Day drinking is a rite of summer and one of the best ways to while away a Sunday funday. But as the day wears on (and as we get older), that light, lively buzz can take a terrible turn for an 8 p.m. hangover, fast. Sure, you could keep drinking to avoid the inevitable, but that’ll only push the pain and suffering to Monday morning. Luckily, there is a way to booze all day and still make that 7:30 p.m. dinner reservation in one piece. Forget about Martinis and Old-Fashioneds. Instead, let low-proof cocktails take the wheel.
One of our favorite ways to lighten a cocktail is swapping high-ABV spirits for liqueurs, the unsung heroes of cocktailing. Extremely versatile, powerfully flavorful and low-proof, liqueurs are the difference between a bland spritz and an amped up (but still sessionable) cooler. We asked some of our favorite bartenders from across the country to share recipes for cocktails you can sip all day without regret, using their liqueurs of choice.