It’s that time of year again and for the holiday that honors our independence, we’re heading to beach bashes, picnics, and BBQs with....cases of beer? Have some pride for your country by skipping the six-pack. Instead, celebrate 4th of July with festive cocktails that make an explosive statement. For drink enthusiasts everywhere ready to celebrate 4th of July, we’ve uncovered the top cocktails representing some of the nation’s many cultures, all ready for you to toast Independence Day. Make a splash and start some fireworks with plenty of red, white, and booze!
Top 4th of July Cocktail: Stars & Stripes Sangria
For those hosting parties, you’ll need a 4th of July drink that’s enough to satisfy picky patrons in need of a holiday cool down. Stars & Strips Sangria is a more worldly concoction as it features the popular Spanish wine punch with Chambord, a liqueur favored by French royals, and countless floating starfruits. Guests will think you spent hours perfecting this mouthwatering number, but you’ll having more time trying to find that perfect 4th of July outfit. Salute the flag in the best way that any social drinker would: with plenty of stars and stripes!
Ingredients
3 oz. Chambord
1 bottle of Merlot (We used Fetzer Merlot)
3 Tablespoons sugar
Juice of two oranges
Starfruit
Orange and lemon slices (Make zest with a channel knife and cut into 3 inch strips)
Club soda
Preparation
Add all ingredients into a pitcher filled with ice and let chilled. Serve over the rocks with a splash of club soda. Garnish with star fruit and several zest strips.
Top 4th of July Cocktail: White Coco-Tini
Chocolate is one of the most popular desserts in America, so it only makes sense that a 4th of July cocktail would include this mouthwatering treat-except too many of us are worrying about staying fit for swimsuit season. Skip the tempting brownies, which are sure to melt in the sun, and reach for a White Coco-Tini. More posh than too-thick slices of cake, but with the right amount of creamy goodness, the White Coco-Tini highlights crème of cacao, the beans that produce chocolate. Add some rum from the tropics and tart pineapple juice for a treat that’ll do the trick. You’re living in the home of the brave, so don’t be afraid to show off those trunks and bikinis.
Ingredients
1 part Rum (We used Tommy Bahama White Sand Rum)
½ White crème de cacao
2 ½ parts Pineapple juice
Splash of cream
Preparation
Combine all ingredients and shake vigorously. Strain into a chilled martini glass.
Top 4th of July Cocktail: All American
No matter how patriotic you are, many 4th of July drinks are often loaded with more fluff than fine ingredients to last throughout the festivities. The All American is not one of those frou-frou cocktails and we couldn’t be more proud. Displaying a breathtaking jeweled-hue blue that’ll have patrons saluting, All American incorporates a marriage of raspberries and curaco made from bitter orange peels. Simply put, it’ll please the ladies and gents. Be daring and make 50 of them for an outdoors fiesta.
Ingredients
1 ¼ oz. Smirnoff Raspberry Twist
¼ oz. Blue Curaco
½ oz. Sweet and Sour
Simple syrup
1 Cherry
Preparation
Shake ingredients with ice. Garnish with a cherry.
Top 4th of July Cocktail: Firecracker
Make some fireworks tonight with a drink that not only celebrates independence, but also ensures a fun-filled day beyond stale beer. The Firecracker shooter is one of the easiest party starters to master and you’ll have plenty of time to make them for a night that’ll blow you away. Spread the love for your independence with shots that’ll have everyone oohing and ahhing.
Ingredients
1/3 Blue-hued vodka (We used UV Blue)
1/3 Coconut-flavored vodka (We used UV Coconut)
1/3 Grenadine
Preparation
Layer each ingredient and serve in a shot glass.
4th of July Drink Bonus: Pommery POP America Champagne
This isn’t a cocktail, but we couldn’t resist its dazzling packaging and even more impressive flavor that really does add a pop in your month. This 4th of July, toast to the Franco-American friendship with Pommery POP America Champagne NV ($14.99)-a split-sized sparkler bursting with pride as it dons the traditional red, white, and blue. Get a bubbly with playful stars and stripes that adds the right amount of POP to any American tradition.