Fresh, colourful and loaded with flavour, these no-fuss recipes are spot-on for the season.

Apologies to all those with hayfever out there, but we think spring is awesome. The other seasons each have their merits, but spring might just be the best of the lot. The days are getting longer, the smell of jasmine is in the air and everyone’s crawling out of hibernation to ask what’s going on this weekend. We can even start to consider leaving our jackets at home – almost.

To celebrate the return of spring (we can’t be the only ones excited), we’ve pulled together 12 of the best seasonal cocktail recipes from our collection, each one written and tested by the experts. They’re light, they’re bright, they’re perfect for any upcoming plans, and they’ll do a very good job of convincing you, too, that spring really is the best season.

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1. Negroni Sour

If you think of a Negroni and picture a cosy, moodily lit bar, consider the Negroni Sour its perkier cousin. You’ve still got the gin, Campari and sweet vermouth, but it all gets shaken (yep, stirring doesn’t cut it here) with orange juice and egg white to turn it into a classic Sour. This delivers a bright and frothy Negroni with a lick of sweetness from that OJ. It’s a Negroni that’s ready to bust out of the speakeasy and spend an evening in the backyard instead.

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2. Cosmo Bellini

With al-fresco lunch plans back on the agenda, the Cosmo Bellini is the best drink for the occasion. As the name suggests, this is a mash-up of that ’90s fave, the Cosmo, and the timeless Bellini, and it delivers peachy, fizzy goodness in spades. This is peach puree (blitz up a tin of peaches with its juice if you can’t track any down) with cranberry juice, peach schnapps and prosecco to top. It’s sunshine in a glass, best enjoyed in the sunshine.

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3. Passionfruit Caipiroska

Passionfruit may not be in peak season just yet, but they’re coming, and, quite frankly, they’re too bright, tart and tangy to ignore for this list. So, do as Melbourne bar pro Cara Devine does and give the Cairpiroska a passionfruit twist. Cara has the easiest recipe (you can even watch her step-by-step video), which mixes vodka, sugar syrup, lemon and passionfruit pulp. The tinned stuff works brilliantly, too.

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4. Rocket Gimlet

For something a little different, make the most of the abundant rocket right now and drink your greens. This peppery leaf brings complexity and subtle spice to what is essentially a Gin Sour base, except with lime juice instead of lemon, and a pinch of pepper to really bring out that kick. It’s a lovely vivid colour, and if you serve it to friends as a mystery drink, they might not be able to pick the secret ingredient. Super green and super yum.

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5. Amalfitano

Didn’t get to Italy this year? Us either. But now, the good weather is back on our side of the hemisphere and we can enjoy a taste of the Italian coast with this cocktail. Basil, gin and limoncello are the stars of the show, backed up by lemon juice, sugar syrup and lemonade for fizz. If that’s too much lemon or sugar for you, sub out the lemonade for soda and you’ve got yourself a pared-back version. Play around with it all you like, but we think it’s best sipped with good friends.

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6. Darryl Strawberry

Just look at that colour! If you like your drinks pretty, fruity and maybe a little bit herbal, you’ve come to the right place. Even more so if you’re thrilled those strawberry prices have finally dropped. The Darryl Strawberry brings together amaro and rum, muddled with strawberry, sugar syrup and lemon, and then shaken, poured into a glass and topped with soda. It’s the ultimate sipper for when you and your friends have more than a few stories to catch up on.

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7. Lagerita

If you’ve never mixed a Marg with beer, we think you’re missing out. Enter the Lagerita, with its perfect ratios of ingredients, thanks to our expert team who test each recipe until they get it juuuust right. This is the drink you want to be sipping with good mates, preferably outside on a sunny afternoon, with a load of salty, crunchy snacks. It’s a bit like a Tommy’s Marg topped with Mexican-style beer. An unexpectedly excellent combo.

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8. Cranberry Limoncello Spritz

Spring means backyard hangs with friends, and that means staying put for as long as possible without going back inside for refills. The best drink for that? A jug of something fresh, bright and spritzy – AKA the Cranberry Limoncello Spritz. It’s zippy and tangy, and made from just a few bottles that go a long way, you get some serious mileage out of it. Put the bottles on ice next to your snack platters and the jug, and you might just spend the whole evening outside.

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9. Margarita Soda

The old tequila-lime-juice-agave-syrup combo makes one helluva base, but we’re not stopping at the Lagerita (see #7). Here, we’re topping the mix with soda water in a tall glass to lengthen those flavours we love so much. This is the bubbly, long Marg that’s made for springtime sipping. Better yet, grab a few different quality soft drinks and see how you like it best – we’re all about some fruity fizz to finish it, but the dry soda finish is also super refreshing.

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10. Bicicletta

Speaking of bubbly, we have another hot pick for your catch-ups this season, and it’s one that can work just as well before lunch or dinner or post-meal. Versatile! A classic Spritz, it’s drier than the average, which is great news if you often find these drinks a little too sweet. Just mix a dry white of your choice with Campari and soda in a tall glass with loads of ice. It gets bonus points for being such a pretty colour, too.

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11. Raspberry Limoncello Spritz

If you’re scanning this list for a sweeter number, you’ve arrived. But this very photogenic cocktail also has a sour kick, giving it that all-important balance that makes it so tasty. Just be warned, though, this is the type of cocktail that you make and then everyone else spots it and wants one, too. So, scale up the ingredients and shake a few at a time, or show them how easy this recipe is and let them make one for you.

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12. Pandan Peach Fizz

Looking to impress? Enter this tropical gem. It’s a little out-there, but it makes the most of those distinctive pandan leaves in a very delicious way. Just whip up an easy pandan syrup a little ahead of time (it’s sure to score you bonus points with your guests) and shake it together with your go-to whisky, a peach liqueur, pineapple juice and lime juice, before topping it with soda in a glass. It’s fresh and zesty, and ready to make you look like a cocktail star.