Awesome Red, White, and Blue Cocktails!

Independence Day is almost here! Now is an excellent time to start thinking about what kind of thematic cocktail you might serve up at your annual backyard bash. What better way to celebrate the 4th of July than by mixing up a fun, visually RED, WHITE, and BLUE cocktail?

We’ve got several excellent cocktails for you to think about serving to your friends and family this holiday. All it takes is a quick trip to the store to ensure you have all the ingredients ready to go for fireworks time!

Layering a Cocktail

The key to any of these layered drinks is to ensure that the liquor that is heaviest ends up on the bottom, with the lighter juices and spirits on top. To get it right, you need to have an idea of the specific gravity of your drink. This is an excellent “how-to” guide for layering your cocktail if you’ve never done it before.

When layering, remember these tips:

  • The heavier liquor goes on the bottom. The lighter liquor goes on top.
  • In general, the more sugar in a drink, the heavier it’s going to be.
  • The bigger the difference is between the weight of your ingredients, the clearer the line between them will be. (So when possible, choose really heavy and really light ingredients.)
  • Pour slowly.
  • Pour over the back of a spoon. Slowly.
  • Don’t shake or stir your drink.

The Red, White, and Blue Cocktail

The Red, White, Blue Cocktail

Aptly named—if you make it right, this cocktail has gorgeous, colorful lines in your glass!

You will need:

  • 1 oz. grenadine
  • 3 oz. lemonade
  • 1 oz. vodka (clear)
  • 1 oz. blue curacao
  • Ice cubes

Serves 1. Pour the grenadine into an empty glass. Fill with ice cubes. Next, in a cocktail shaker with ice, mix up the lemonade with the vodka. Shake vigorously. When it’s cold, gently pour the mixture into the glass over the back of your spoon. Finally, add your blue curacao, pouring slowly over the back of the spoon again. Garnish and serve!

Fourth of July Piña Colada

Fourth of July Piña Colada

This festive, colorful drink will make you feel like you are on the beach!

You will need:

  • 3 oz. rum (lighter is best)
  • 6 oz. pineapple juice
  • 4.5 oz. cream of coconut
  • 3 oz. blue curacao
  • 2 cups ice
  • 1 cup strawberries

Serves 3. First, pour the rum into an empty blender. Add the pineapple juice, cream of coconut, and ice, then blend until it’s smooth. Pour 2/3 of the mixture into a separate container and leave the remaining 1/3 in the blender. Next, add the strawberries into the blender and blend until smooth. Pour the blended strawberry mixture into the glasses. Next, pouring slowly over the back of the spoon, add half of the separated mixture (which should be white) into the glass. Now it’s time to add the blue to the mix. Pour the remaining white mixture back into the blender. Add the blue curacao. Blend until well combined. Over the back of a spoon, slowly pour the blue blended bit into the glass. Garnish (if desired) and serve!

Sparkling Red, White, and Blue Sangria

Sprakling Red, White, and Blue Sangria

This is an easy-to-make cocktail recipe that’s a beautiful and perfect way to celebrate the 4th of July!

You will need:

  • 1 bottle dry white wine (chilled)
  • 1 pound strawberries, hulled and sliced
  • 2 cups blueberries, fresh
  • 1 cup raspberries, fresh
  • ½ cup brandy or orange liqueur (such as Grand Marnier or Cointreau)
  • 1 bottle sparkling white wine (chilled)
  • 3-4 apples (Granny Smith preferred), cut into star shapes

Serves 8-12.  First, stir together the white wine (non-sparkling), strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and brandy or liqueur in a large pitcher. Cover and refrigerate for 1-4 hours. Once you are ready to serve the sangria, stir in the sparkling white wine (slowly!), apples, and a handful of ice. Serve immediately over ice and enjoy! Pro tip: Display your sangria in this beautiful American flag decanter!

Skinnygirl® Berry Patriotic

Skinnygirl Berry Patriotic

This is a classic Skinnygirl recipe, meaning that it’s lower in calories than many of the other recipes you’ll find.

You will need:

Serves 1. First, muddle the strawberries at the bottom of a glass. Top with ice. Next, in a shaker packed with ice, add the vodka and schnapps and shake vigorously. Strain into the glass with the muddled strawberries. Top with club soda and blueberries. Garnish and serve!

Firecracker Jell-O Shots

Firecracker Jell-O Shots

Nothing says “American patriotism” louder than Jell-O shots!

You will need:

Blue Gelatin Layer:

  • 1 ¼ oz. envelope unflavored gelatin
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • ¾ cup blue curacao liqueur
  • ½ cup vodka (any flavor)

Red Gelatin Layer:

  • 1 ¼ oz. envelope unflavored gelatin
  • ¾ cup grenadine
  • ½ cup vodka (any flavor)
  • Whipped cream, for garnish

First, make the blue gelatin layer. Put ¼ cup of cold water in a bowl, sprinkle the gelatin evenly over the top, and let it absorb the water for 2 minutes. Stir in ½ cup boiling water until the gelatin is completely dissolved. Stir in the sugar, allowing it to dissolve. Then stir in the blue curacao and vodka. Divide this mixture among 12 shot glasses, filling them halfway. Refrigerate until firm, about 25 minutes.

Next, make the red gelatin layer. Put ¼ cup of cold water in a bowl, sprinkle the gelatin evenly over the top, and let it absorb the water for 2 minutes. Stir in ½ cup boiling water until the gelatin is completely dissolved. Stir in the grenadine and vodka. Gently pour the red mixture over the blue layer. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. Garnish the shots with whipped cream and serve. We suggest a beautiful, patriotic serving tray!

 Celebrate the 4th of July with a Red, White, and Blue Cocktail!

The 4th of July is a time for parties and celebrations! What better way to celebrate Independence Day than by serving up a fun, festive cocktail? All these recipes pair excellently with any type of barbeque dish, from burgers and hot dogs to grilled chicken and corn. They also make excellent refreshments for an afternoon dip in the pool before the fireworks begin. Looking for even more patriotic drink ideas? Check out this great article about our founding fathers’ favorite cocktails!

What’s your favorite red-white-and-blue drink? Let us know!