Upscale Fourth of July Cocktails for Independence Day
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Fair to say that for most of us the Fourth of July is peak summer. It's a day that practically demands you do something spectacularly summery—be that hosting a Fourth of July fete and watching the fireworks, or simply getting a group of loved ones together for some grilling and chilling. Of course, whatever your celebration brings, you'll probably need a nice frosty sip to keep you cool, and while we're big fans of a classic beer or some glou-glou rosé, doesn't America's birthday seem like it deserves a special cocktail all its own? To complete your Fourth festivities, we've rounded up some delicious—and totally doable—cocktail recipes you can mix up at home.
Firecracker Spritz
Ingredients
1 oz The King's Ginger liqueur
1 oz cranberry juice
1 oz sparkling lemonade or lemon soda
Instructions
Build all ingredients in a glass filled with ice and stir to combine. Strain into a coupe glass.
The People’s Margarita “Grilled Edition”
Ingredients
2 oz Teremana Blanco
.75 oz Lime Juice
.5 oz Agave Nectar
5 Grilled Pineapple Wedges*
Instructions
Muddle 4 grilled pineapple wedges in shaker. Add remaining ingredients. Shake with ice. Double strain into chili-salt-rimmed glass over fresh ice. Garnish with grilled pineapple wedge & frond.
*Cut fronds off. Cut pineapple into vertical quarters. Sprinkle exposed fruit with sugar. Grill sugar side down, flipping until charred. Let cool, cut off rind & core, cut fruit into 1-inch cubes.
Old Glory
Ingredients
8-10 blueberries
2 oz Long Island Vodka
1 oz fresh lemon juice
1 oz simple syrup
1-2 oz Oregon Pinot Noir
Instructions
Muddle blueberries at the bottom of a double old fashioned glass and top with ice. Add vodka, lemon, and simple syrup to a mixing glass and shake vigorously until chilled and combined. Strain over ice and blueberries. Carefully pour wine over a spoon into the cocktail to create a red wine "float."
From Kingsley in New York City
The American Dream
Ingredients
2 oz Bache-Gabrielsen American Oak
2 tsp Cherry Heering
2 tsp dry vermouth
Instructions
Stir all ingredients together, pour in a stemless snifter, and add 4 ice cubes. Garnish with a Cognac-marinated cherry bits and caramel cracker.
By Joel Cuellar of The Brandy Library in New York City.
Basil Gimlet
Ingredients
2 oz Reyka Vodka
.5 oz lime juice
.5 oz simple syrup
Sprig of basil
Instructions
Combine all ingredients and one basil leaf in a shaker. Shake with ice and strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with basil.
By Reyka Vodka Ambassador Jeffrey Naples
The Firecracker Fizz
Ingredients
1.5 oz Diplomático Reserva Exclusiva
1.5 oz simple syrup
.5 oz cherry heering
1 oz lemon juice
2 dashes of orange blossom water
Sparkling wine to top
Instructions
Add all ingredients except sparkling wine to a shaker with ice and shake. Strain into a rocks glass with fresh ice. Top with sparkling wine and garnish with mint.
Peachy Heatwave
Ingredients
1.5 oz Ketel One Botanical Peach & Orange Blossom
.8 oz Lime juice
1 oz Orange juice
.5 oz mango syrup
Peach slice or orange slice garnish
Chili-Lime seasoning on half the rim
Instructions
Rim half of your low ball glass with a chili-lime seasoning. Then combine all of your ingredients in a cocktail shaker with good quality ice cubes. Shake, and strain into the low ball glass with fresh ice. Garnish with a peach or orange slice.
Frogroni
Ingredients
.75 oz Campari
2 oz Bulldog Gin
.75 oz Cinzano 1757
2 oz lemon juice
1.25 oz simple syrup
2 whole strawberries, tops removed
Instructions
Blend all ingredients with 1.5 cups of ice until smooth and pour into a tall glass. Garnish with a strawberry and orange twist.
Smoked Independence
Ingredients
1.5 oz Laphroaig 10 Year Old
.5 oz pineapple rum
.75 oz lime juice
.75 oz simple syrup
Barspoon Pomegranate Molasses
Instructions
Combine all ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice. Garnish with a lime wheel.
By Ivy Mix
CityCenter Sunset
Ingredients
2 oz Maggie’s Farm Rum
.5 oz Giffard Banana
.5 Giffard Pineapple
.5 Lime Juice
Instructions
Mix together rum, banana, pineapple, lime. Shake with ice. Strain into rocks glass filled with fresh ice. Garnish with lime wheel.
By Nial Harris Garcia at SUMMIT the Rooftop at Conrad DC
Nolet's Silver Watermelon Sparkler
Ingredients
750 ml Nolet's Silver Gin
750 ml sparkling Sake
24 oz watermelon juice
Fresh watermelon cubes
12.5 oz fresh lemon juice
12.5 oz agave nectar
Instructions
Stir all liquid ingredients well in a punchbowl, making sure agave liquefies properly with the other ingredients. Add watermelon cubes and a block of ice five minutes before serving.
Coconut Margarita on the Rocks
Ingredients
1.5 oz Blanco tequila
1 oz Koloa Kauai Coconut Rum
1 oz fresh-squeezed lime juice
Agave syrup to taste
Instructions
Dip the rim of a margarita glass into coconut cream, then roll it in shredded coconut. Allow the rim to dry. Fill the margarita glass with ice. In a cocktail shaker, combine the lime juice, tequila, coconut rum and agave. Shake well and strain into the serving glass.
Doña Carmen
Ingredients
2 oz Meteoro Espadin Mezcal
2.5 oz grapefruit juice
1 oz sour mix
.5 oz Aperol
Top with tonic
Instructions
Pour mezcal, grapefruit juice, and sour mix into cocktail shaker and shake vigorously for 6 to 7 seconds. Fill white wine glass with ice and slowly pour contents over ice. Top with Aperol and tonic and garnish with a fresh slice of grapefruit.
By Catch at Thompson Playa del Carmen
Star Spangled Berry
Ingredients
6 muddled blueberries
2 oz Applejack
.5 oz grenadine
.5 oz lemon juice
Instructions
Muddle blueberries in small tin and fill with ice. Add the remaining ingredients and shake vigorously. Empty all contents into rocks glass and garnish with fresh blueberries.
By Tommy Warren for Bedford & Co. in New York City.
Summer Solstice Punch
Ingredients
1 bottle Mount Gay Black Barrel Rum
6 oz fresh lime juice
6 oz fresh grapefruit juice
12 oz Falernum Syrup Liqueur
12 dashes Angostura Bitters
12 oz soda water
Instructions
Add all ingredients except soda to a punch bowl. Add ice cubes. Finish with soda water. Garnish with grapefruit wheels, lime wheels, and mint.
Sardinian Lemonade
Ingredients
2 Parts Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin with Sardinian Citrus
1 Part Lemon Juice
Ginger Beer
Instructions
Add gin and lemon juice in a glass with ice. Top with ginger beer to taste.
Red, White, and Blue Nectar
Ingredients
1.5 oz Blue Nectar Reposado Extra Blend
1 oz simple syrup
1 oz cranberry juice
.75 oz orange liqueur
4 lime quarters and 1 lime wheel
Instructions
Muddle the lime quarters with the simple syrup in a shaking tin. Add tequila, orange liqueur, and cranberry juice. Top with ice and shake vigorously. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with lime wheel.
Midsummer Daydream
Ingredients
2 oz Frapin 1270
1 oz coconut water
.25 oz lime juice
2 oz tonic water
2 dashes of orange bitters
Instructions
Build the cocktail in a highball glass. Add ice and stir. Garnish with a lime wheel.
By Pamela Wiznitzer
Nantucketer
Ingredients
2 oz Privateer Rum
.75 oz fresh lemon juice
.75 oz simple syrup
1 dash angostura bitters
Instructions
Combine all ingredients over ice and shake. Strain into a coupe.
By Jackson Cannon of Greydon House in Nantucket, MA.
Watermelon Sparkler
Ingredients
1 oz Nolet’s Silver Dry Gin
1 oz sparkling sake
.5 oz fresh lemon juice
.5 oz agave nectar
3 inch piece of watermelon
Instructions
Muddle watermelon with gin, lemon juice, and agave nectar in a cocktail shaker. Fill with ice, shake, and strain into a port glass. Top with chilled sparkling sake and stir lightly.
Femme Fatale
Ingredients
1 oz Belvedere Vodka
1 oz Lillet Blanc
1.25 oz grapefruit juice
.5 oz simple syrup
Instructions
Combine all ingredients over ice and shake well. Strain onto fresh ice in a rocks glass. Garnish with edible flowers and rock candy.
From The Beach at Dream Downtown in NYC
Hibiscus Palmer
Ingredients
1.5 oz Teremana Reposado
1 oz Lemon Juice
.75 oz Simple Syrup
Top with Hibiscus Tea (approximately 3 oz)
Instructions
Shake tequila, lemon juice, and simple syrup with ice and strain into a Collins glass. Top with Hibiscus Tea.
Gilded Grand
Ingredients
2 oz Grand Marnier Cuvée Louis-Alexandre
.75 oz grapefruit juice
.5 bar spoon honey
.5 oz lemon juice
Instructions
Stir all ingredients in a rocks glass. Add ice. Garnish with rosemary sprigs and sprayed with orange flower water.
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