get a 99¢ Arizona from the store around the corner. No matter how much you wanna bail on the gig tonight, there’s always a sugar-free Red Bull to pick you up and help you power through. There’s champagne to celebrate, whisky to make you woozy, and Gatorade to help you recover from it all. The right drink can make a long shift at work a little less shitty or be the cherry on top of an already perfect day. 

We here at Swim are big fans of hydration in all its forms. I personally keep my 32-oz Nalgene filled and within arm’s reach, basically 80–90% of the time. I keep multiple flavors of seltzer on-deck and in my fridge at all times, and I have needlessly strong opinions on the best flavors of Red Bull, Monster, and Rockstar. I’m lucky that most of The Swim Team share similarly strong beliefs and passions about the world of snack and bev, because we gotta talk about something in between complaining about Spotify and trading indie music recommendations back and forth. 

To that end, the illustrious Swim Team has come together to whip up a summer bev check, aka a list of a dozen or so different drink recipes for you to try this season. We’ve paired each drink with a song that you can listen to as you sip for the optimal summer experience. You can find all the songs in this playlist right here. Happy listening and happy sipping, I hope you have a beautiful summer.

Cigarillo

Illustration by Amanda Deering

I have to shout out my buddy Tim from Pop Music Fever Dream for coming up with the name of this delicious bev. The humble Diet Coke is one of our most versatile beverages, to the point of transcending its status as a beverage—I believe this is why it’s been nicknamed the “fridge cigarette.” Add a bit of grenadine for some sweetness, dirty it up with the tequila of your choice, and you’ve got yourself a cigarillo, my friend. 

Ingredients

  • Ice

  • 1 oz tequilla 

  • Diet Coke (approximately 1 mini-can’s worth)

  • A splash of grenadine

  • A maraschino cherry, if ya nasty

For best results, pair with “Bartender” by Lana Del Rey (or more likely, the entirety of Norman Fucking Rockwell!)

– Grace Robins-Somerville


In Shirley’s Eyes

I stopped drinking a couple of years ago, and a Shirley Temple has become my drink I look forward to after a hot day in the sun. There is nothing better to sip while enjoying a hazy sunset with friends than this delightful syrupy concoction. 

Ingredients

  • Ice

  • Ginger ale

  • Grenadine 

  • As many cherries as you damn well please

For best results, pair with “Out of Step” by Minor Threat.

– Lillian Weber


The Uncle Tupelo

I’ve never been a smoker, but cigarettes legally do not count after four beers… Three if you’re petite. There’s something about bar-hopping in the summertime–feeling the stick of the air as you wade through a cloud of someone’s cigarette smoke on your way into your favorite dive. In four short beers, you’ll have a cloud of your own. A moment best shared with no more than two loved ones.

Ingredients

  • 1 whiff of someone smoking a cigarette on the patio as you enter the bar

  • 3–4 “Uncle” beers (Beers you see your uncle drink in the garage on Thanksgiving. Depending on your region, this could be Stag, Hamm’s, Old Style, or Lone Star. If necessary, PBR will do)

  • 1 Camel Blue (it has to be Camel Blue)

For best results, pair with “Chickamauga” by Uncle Tupelo.

– Caleb Doyle


Aunt Caroline’s Famous Down Home Old Fashioned Style Switchel

Well, gather ‘round y'all, and let Aunt Caroline pour you a nice tall glass of my world-famous switchel. Now, back before all you youngins drank lemonade, this is how us old timers would quench our thirst after bringing in the harvest on a sweltering summer day. I know I’m telling you to drink a beverage that contains a not-insignificant amount of vinegar and molasses, but I swear to god, it's delicious. Your great-aunt Caroline even made this for General Sherman and his men on their way down to Atlanta.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

  • 4 teaspoons sweetener (Aunt Caroline only uses genuine black strap molasses, but you city folk can use honey, maple syrup, or sugar)

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger or 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

  • 1 cup water

Combine all ingredients in a jar or glass and refrigerate for at least two hours, or overnight if possible. Strain if using fresh ginger. Serve over ice. 

For best results, pair with “John Brown’s Body” by Pete Seeger. 

– Caroline Liaupsin

The Dirty Palmer

Illustration by Amanda Deering

I’ve been known to fuck up some mini golf, but I’m not a golfer. If anything, I’m anti-golf; it’s a rich guy sport that monopolizes land, hoards water, and acts as a conduit for the worst people in the world to conduct shady backdoor business deals. All that said, I still have mad respect for Arnold Palmer. He has an impressive list of career accolades, but perhaps his greatest achievement is his signature beverage, a blend of lemonade and iced tea. You can buy it at any convenience store in this great country for 99¢, and that’s beautiful. If you throw a little booze in there, you have a beautiful concoction that pairs with any sunny summer activity, whether you’re day drinking by the pool, lazing in a hammock, or heading out for a night out on the town. 

Ingredients

  • Ice

  • 1–2 shots of Tito’s Vodka

  • Half a bottle of JOE TEA Half Lemonade Half Lemon Tea

  • A splash of plain seltzer (preferably Polar Original)

  • A slice of lime

  • A sativa joint (optional)

For best results, pair with “Dozen Roses” by Thomas Dollbaum.

– Taylor Grimes


2009 Four Loko

This summer, if you want to know the feeling of high-voltage electricity pulsating through your entire body, there’s only one solution… the FDA-banned version of Four Loko from 2009. It’s a drink so powerful that in just one night of consuming this toxic beverage, you could experience the highest of highs, like levitating in the middle of a crowded street, but it could also lead to you being helped on a gurney headed to your nearest CPR machine. The only hindrance you might incur is the time travel part, but where there’s a will, there’s a way. I’m sure with the correct equipment, that won’t be a problem for you.

Ingredients

  • 1981 DeLorean DMC

  • Flux Capacitor

  • Liquid Nitrate

  • CPR Machine 

For best results, pair with “Sikamikanico” by Red Hot Chili Peppers.

– David Williams


The Nancy

The Little Apple – Manhattan, Kansas – is situated at the edge of the Flint Hills, has one of the top agricultural universities in the country, and provides (almost) all of the fixin’s of the big city with all of the charm of a small town. The best part of this little city is easily Aggieville, a short drag of college bars, where you can find the “Nancy” offered year-round at Rock-A Belly Deli, Taco Lucha, and So Long Saloon. Always available, always refreshing, and—most importantly—always cheap. 

Ingredients

  • 20 oz plastic diner cup

  • 50% cheap light beer (Old Milwaukee is traditional)

  • 50% canned pineapple juice

Variations include: Pirate Nancy (add 1 oz rum), Dirty Nancy (1 oz vodka), Whiskey Tango Nancy (1 oz whiskey), Fancy Nancy (1 oz Crown), or, if you dare, a Long Island Nancy.

For best results, pair with “Hey Jealousy” by The Gin Blossoms or this cover by The Ergs.

– Braden Allmond


The (Extra) Dirty Beertini

Illustration by Amanda Deering

Much like the average yacht rock tune, a Beertini can be appropriately enjoyed at both your local dive bar or any country club wedding reception. This Midwestern concoction is what it feels like to indulge in simplicity. You can adjust the brine to your liking, but I prefer mine extra dirty. The adventurous yacht-rocker might even try subbing olive juice out for pickle juice. No matter your preference, there’s a beer-brine combination out there for everyone, so go experiment and then kick back this summer with your very own Beertini.

Ingredients

  • Your favorite light beer

  • A splash of olive brine

  • Garnish with olives or a pickle spear

For best results, pair with “What a Fool Believes” by The Doobie Brothers, or your yacht rock artist of choice.

– Annie Watson


Change of Address

Illustration by Amanda Deering

I am the lightest of lightweights and therefore appreciate a satisfying mocktail. The unusual and intriguingly delicious Change of Address is my favorite mocktail of all time; both simple and impressive. It’s a great twist on plain cola with a solid balance of sweet, spice, and umami. This specific recipe is by Eric Nelson, sourced from the wonderful cookbook Good Drinks by Julia Bainbridge.

Ingredients

  • 0.75 oz fresh lemon juice

  • 0.75 oz maple syrup

  • 1 tsp soy sauce

  • 3 oz Coca-Cola (or any cola really – I like the Vintage Cola Olipop)

  • Freshly grated cinnamon, for garnish

Combine the lemon juice, maple syrup, and soy sauce in a cocktail shaker. Fill with ice, seal the shaker, and shake for about 3 seconds to combine. Add the Coca-Cola, then double-strain into a Collins glass filled with crushed ice. To serve, grate cinnamon over the top.

For best results, pair with “What Is Left To Say (ft. The Lemon Twigs)” by Thundercat and a really good cheeseburger.

– Britta Joseph


Sun Tea 

Illustration by Amanda Deering

The one constant in my childhood was a huge glass jar on the porch, filled with Lipton tea bags and tap water, brewing in the afternoon sun. Sun tea (or porch tea, as my mom called it) is a Southern staple– easy to make and hits harder than a freight train on a hot summer day. 

Ingredients

  • 1–2 quart glass container with a tight lid (no plastic, I’ve seen it melt, I swear) 

  • 4–6 Lipton tea bags (you could probably use better tea here, but it’s rough out here)

  • Water

  • Ice

  • Sugar, honey, or a simple syrup, if you need a lil sweetness in your life 

For best results, let it steep for 3–5 hours, but no longer to avoid any bacteria growth. And refrigerate immediately! 

Pair it with some John Fahey, Bill Callahan, or whatever artist makes you feel like you and the sun are taking a well-deserved break together after a long, sunny day.  

– Nickolas Sackett 


Emerald Effervescence 

Illustration by Amanda Deering

Despite my affinity for the alcoholic libation, I’m tapping in to help round out the n/a squad for my summer refresher. I recently started working at a coffee shop again, and nothing is keeping me functional during my humid industry shifts like the matcha tonic. Matcha has had quite the uptick in popularity in recent years and, while mainly accompanying one’s milk of choice or dusting whatever the hot confectionery craze currently is, there’s something about the light, bubbly, sharp combination of matcha and tonic that I cannot get enough of whenever I’m looking to cool down while I caffeinate. 

Ingredients:

  • 3g matcha + 2 oz boiling water

  • 20–30 g syrup of your choice

  • Lemonade (optional) 

  • Tonic of choice (Fever-Tree or craft preferred)

  • Crushed or nugget ice

Add your syrup to your vessel of choice – I’ve been using the homemade grenadine we have at my coffee shop, and it’s next level. Fill your chosen vessel with ice and tonic (maybe a little lemonade if you’re looking to add even more depth), while making sure to give enough room for your matcha on top. Whisk your matcha and water together until light and frothy with the traditional bamboo whisk, automatic frother, or whatever gets the job done, then top off the concoction. Appreciate the layers you’ve created, take a couple pictures for posterity, and give the beverage a gentle, purposeful stir to incorporate the layers. 

Best enjoyed with “Quench (ft. pulses.)” by Cheem or any unapologetically fun and snappy song that makes you feel like a kid on a hot summer day again. 

– Ciara Rhiannon


Mai Tai

Here is the grand imposter of the cocktail world. A drink so simple, so perfect, that the trash tiki forces that be can’t help but add a whole host of fuck-it-up ingredients. If it’s blue, it ain’t a Mai Tai. If there’s pineapple juice, it ain’t a Mai Tai. If there’s grenadine, then pack it up and go home. Basically, it’s a rum margarita with orgeat, an almondish syrup that elevates this drink to the sublime. The initial concept behind tiki was to create a vacation experience for the post-war patrons of the 50s who couldn’t afford to fly to Fiji. For your purposes, ditch the queasy Polynesian exoticism and make this drink when you need a little escape. 

Ingredients

  • 2 oz rum (I prefer a funky & strong Jamaican rum like Smith & Cross)

  • ½ oz orange curacao

  • ¾ oz freshly-squeezed lime juice

  • ¼ oz orgeat (I will allow you to sub amaretto if you can’t find it)

  • ½ oz simple syrup

Shake with cubed ice, strain, and pour over crushed ice; garnish with mint. 

For best results, pair with “Miami - Live at Café Carlyle” by Hamilton Leithauser (covering Randy Newman)

– Joshua Sullivan


Something Similar

Illustration by Amanda Deering

A cocktail as prickly as the song it’s based on, Something Similar seeks to take the familiar tastes of the New York Sour and distort them until there’s something both unexpected and surprisingly familiar, much like the music of The Mercury Tree, who take the trappings of math rock, post-metal and progressive metal, mix them with microtonality, and spit them out as something a little weird, but undeniably delightful. The color of the Empress gin and red wine float reflect the colors of the album art for Self Similar, the record “Dreamwalking” is taken from.

Ingredients

  • 2 oz Empress gin

  • 1 oz lemon juice

  • ½ oz prickly pear syrup

  • ½ oz tamarind syrup

  • Shake with ice

  • Pour over a rock

  • Float dry red wine

For best results, pair with “Dreamwalking” by The Mercury Tree.

– Noëlle and Yael Midnight


The Breakfast Red Bull

Have a Red Bull for breakfast. Certainly you won’t regret drinking an entire Red Bull for breakfast.

Ingredients

  • 1 can of Red Bull (any size, any flavor)

  • Crippling debt

  • Planet Fitness Guest Pass

For best results, pair with “Fucking Hostile” by Pantera.

– Logan Archer Mounts


Aperol Spritz

Hey guys, I am pretty drunk in London right now and forgot about the deadline for this. Typing on my phone. So my drink is an Aperol Spritz. Ever heard of it? I have had three today, and they rock.  

Ingredients

  • ONE BIG GLASS

  • Ice

  • Fill half of that ice glass with Aperol. On the back of the Aperol bottle it tells you the recipe. That’s wrong, and I am right. 

  • Bad prosecco. It has to be bad. Fill like ¼ of the rest of the glass. 

  • Club soda. Fill the rest of the glass. I actually like Topo Chico the most here #hack. 

Listen to “Rock Music” by Charli xcx, the Queen of Aperol. Also, while I am on my soapbox, the drink of 2028 will be the Sarti Spritz. It’s coming to America, I promise. It’s hot pink. Okay, love you, bye.

– Caro Alt