Litha Recipes: Summer Solstice Cocktails and Drinks

The air is filled with the buzz of bees, while flowers, herbs, and gardens flourish under the lingering afternoon heat. It’s the longest day of the year, marking the turn towards summer. And what better way to beat the heat than with some refreshing, chilled drinks? Check out these Litha recipes for a solstice syrup, a nonalcoholic mocktail, and two summer solstice cocktails made especially for the occasion. Plus, there are 7 more summer solstice recipes from the blog and additional suggestions from my magical mixology books. So grab a glass, and get ready to sip in start of summer!

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Want to learn more about the holiday behind the summer solstice?Packed with Litha recipes, crafts, lore, and more, Llewellyn’s Sabbat Essentials series is a must! A Bestseller in paganism titles, Midsummer: Rituals, Recipes & Lore for Litha is an easy yes and will give you numerous ways to celebrate the summer solstice and enjoy the magic of summer.

Sipping Up the Summer Solstice

The summer solstice marks a time of positivity, play, abundance, and love. The celebration of this day is often called Litha in modern Wheel of the Year practices, and its coming heralds the start of summer and the longest day(light) of the year. The sun is in its full power and strength, and sharing its full radiancy with the earth. All of life is abuzz (just like the hardworking bees), soon to culminate in the coming harvests. It is a time of agriculture, manifestation, and power. And it’s simple to know what ingredients to put into a summer solstice drink; you need only look around. Lavender and chamomile are blooming, strawberries and elder are plentiful. What better way to celebrate the abundance and power of the sun, than in food and drink for some magical Litha recipes?

For those in the Northern Hemisphere, the Summer Solstice will occur just a few days after the Gemini new moon. If you’d like to still sip in that energy, you can out my Gemini Moon Drinks blog here.

Simple Sipping Tip: Cocktail making can be easy! Just swap ingredients or remove as you see fit. The best magic is always what works for you. Use the material here as reference to help guide you in your own unique concoction, and get creative in swapping ingredients you may not have. You can always learn more about the basics of magical mixology to get creative in your kitchen through reading my book WitchCraft Cocktails.

Litha Recipes: Creating a Solstice Syrup

When it comes to choosing a cocktail sweetener for the buzzing solstice energy, honey is a natural choice. Thick and floral in nature, honey has long been associated with the sun and the harvest, and adds the energetic vibration of purification, youth, health, wisdom, love and sexuality, and happiness – what better embodiment for the energy of solstice and solar radiance? To make a simple honey syrup, you simply mix 1 part hot water to 1 part honey, and stir. Allow it to cool, and then it is good to go to add to your Litha recipes!

However, should you choose, you can add a bit of magical herbalism through the opportunity of hot water…

Summer Solstice Syrup

Floral and soothing, the addition of calming chamomile and strengthening saffron adds extra solar radiancy to this summer solstice drink syrup. As though resembling a little sun itself, the floral star of the season – chamomile – is energetically aligned to the sun, to peace & communication. Add potent saffron (also associated with the sun), to lends its signature fiery energy for strength, psychic abilities, and happiness, and you have a joyful, sun-associated syrup to add to your Litha recipes (even fruit salad!), cocktails, and nonalcoholic drinks.

Ingredients

1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup hot water
Optional: 1 tbspn dried chamomile (or chamomile tea bag)
Optional: 3 saffron threads

Instructions

Set hot water to boil (I often use an electric tea kettle). While you wait, gather chamomile and saffron in a bowl. When ready, pour boiling water over the herbs and allow to steep for 5 minutes. Then add in honey and let cool. Strain as used. Use right away in your desired Litha recipes, or allow to infuse for 24 hours in refrigerator for extra flavor & potency.

Infusing your Solstice Syrup with Intention: For an extra magical touch, spend a moment holding your hands over the herbs and visualize the sun’s radiance and light imbuing them with the solstice energies of manifestation, power, and growth. Alternatively, you can try leaving the herbs out in the solstice sunlight from dawn to noon to become solarized.

Solar Illumination Mocktail

Magical Alignment: Illumination, Purification, Divination

Mocktails can be magical, too! With revitalizing rosemary, fresh mint, and the soothing solstice syrup, this delicious sparkling lemonade is rejuvenating and addictive! Packed with herbs to draw down that solar illumination, imbibe this delicious honey-lemonade Litha drink recipe for solstice work around clarity, illumination, & divination. Or just to enjoy a refreshing, purifying beverage under the sun.

Ingredients

1 sprig of rosemary
7 mint leaves
1 oz honey syrup
1/2 oz lemon
3 oz soda
Optional: lavender sprig

Instructions

In the bottom of a glass, place rosemary, mint, and optional lavender. Then add honey syrup, and muddle ingredients. Add in the remaining lemon, ice, soda water, and stir to mix. Lastly, garnish with rosemary sprig.

Magical Enhancement: rosemary is a potent herb for clarity and psychic ability. Before muddling, take a moment to tune into the vibration of rosemary and imagine it invoking solar illumination.

Buzzing Bees Knees Summer Solstice Cocktail

Magical Alignment: Happiness, Strength, Purification

What better way to encapsulate the buzzing energy of the Summer Solstice than with a bees knees? A zesty, refreshing bouquet of floral flavors, this brightening midsummer solstice gin cocktail is aligned to Litha’s energy of happiness, strength, purification, healing. And what better gin to use, than the aptly-named Hendrick’s Gin’s Midsummer Solstice? Add in some soothing & strengthening solstice honey syrup, and purifying lavender, and this Litha recipe is sure to have you in your happy place. Add in an optional 1/4-1/3 oz violet liqueur for a more floral, less zesty profile.

Ingredients

1.5 oz gin (I used Hendrick’s Midsummer Solstice)
3/4 oz solstice syrup or honey syrup
3/4 oz fresh lemon juice
2-3 lavender bitters (or sprig)
Optional: 1/4-1/3 oz violet liqueur (for a more floral flavor)

Instructions

In a cocktail shaker, add gin, syrup, lemon, and bitters. (If using lavender sprig instead of bitters, be sure to muddle the sprig in the syrup first). Then, add ice and shake. Double strain cocktail into a coupe glass, and adorn with lemon peel and flower garnish.

Summer Love Litha Cocktail

Magical Alignment: Love, Happiness, Peace

Summer wouldn’t be the same without a little heat. Another great summer solstice drin, this fruity, dry, and refreshing, twist on the French 75 is sure to add a bit of pep in your step. With sensual strawberry, lusty lavender, and enchanting elderflower, this midsummer gin cocktail is sure to have you lucky in love. With the soothing & revitalizing solstice honey syrup and refreshing citrus, this witch’s brew is sure to put you in a good mood. Imbibe under the solstice sun for a super sippable, mood enhancing potable.

Ingredients

1 small strawberry, sliced
2 lavender bitters (or sprig)
3/4 oz solstice syrup or honey syrup
3/4 oz lemon juice
1oz gin
1/2 oz elderflower liqueur
3 oz prosecco

Instructions

In the bottom of a cocktail shaker, add strawberry, lavender, and syrup. Then, muddle the strawberry and lavender, and add lemon, gin (I used Hendricks Gin’s Midsummer Solstice), and elderflower liqueur. Add ice and shake, then double strain into a wine glass or champagne flute. Afterwards, top with Prosecco, and garnish with strawberry slice, lavender, and lemon peel as desired.

More Litha Recipes from the Blog

While the above recipes were made with the summer solstice specifically in mind, there are many more Litha recipes from the blog that would be a great choice to sip in the sun. From berrylicious orange recipes, to blue concoctions and even a beer cocktail, here are 7 more drinks to consider for your summer solstice celebrations.

Mead

Alcoholic Beverage

Themes: Happiness, Healing, Love

Perhaps you’d prefer a low-effort beverage to sip this summer solstice? Then celebrate the longest day of the year by cracking open a refreshing and ancient beverage: mead. This fermented drink made from honey has been enjoyed for thousands of years and is often associated with midsummer celebrations. In fact, the full moon in June or July is sometimes called “mead moon,” and with bees busy buzzing around now from flower to flower, it’s easy to see why. So why not raise a glass of mead this solstice season and enjoy a taste of tradition? Learn more about this beverage here.

Hibiscus Moon Mix

Cocktail & Mocktail

Themes: Good Vibes, Joy, Rejuvenation

What better way to embrace the joy, flavor, and sensuality of summer than with a delicious hibiscus drink? This beautiful flower is also known to bring love, luck and spirituality into one’s life. With a combination of raspberry and orange, this drink is not only delicious but also mood-boosting. Packed with ingredients that are known for their uplifting properties, such as hibiscus and rose petals, this drink is sure to leave you feeling refreshed and energized this Litha.

Communication Breakdown

Cocktail

Themes: Communication, Friendship, Peace

The sun invites us to express ourselves, and with this celestial body moving out of Mercury-ruled Gemini in the sky, this bright blue communication cocktail is a perfect Litha recipe. With its enticing hue and balanced taste, this modified blue lagoon cocktail is just the summer beverage to inspire communication and open the mind to creative ideas. This refreshing beverage also has summer favorites, like elderflower and orange flavors.

Lughnasadh Beer Cocktail

Cocktail

Themes: Abundance, Success, Grounding

As the longest day of the year, the summer solstice marks a time of great energy and power. Wbetter way to celebrate this joyous occasion than with a festive beverage? This Lughnasadh beer cocktail combines ginger, chamomile, orange, and apple flavors to create a refreshing drink that pays homage to all things summer. A sip can inspire personal power, strength, and abundance under the summer sun.

Luscious Leo Daiquiri

Cocktail & Mocktail (Nonalcoholic)

Themes: Happiness, Love, Radiance

Ruled by the Sun, this Leo-inspired cocktail is another great summer solstice drink for radiance and positivity! This luscious cocktail combines sweet raspberries and fragrant lavender with tangy lime, creating a refreshing and indulgent drink that’s perfect for savoring on warm summer evenings.

Candied Orange Concoction

Cocktail & Mocktail (nonalcoholic)

Themes: Positivity, Revitalization, Optimism

This summer solstice, indulge in a refreshing drink that balances sweetness with tanginess and promotes purification, positivity, and action. Whether you prefer it as a mocktail or cocktail, this Litha beverage combines the cleansing properties of rosemary, the energizing effects of orange and cranberry, and the uplifting essence of lemon to renew your sense of optimism and love. Let it inspire you to embrace positivity and take action towards your summer goals.

Enchanted Garden

Cocktail & Mocktail

Themes: Beauty, Youth, Joy

The Enchanted Garden is a perfect Litha recipe that offers the taste of a bountiful garden in every sip. It comprises rose liqueur, fresh organic Kale, Lemon, Cucumber Vodka from Ving Vodka, and an uplifting orange that is ideal for promoting love, beauty, and peace. Alternatively, you can opt for Beltane Beauty mocktail that features homemade rose petal and chamomile iced tea, refreshing apple slice, and calming vanilla simple syrup.

Litha Recipes from my Books

Revitalizing Tequila

Sunrise

From WitchCraft Cocktails

As the days become longer and the sun shines brighter, it’s time to reawaken our summer spirit. Inspire youthful creativity and infuse your Litha with energy and vitality. This lemon enhanced, fresh tequila sunrise is sure to awaken your summer spirit.

Lavender

Sazerac

From WitchCraft Cocktails

Connect to the fae and plant spirits your backyard this solstice with this Lavender Sazerac. With absinthe, lavender, and violet, and grounded with whiskey, this Litha recipe will inspire peace and spirituality.

Purifying

Vodka Collins

From WitchCraft Cocktails

Sip in the herbs of summer and soothe your energy with this Purifying Vodka collins. With lavender, chamomile, and sage, this twist on a classic is a great way to refresh and purify your energy under the summer sun this Litha.

Summer Solstice Drink Recipes

from Moon, Magic, Mixology

Solar Eclipse Sour
Summer Moon Margarita
Moon Mezcalita
Celestial Transformation Potion
Healing Honey Moon Lemonade

Summer Solstice Drink Recipes

from WitchCraft Cocktails

The Playful Fairy
Sun & Smoke
Triumphant Lion
The Blockage Buster
Spirit Summer Breeze

Magical Enhancement: Summer Solstice Crystals

For a little extra solstice sorcery work, meditate with one of the following crystals as you sip your libation. The following crystals will help imbue all you do with some solar radiance:

Orange Calcite is a stone of creativity, sexuality, playfulness, and confidence. Inviting solar energy into your vibrational field, orange calcite can invite balance, joy and hope. Its inspiring energy ushers you to take action in your own life and break old patterns and habits.

Citrine embodies the energy of life, and as such, this stone transmutes negative energy into the positive. Citrine is a wonderful stone for empaths, or for those going through transitions or karmic shifts. Citrine can help connect you to your inner inspiration, and promote joy and happiness.

Sunstone is a crystal of confidence and joy. It’s solar connection inspires personal expansion and leadership. A stone of courage, sunstone invites the strength and energy you need to pursue your aspirations, and promote a healthy balance of give and take. Its solar radiancy also invokes positivity, joy, and happiness.

To work with the crystal energy, intention is always key! You can hold the crystal, and visualize a light (like the sun!) awakening and vibrating within the crystal with your intention. Or simply hold it and tune into its frequency as you sip and meditate on the summer sun.

Cheers to the Summer Solstice

Whether you prefer fruity or herbal, boozy or alcohol-free, there is a summer solstice drink for everyone. Don’t be afraid to get creative and experiment with different ingredients to make your own signature summer drink. So grab a glass, soak up the sun, and toast to the longest day of the year with one of these delicious sips in hand!

Disclaimer: All drinks and variations by WitchCraft Cocktails are inspired by energetic and witchcraft themes for fun and craft cocktail enjoyment solely, and makes no claims as far changes or healing potency.

Litha Recipes: Summer Solstice Cocktails and Drinks

Sipping Up the Summer Solstice