Skip to content 
Backcountry Bartending: Easy Cocktails to Make in the Mountains
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush but nothing is worth more than a drink in the hand after an epic day in the mountains. When you’ve finished an intense climb or trek through endless switchbacks, you deserve a tipple.
But slogging your favorite IPAs up a trail can be a bit grueling. For a lighter load, fill your flask or pack mini bottles of your favorite booze. Plus, backcountry bartending doesn’t require ice, fancy olives or citrus twists.
Give these five easy and lightweight cocktails a try—you’ll be the best bartender on your mountainside in no time! Not that we condone getting too tipsy in the wilderness. Don’t forget your camp mug!
Camper’s Cherry Limeade Punch
-
2 oz vodka
-
1 cherry limeade electrolyte tablet (like Nuun)
-
4-6 oz water
Wilderness White Russian
-
2 oz coffee liqueur
-
1 oz vodka
-
2 tbsp powdered milk mixed with 4 tbsp of water
Mountainside Margarita
-
2 oz tequila
-
1 lime hydration powder pack (like Gatorade)
-
½ orange hydration powder pack
-
4-6 oz water
(For a Tequila Sunrise, use orange and cherry hydration powder instead)
Peak Buster Pina Colada
2 oz rum
4 oz pineapple juice
1 tbsp coconut milk powder mixed with 2 tbsp water (find coconut milk powder at your Asian grocery store)
Summit Spiked Cocoa
-
2 oz peppermint schnapps
-
1 packet of hot cocoa mix
-
4-6 oz hot water
Author: Emily Butterfield
