Summer Entertaining: Cocktails That Can Liven Any Gathering

Sometimes the best things in life become infinitely better become when combined with one another: a sentimental picture with a beautiful frame, milk and cookies, and a sexy convertible on an open road are a few that come to mind.  In summer, when we all have outdoor parties and barbeques on the brain, it's hard to beat a cocktail that's full of fresh, organic in-season fruit.  Add some fresh herbs, and you've got a recipe for looking like a hell of a mixologist.  You can also include pantry staples that one wouldn't expect, which will help offset sweet fruity flavors.
Here are two surprisingly simple crowd pleasers:

Blueberry Basil Fizz:
1 handful blueberries, washed
6 leaves fresh basil
Muddle in a shaker with a few cubes of ice to facilitate breakdown.
Add to shaker:
4 shots vodka, rum, or other neutral hard liquor
Pour contents into three tall glasses filled with ice.
Add to each:
3 oz lemonade (you can also use strawberry lemonade, as pictured)
Top off glasses with sparkling mineral water.  No need for a garnish, as basil will float to the top.

Blackberry Balsamic:
Small handles blackberries, muddled in a shaker with a few cubes of ice to facilitate breakdown.
Add to shaker:
3 shots vodka, rum, or other neutral hard liquor
1 tbls balsamic vinegar
1-2 tbls simple syrup, to taste
Shake, then pour contents into two tall glasses filled with ice.  Garnish with fresh mint or basil.

Should you choose to take your mixology skills to the next level, try infusing some fruit and herbs into a decanter of vodka or rum for a week.  The possibilities for that are endless!  Good choices include apricots with thyme, strawberries and jalapeno (just a couple slices, or it'll be too hot to drink), and cherries with mint.  You can leave the fruit to strengthen in flavor for up to a month, but remove all herbs after a week or they will overpower the taste.
Once your spirits are infused, make quick and easy beverages by pouring the flavored alcohols over ice and filling glasses with sparkling mineral water, or experiment with adding fresh fruit and herbs to drinks like the ones above.  Just be sure to use fruits that get along in color; for instance, golden apricot-thyme vodka goes perfectly with peaches, rainier cherries, and nectarines, but would be a disastrous shade of brown if muddled (and therefore, muddied) with dark berries.
Armed with these recipes, now is the perfect time to break out those gorgeous crystal glasses you've been saving for a special occasion, because every beautiful summer day deserves to be its own occasion.