Spring

• Spring cocktails are light and refreshing. Usually served at room temperature or colder, the drinks may incorporate in-season fruits for the best flavor. Mix orange liqueur, which is a sweet beverage made with liquor, with lemon juice and strawberry juice to make a berry-sunrise cocktail that is sweet enough for dessert. Add lemon juice, pineapple juice and vodka to an ice-filled shaker. Shake the mixture and strain into a sugar-rimmed glass for a cool pineapple martini that pairs well with a tropical dessert. Make the martini without pineapple if you prefer a tangy taste.

Summer

• Summer after-dinner drinks, like spring drinks, are often cold, refreshing and seasonally inspired. "Hard" drinks, or drinks that have added liquor, are typically served at summer get-togethers. Hard lemonade or hard lemon iced tea may contain a variety of liquor, such as rum, vodka or tequila; both are served over ice and pair well with almost any kind of dessert. Blend white wine and lemon juice with ice for a "skinny" cocktail that pairs well with fruity desserts. Combine whiskey, lemon juice and apricot juice; serve over ice for a sweet drink that pairs well with spicy desserts.

Fall

• Serve fall cocktails at room temperature or warmer to help protect against the chilly air. Stir warm espresso with Irish cream liqueur and a twist of lemon for a bracing coffee cocktail that goes well with coffee cake. Combine warm chamomile tea with vodka, honey and lemon for a soothing after-dinner drink. Mix warmed apple juice, whiskey, lemon juice and cinnamon syrup for a spicy apple treat to serve as dessert.

Winter

• Like fall cocktails, winter-themed after-dinner drinks are usually served hot to help warm you. They can soothe your throat, or you can serve them as a sweet treat after a large meal. Mix lemon juice, apple cider, vodka and ginger liqueur together in a saucepan and heat to create a hot apple-pie cocktail. Stir lemon juice, hot water, honey and rum or brandy together to create a throat-coating hot toddy that pairs well with light desserts such as sugar cookies.