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!
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:
Aptly named—if you make it right, this cocktail has gorgeous, colorful lines in your glass!
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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!
This festive, colorful drink will make you feel like you are on the beach!
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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!
This is an easy-to-make cocktail recipe that’s a beautiful and perfect way to celebrate the 4th of July!
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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!
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!
Nothing says “American patriotism” louder than Jell-O shots!
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Blue Gelatin Layer:
Red Gelatin Layer:
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!
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!