April cocktail roundups
The Spirits Business published its April cocktail roundup with practical, season‑ready recipes — expect Mules, Margaritas and other easy spring drinks you can make at home. ( ) The coverage also flags more adventurous options — think a Gazpacho Cocktail and a clean Citrus Highball — which are already circulating through home‑bar roundups for April. ( )
April’s home-bar mood is split between two lanes: drinks you can build in minutes, like Mules and Margaritas, and drinks that borrow ideas from the kitchen, like a Gazpacho Cocktail. The latest April roundup from The Spirits Business puts both on the same page instead of treating “easy” and “experimental” as opposites. (thespiritsbusiness.com) The piece was published on April 8, 2026, by Rupert Hohwieler, and it frames the month as a make-at-home list rather than a bartender-only showcase. Its own teaser promises “Mules, Margaritas and more,” which tells you the center of gravity is still familiar templates people already know how to order and roughly how to build. (thespiritsbusiness.com) That familiar-template part matters because a Mule and a Margarita are basically cocktail training wheels with flavor payoff. One is usually spirit plus ginger beer plus citrus, and the other is usually tequila plus lime plus orange liqueur, so both give home drinkers a clear structure before they start improvising. (thespiritsbusiness.com) (acouplecooks.com) The same April roundup also points readers toward a Dirty Mezcal Martini and “clean, refreshing Spritzes,” which shows how the category is stretching in two directions at once. One direction leans smoky, savory, and spirit-forward; the other leans lighter, longer, and easier to sip in daytime weather. (thespiritsbusiness.com) That split matches what other 2026 drinks coverage has been seeing behind the bar. VinePair’s survey of 30 bartenders said spicy peppers, fermented ingredients, and other savory elements are gaining ground, while Tasting Table’s 2026 trend list pointed to low-alcohol drinks and food-inspired ingredients as part of the same broader shift. (vinepair.com) (tastingtable.com) So a Gazpacho Cocktail does not land as a random stunt in April 2026. It fits a moment when bartenders are pulling cues from soup, salad, spice racks, and fermentation jars, then translating those cues into drinks that still have the shape of a cocktail. (vinepair.com) (thespiritsbusiness.com) The “clean Citrus Highball” side of the story is the other half of the same trend cycle. A highball is just a spirit lengthened with something fizzy in a tall glass, which makes it one of the easiest formats for bright citrus, lower perceived intensity, and spring weather drinking. (acouplecooks.com) (thespiritsbusiness.com) Other spring lists are landing in nearly the same place. Punch’s spring 2026 recipe roundup includes drinks like a Chartreuse Margarita and a lychee Martini, which suggests publishers are betting readers want recognizable drink families with one twist rather than completely unfamiliar builds. (punchdrink.com) Even the flavor forecasts point toward that middle ground. Wine Enthusiast’s coverage of the 2026 Bacardi Cocktail Trends Report says sweet, fruit-driven drinks are outpacing savory and spicy ones overall, while The Spirits Business separately reported that Bacardi expects the Margarita to be the most-ordered serve of 2026. (wineenthusiast.com) (thespiritsbusiness.com) That leaves April with a pretty clear map for anyone stocking a cart at home. Keep tequila, citrus, and ginger beer for the reliable drinks, then add one oddball ingredient or savory idea if you want the 2026 version of experimentation instead of the 2016 version of “craft.” (thespiritsbusiness.com) (vinepair.com)
