When it heats up outside, nothing beats a cool beverage. These summery cocktails, mocktails, cold brews and milkshakes take the sipping experience to the next level.
Salt
Ready for an adventure? This Best of Arlington 2026 winner (in the “best cocktails” category) serves up a weekly “Captain of the Week” quaff created by one of their master mixologists. Recent concoctions include the First Light, made with Roku gin, Haku vodka, Salers, falernum and lemon peel; and Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough, a blend of Hendrick’s Gin, Linie Aquavit, ginger syrup, pineapple and cucumber. 1201 Wilson Blvd., Arlington (Rosslyn)
Neutral Ground Bar + Kitchen
You know what pairs beautifully with Chef David Guas’ New Orleans-inspired menu? The Strawberry Fields (rum, strawberry purée, lime juice, simple syrup, smacked mint and soda water) or the Desert Rose, a mocktail made with orange juice, hibiscus syrup, spice syrup and Wolffer Estate nonalcoholic sparkling rose. 6641 Old Dominion Drive, McLean
Screwtop Wine Bar
An Arlington go-to since 2009, this Clarendon wine bar and bottle shop just launched a frozen cocktail flight. The current lineup includes a strawberry frosé (strawberry puree, simple syrup and rose wine), a frozen classic margarita and a frozen espresso martini with Kahlua, Baileys and coffee. Also tasty and pretty chill: a frozen Hugo Spritz (St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur, prosecco and club soda) and watermelon sangria. 1025 N. Fillmore St., Arlington (Clarendon)
NUE: Elegantly Vietnamese
The barkeeps at this Falls Church restaurant and Best of Arlington 2026 winner are forever tinkering and updating the cocktail menu with creative quaffs. The latest newcomers were inspired by owner Tuyet Nhi Le’s great-uncle Le Pho, a pioneer of modern Vietnamese art. Amber Skies is made with vanilla cream-clarified Vietnamese coffee, Licor 43 and fat-washed coffee vodka. Garden in the Sky is a fruity blend of fig and laurel gin, rice, coconut and pear. 944 W. Broad St., Falls Church
Maison Cheryl
The patio is open at Bobby Maher’s French New-American bistro in Clarendon, with three summer drinks on offer to pair with a little people-watching. Treat yourself to the Pear Necessities (elderflower liqueur, desert pear syrup and sparkling wine), Peach Pompette (vanilla vodka, peach liqueur, cranberry and lime) or a Gin Blossom (gin, triple sec, honeysuckle, elderflower, lemon and sparkling rosé). 2900 Wilson Blvd., Arlington (Clarendon)
Taquería Xochi
Soft-serve margs are all the rage this season, and this woman-owned eatery is here for it. Part dairy-free frozen treat, part cocktail, this summer cooler comes in classic or strawberry and is served in a stemmed glass. 1450 S. Eads St., Arlington (National Landing)
NAJA Mediterranean
Owner Tariq Alaeddin has introduced a familial twist to his latest cocktail menu. One of his favorites is the Sirocci, made with reposado tequila, pineapple and a shatta-infused liqueur made using his grandmother’s red shatta (a spicy Middle Eastern chili) recipe, finished with a spicy salt foam and an Aleppo salt rim. In Bloom, meanwhile, is a flowery drink that pays tribute to Alaeddin’s mother, who worked in a floral shop. It’s a blend of gin, lavender, elderflower, butterfly pea and lime, and is topped with dehydrated petals. The Strawberry Park, named for the park in the heart of the Mosaic District, is a whiskey sour at its core, featuring bourbon, strawberry, lemon and orange liqueur. Not a drinker? The non-alcoholic Limonana riffs on a popular Mideast summer beverage, combining lemon juice, house-made mint syrup and fresh mint. 2911 District Ave., Fairfax (Mosaic District)
The Happy Tart
Kerrigan Firth, owner of this gluten-free bakery in The Little City, had a coffee slushie while traveling and “immediately became mildly obsessed with the idea that America had somehow failed us in this specific category for so long,” she says. Firth set about formulating “an actual good coffee drink, not just melted gas station nostalgia in a cup.” The result is the Honey Oat Cold Brew Slush, a blend of cold brew coffee, oat milk, honey and a little salt that read like “a frozen café au lait.” Other choice bevs include a Blueberry Blossom Latte made with house-made blueberry blossom jam, orange flower, espresso and milk; and the Orange Creamsicle Cold Brew, a vanilla cold brew topped with orange cold foam and fresh grated nutmeg. 410 S. Maple Ave., Falls Church
Big Buns Best D#*! Good Burgers
The milkshakes—with or without booze—at this whimsical burger joint are always a sight to behold, and the newest came to play. If you’re feeling decadent, treat yourself to the Gamer Shake made with vanilla ice cream, Apple Jacks cereal and green syrup, topped with whipped cream, Oreos and edible gamer controllers, with a rim of crushed Apple Jacks. It’s served in an inflatable soccer ball or basketball that you can reuse as a beverage holder at the pool. 4401 Wilson Blvd., Arlington (Ballston); 4251 Campbell Ave., Arlington (Shirlington); and 1336 Chain Bridge Road, McLean
Palette 22
This Shirlington cafe is known for blending food and art (a visit finds art on the walls, and sometimes artists doing their thing live). The cocktails are just as inspiring. New on the menu this season are the Holy Guava (Del Maguey Vida mezcal, Ancho Reyes chili liqueur, guava purée, lemon and lime), Waterscape (Del Maguey Vida mezcal, elderflower liqueur, watermelon agua fresca and agave nectar), and the Shirlington Sling (Beefeater gin, pineapple juice, cherry Heering and elderflower liqueur). 4053 Campbell Ave., Arlington (Shirlington)