These 4 Mango Cocktail Recipes Taste Like Australian Summer

Mangoes are the undisputed leader of summer fruits. While passionfruit is perfect for garnishing a Christmas pavlova with a bit of tartness, berries are a crowd-pleaser and peaches are a reliable sweet treat, the humble mango is in a league of its own.

Our meaty, juicy, tropical fruit royalty is an Australian summer staple — everyone has a childhood memory of mango juice dripping down their arm at the beach as they suck the life out of its pip. And as adults, while they work perfectly as a snack on their own, mangoes make for the ultimate cocktail accompaniment.

Summer is upon us, and luckily it seems like La Ni´ña could be mostly a distant memory by the end of November (if our manifesting really works). This means that long, balmy picnics and brunches spent basking in the sun are closer than ever — which is indeed what the doctor ordered after the chaos of this year.

Planning can be stressful if you've found yourself with the task of hosting one of these end-of-year events. But if you're looking for some inspiration to zhuzh up your cocktail game, look no further than these four mango-centric cocktails to please all palates. Hot tip: we highly recommend using Calypso mangoes for their bold flavour and luscious texture (there'll be no stringy bits in sight). Not to mention, their pip is smaller than other types of mangoes, meaning there'll be more delicious fruit to include in your drink.

2 Calypso mangoes, peeled and diced
125g blueberries
500ml watermelon coconut water
Edible flowers and herbs
180ml gin
750ml chilled tonic water
*You will need two large ice cube trays

Spoon the mango and berries into two ice cube trays. Pour over watermelon coconut water to cover. Freeze for four to six hours, or overnight if time permits.

Fill six glasses with the mango-berry ice cubes. Top with flowers and herbs. Combine the gin and tonic and fill the glasses. Serve.

Chilled Prosecco
Chilled soda water
4 Calypso mangoes, peeled and chopped
2 cups (450g) white sugar
2 cups (500ml) water
Crushed ice to serve

For the mango syrup, place the mango into a blender or processor and blend until smooth. Transfer to a medium saucepan. Add the sugar and water. Bring to a boil, stirring over medium heat. Boil for 5 minutes, then remove from the heat.

Strain the mango syrup through a sieve into a jug, straining as much pulp as possible. Discard any pulp left in the sieve. Set aside to cool. Pour into a sterilised bottle. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Spoon ice into four glasses. Pour a third of the syrup into each glass. Add half a cup of chilled Prosecco and top up with chilled soda water. Stir and serve immediately.

2 Calypso mangoes
1 1/2 cups crushed ice
4 sprigs basil
2 baby cucumbers, sliced lengthways
200ml Pimm's No. 1
600ml chilled lemonade

Cut the cheeks from the mangoes. Using a large spoon, remove the mango fruit from the cheeks, and chop the fruit.

Layer ice, mango, basil and baby cucumbers in 300ml capacity glasses. Combine the Pimm's and lemonade, then pour into glasses. Stir to combine. Serve immediately.

1 cup (220g) caster sugar
3/4 cup (180ml) water
4 limes, juiced
1 cup (250ml) coconut water or ginger beer
3 Calypso mangoes, peeled, diced
125g of raspberries, blackberries and blueberries each
Edible flowers, basil, and mint leaves
Lime soda, lemon lime & bitters, ginger beer, rum or soda, to serve

Combine sugar and water in a saucepan. Stir over medium-high heat until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a gentle boil; boil gently for three minutes. Set aside to cool. Stir in lime juice, rum and coconut water.

Three-quarter fill ice cube holes with fruit, flowers and leaves. Pour over the rum mixture to fill the gaps. Freeze overnight.

Pile ice cubes into glasses. Top up with lime soda, lemon lime & bitters, ginger beer or soda to serve.