Red, White, and Boozy: 4th of July Drinks to Keep you Festive this Holiday!

After being cooped up for a year, it’s time to celebrate! And there’s no better time to be festive in an all-out celebration than the 4th of July! Family, friends, fireworks, fun, and FOOD! And what would your celebration be without a few 4th of July drinks! (And maybe some fun summer drinking games to go along with them!)

But just what makes a drink a “4th of July drink”? 

Name it!

First of all, a good signature drink needs a great name. Whether you get the recipe from somewhere or make it up yourself, include a nod to the occasion in the name of the drink if you can. Cheesy jokes and puns are highly encouraged here. Sometimes you don’t even need to change up the recipe of a classic. Just christen it with a pun! For example, instead of the standard “Long Island Iced Tea,” serve up a “Long Island Iced Libertea!” And voila! You have a 4th of July drink that’s standard and you know everyone loves!

Season it!

Second, a holiday-inspired 4th of July drink should reflect the ripest flavors and temperatures of the season. For example, in the winter months, you don’t need a cold drink to cool you down. You want something hot and cozy reminiscent of a German Christmas Market to warm your insides. Likewise, if it’s the middle of summer on The 4th of July, you want drinks that will refresh you in the hot summer weather! Also, seasonal holiday drinks should reflect the produce and flavors available in-season. And for this reason, summertime is (arguably) the BEST time to create a signature drink! Available components include 

• Refreshing cucumbers 
• Sweet berries
• Tropical mangos
• Juicy peaches
• Clarifying herbs like mint
• Hydrating melons – including everybody’s favorite knockout star of summer: WATERMELON!

Color it!

Third, what makes a drink a “4th of July drink?” COLOR! Honestly, almost any drink can be a 4th of July drink with the right color or layers of colors involved. A red drink! A blue drink! A white drink! OR, better yet, a layering or swirling of those red, white, and blue colors that define our nation and represent “Old Glory.”

Garnish it!

Lastly, if nothing else, add a patriotic garnish to your 4th of July drinks! Anything stars, stripes, red-white-and-blue, American flag, or sparkling will work!

If you’re still needing some inspiration to get red, white, and boozy for your 4th of July celebration, here are some of our favorite 4th of July drinks (with help from the experts at Liquor.com) to get you festive and refreshed this summer! 

(P.S. These recipes work great for any summer gathering, even after the 4th of July festivities are over, So save them, tab them, and file them for any of your upcoming picnics or parties while the weather is hot!)

1. Watermelon Margarita (obviously)

2. Stars and Stripes

3. Red, White, and Booze Popsicles

4. Bourbon Strawberry Iced Libertea

5. Boozy Root Beer Float

6. Watermelon Mojito

1. Watermelon Margarita (obviously)

Obviously we needed to start this list of 4th of July drinks with something involving watermelons. And also obviously with a margarita. Put the two together to create a watermelon margarita. This simple spin on a classic takes the flavor and refreshing factor of a margarita up a notch. The vibrant red color and the sweet and bright-like-fireworks flavors make a watermelon margarita arguably one of the best 4th of July drinks!

Ingredients

• 4 mint leaves
• 1/2 ounce light agave nectar
• 1 1/2 ounces blanco tequila
• 1/2 ounce lime juice, freshly squeezed
• 1/2 ounce watermelon juice
• Garnish: mint sprig
• Garnish: watermelon slice

Steps

1. Add the mint leaves and agave into a shaker and gently muddle.
2. Add the remaining ingredients plus ice and shake until well-chilled.
3. Double-strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice.
4. Garnish with a fresh mint sprig and a watermelon slice.

2. Stars and Stripes

What is more summery than berries? Sweet, tart, and conveniently colored, berries are must-have additions to 4th of July drinks! And this cocktail involving fresh muddled blueberries, mixed berry liquors, sparkling ginger beer, and brightened with fresh lemon juice is sure to be a show-stopper at your 4th of July party or picnic this year! (Dare we say, it might even outshine those fireworks!)

Ingredients

• 5 fresh blueberries
• 1 ounce blueberry vodka
• 1/4 ounce absinthe
• 1/4 ounce lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 1/4 ounce simple syrup
• 1 drizzle raspberry brandy
• Ginger beer, chilled, to top
• Garnish: sugar cube

Steps

1. In a shaker, muddle the blueberries.
2. Add the vodka, absinthe, lemon juice and simple syrup, plus ice, and shake until well-chilled.
3. Pour (unstrained) into a highball glass.
4. Drizzle with the raspberry brandy and top with ginger beer.
5. Garnish with one sugar cube.

3. Red, White, and Booze Popsicles

Wanna feel like a kid, but with all the advantages of being an adult? Colorfully striped and layered boozy popsicles will do the trick! Serve up these sweet and refreshing(ly boozy) treats as a dessert with more buzz than the bees in your backyard, or simply as a surprising addition to your other 4th of July drinks list! Be sure to make some treats for your kids, too, because these treats are just for mom and dad.

Ingredients

Cherry Bomb Layer

• 1/2 ounce cherry-flavored vodka
• 2 ounces black cherry juice
• 2 ounces lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 2 ounces simple syrup

Piña Colada Layer

• 1/4 ounce coconut rum
• 1/4 ounce pineapple rum
• 4 ounces coconut water
• 2 ounces simple syrup

Blue Hawaii Layer

• 1/4 ounce blue curacao
• 1/4 ounce vodka
• 4 ounces orange-pineapple juice
• 2 ounces simple syrup
• Optional: 1-3 drops blue food coloring

Steps

(Makes 6 popsicles)

1. Make the Cherry Bomb mixture by adding the cherry vodka, black cherry juice, lemon juice and 2 ounces of simple syrup into a container. Stir to combine.
2. Add 1 1/2 ounces of Cherry Bomb mixture into each popsicle mold, then freeze for 2 hours.
3. Make the Piña Colada mixture by adding the coconut and pineapple rums, coconut water and 2 ounces of simple syrup into a container. Stir to combine.
4. Remove the molds from the freezer and add 1 1/2 ounces of Piña Colada mixture to each mold, then freeze for another 2 hours.
5. Make the Blue Hawaii mixture by adding the blue curacao, vodka, orange-pineapple juice and 2 ounces simple syrup plus the food coloring if desired into a container. Stir to combine.
6. Remove the molds from the freezer and add 1 1/2 ounces of Blue Hawaii mixture to each popsicle mold, then freeze for an additional 2 hours.
7. Immediately before serving, run the exteriors of the molds under warm water for a few seconds to make it easier to remove the popsicles.

4. Bourbon Strawberry Iced Libertea

Next up on our list of killer 4th of July drinks is a Bourbon Strawberry Iced Libertea. 

What’s better than sitting outside on your deck on the 4th of July watching your kids play and kicking back with a refreshing glass of Texas sweet iced tea with some burgers on the grill? All of the above, but make that iced tea boozy. Oh, and add some berries, too, of course. Because ‘Merica!

Ingredients

• 2 large fresh strawberries (sliced into quarters)
• 1 ounce fresh lemon juice
• 2 ounces bourbon
• 3/4 ounce rich simple syrup (2 parts sugar, 1 part water)
• Unsweetened iced tea, to top
• Garnish: mint sprig
• Garnish: blueberries
• Garnish: strawberries

Steps

1. Add the strawberries and lemon juice into a shaker and gently muddle.
2. Add the bourbon and simple syrup, add ice, and shake until well-chilled.
3. Strain into a Collins glass over fresh ice.
4. Top with unsweetened iced tea.
5. Garnish with a mint sprig and skewered blueberries and strawberries.

5. Boozy Root Beer Float

A root beer float is an American classic for a reason. It’s fizzy, creamy, sweet, indulgent, and absolutely delicious. Kick it up a notch this holiday with a little rum (or a lot!) to make this simple childhood favorite an adult favorite. To make this 4th of July drink extra American and extra TEXAN, use some Buc-ees root beer and a scoop of Blue Bell homemade vanilla ice cream. Because it’s clearly the best, and everyone agrees.

Ingredients

• 1 scoop vanilla ice cream
• 1 ounce rum
• Root beer (such as A&W or Dad’s Root Beer), chilled, to top

Steps

1. Add the ice cream and rum into a tall glass.
2. Slowly pour root beer into the glass until full and stir gently and briefly to combine.

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