The 4th Of July is already here which means summer is in full swing and many will have the day off to celebrate the nation’s Independence. As gatherings are sure to commence, we’ve compiled a list of cocktails and other adult beverages to spark some inspiration for the big day.
I approached these roundups via a randomized method in the past, but I’m switching things up going forward. I’ll list the cocktails I choose in alphabetical order and, for the products I’ve sampled, I’ll add a pertinent blurb in connection to the item when I can. Hope that makes looking for your new favorites that much easier. It will definitely help me out. Now, on to the show! – D.L.
Cocktails To Celebrate The 4th Of July The Right Way
Absolut Watermelon Vodkarita
“Watermelon is a classic flavor of summer – and this vodkarita recipe with smooth Absolut Watermelon and fresh fruit is a must-have for summer entertaining.”
Ingredients:
2 Parts Absolut Watermelon
1 1/2 Parts fresh watermelon or puree (optional)
3/4 Parts lime juice
3/4 Parts simple syrup
1/4 Parts orange liqueur
Watermelon slice & lime wedge for garnish
How to mix:
Combine in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and strain into rocks glass with a half salt rim. Garnish with watermelon slide and lime wedge.
Baby I’m A Firework
Half Shell Vodka comes from the innovators at Distillery 98, which developed its unique coconut carbon and oyster shell filtration system to the masses in the first spirit bottled using recyclable paperboard. – D.L.
Ingredients:
2 oz Half Shell Vodka
2 muddled strawberries
0.5 oz of lemon
0.5 oz of simple syrup
Recipe:
In a tall glass, add two strawberries and muddle. Then fill glass with ice. In a shaker, add 2 oz of Half-Shell Vodka, 0.5 oz of lemon juice, 0.5 oz of simple syrup, and shake. Strain over glass, then garnish with blueberries.
Basil Gimlet
Created by Reyka Vodka Ambassador Jeffrey Naples
Ingredients:
2 parts Reyka Vodka
1/2 parts lime juice
1/2 parts simple syrup
Sprig of basil
Method:
Combine all ingredients and one basil leaf in a shaker. Shake with ice and strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with basil.
Bourbon Tea Party Recipe
*Omit the booze and you’ve got yourself a snazzy mocktail! – D.L.
1 can of Spindrift Half & Half Sparkling Water
Add 1.5oz whiskey, 1 tsp sugar, ice, 1 squeeze of fresh lemon juice, and 4 oz Half & Half. Stir and enjoy.
Cenote Rose Spritz
1.5oz Cenote Blanco
3oz Grapefruit Soda
1oz Rose Wine
1 dash of Rose bitters
Method: Combine, shake & strain over ice. Garnish with an orange peel or slice.
Cierto Aire Libre
Cierto Tequila is currently making headlines for winning ALL of the awards and for good reason. The brand produces quality tequila via its core line and its premium Private Collection. I’ve tried this brand and I am excited the wide world of possibilities for cocktails this summer and beyond. – D.L.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 oz Cierto Tequila Private Collection Reposado
1/2 oz Fresh Lime Juice
1/2 oz Mayan Honey Syrup
1 oz Champagne
Method: Add all ingredients (minus Champagne) and shake with ice until chilled. Strain into a flute glass, top with Champagne and garnish with a lemon twist.
Cointreau Cucumber Mint Fizz
Ingredients:
3 oz Club Soda
2 oz Cointreau
3 Wheels of Cucumber
1 oz of Fresh Lime Juice
5 Mint Leaves
Directions:
Muddle the cucumber and mint in the bottom of a glass. Add Cointreau and fresh lime juice with ice. Top with club soda and stir briefly. Garnish with a cucumber wheel and mint sprig.
Fiesta Americana
Created by Milagro Ambassador Luis Lopez
Ingredients:
5 muddled strawberries at the bottom of the glass
2 parts Milagro Silver Tequila
2 parts coco cream
3/4 parts lemon juice
1 part pineapple juice
1/4 part agave nectar
Method: Garnish with buzz ball rim (blue), shake, strain over fresh ice, and serve in a tall glass.
Godfather
I wrote about the Godfather cocktail back in 2020 when I was still getting my legs under me with scotch. You can read about my journey here. – D.L.
Ingredients:
1 oz Disaronno Originale
2 oz any Straight Whisky (According to what I’ve read, you can use blended scotch or straight bourbon too. – D.L.)
Directions: Add ingredients to a mixing glass with ice. Stir and strain into a rocks glass over ice. Garnish with an orange peel.
GOLDEN GATE
INGREDIENTS:
1.5 parts SKYY INFUSIONS® BLOOD ORANGE
0.75 part honey syrup*
0.75 part lemon juice
3 parts soda water
PREPARATION:
Add the first three ingredients to the cocktail shaker and shake with a few pebbles of ice. Add soda water to shaker tin and pour contents into highball glass full of ice cubes. Garnish with orange slice and rosemary.
*HONEY SYRUP
Mix 2 parts honey to 1 part water until combined.
Green with Envy
2 oz Flecha Azul Blanco Tequila
2 oz Fresh Green Juice*
*To prepare green juice, combine the below ingredients into a juicer
1 Apple
Bunch of Kale
½ cup of fresh Pineapple
Juice of 1 Lemon
5 coins of fresh Ginger
Directions: Combine all ingredients into a shaker. Add ice and shake vigorously. Strain into a highball glass and add fresh crushed ice.
Hendrick’s Blueberry Lemonade
Created by Hendrick’s East Coast Ambassador, Erik Andersson
Ingredients:
2 Parts Hendrick’s Gin
1 Part Fresh Lemon Juice
1 Part Simple Syrup
8 Blueberries
Top Soda Club
Method: Muddle the blueberries well with the simple syrup. Add the rest of the ingredients and ice. Garnish with blueberries and mint.
Hotline Beam (Sparkling Bourbon Sour)
A clever nod to a certain Canadian superstar. – D.L.
1 part Jim Beam Bourbon
1 part Pineapple Juice
.5 part Simple Syrup
2 Lemon Wedges
2 part Sparkling Wine
Combine ingredients except sparkling wine in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a cocktail glass over fresh ice. Top with sparkling wine. Garnish with a pineapple wedge or cube (potentially cut into a diamond shape)
Incredible Hennessy
A fresh remix of the early 2000s classic. Where are my fitted hats and oversized jerseys? – D.L.
1.5 oz Hennessy V.S
0.5 oz Hpnotiq
0.5 oz Midori
0.75 oz lemon juice
0.25 oz dry vermouth
0.5 oz simple syrup
1 Lime or Lemon Twist garnish
Recipe:
Add all liquid to a shaker with ice. Shake until chilled. Pour into Rocks glass filled with ice. Garnish with lime or lemon twist.
Irish Tea-se
Ingredients:
2 Parts Tullamore D.E.W. Irish Whiskey
1.5 Parts Irish Breakfast Tea
.75 Part Lemon Juice
.75 Part Simple Syrup
Method:
Mint to garnish. Add all ingredients to a punch bowl. Garnish with lemon slices and fresh mint. Serve over ice in a wine glass.
Jameson Orange Spritz
“Spritz” up your summer gathering with this refreshing cocktail made with Jameson Orange, pineapple juice and prosecco, resulting in a delightful tropical, citrus sip.
Ingredients:
1 2/3 Parts Jameson Orange
1 2/3 Parts pineapple juice
1 2/3 Parts chilled soda water
2 1/3 Parts prosecco
Pineapple leaves & orange twist for garnish
How to mix:
Add all ingredients to an ice-filled wine glass. Stir to combine. Garnish with pineapple leaves and orange twist.
Kahlúa Long Island Iced Coffee
Bold with a smooth finish, this coffee version of the Long Island Iced Tea is just the thing to reinvigorate Fourth of July “hosts with the most”
Ingredients:
1 Part Kahlúa
1/2 Part Tequila
1/2 Part Gin
0.5 Part lime juice
2.5 Parts cold brew coffee
1 Lime wedge for garnish
How to mix:
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add all the ingredients and shake until cold. Strain into a tall, ice-filled glass. Garnish with a wedge of lime.
Key West Hurricane
Ingredients:
2 oz Papa’s Pilar Blonde Rum
2 oz Papa’s Pilar Dark Rum
2 oz orange juice
2 oz passion fruit juice
0.5 oz lime juice
0.5 oz Grenadine
0.5 oz Simple syrup
Directions: Pour all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake until well blended and chilled.
Lady Draper
1.5oz Drumshanbo Gunpowder California
Citrus
.5oz Bauchant Orange Liqueur
.5oz lemon juice
.5oz thyme syrup
1 orange infused egg white
Method: Combine 1 tsp orange rind with egg white, shake to infuse and set. Add remaining ingredients and ice to the shaker. Shake to set egg white and chill cocktail – generally 20-30 seconds. Double strain into Nick and Nora Glass. Garnish with Angostura bitters
LALO Hibiscus Sparkler
Ingredients:
2 oz LALO
.75 oz lime juice
.75 oz hibiscus infused agave syrup*
Preparation:
Combine LALO, lime and hibiscus syrup into ice filled shaker tin. Shake and strain into a tajin rimmed, ice filled rocks glass. Garnish with hibiscus flower and lime wheel.
*Hibiscus agave syrup:
Combine 1 cup of agave nectar and 1 cup of water into a saucepan. Add 1/2 cup of hibiscus flowers. Heat until simmering. Turn off heat. Let cool. Strain liquid removing the spent flowers. Bottle and store in refrigerator for up to two weeks.
Malibu Piña Colada Punch
“Do you like Piña Coladas?” While we hope you don’t get caught in the rain this Fourth of July, enjoying this iconic tropical cocktail with your party guests is a must! It’s the summer of the Malibu Piña Colada, with two recent remixes of the 1979 hit “Escape ‘The Pina Colada Song’” from pop music and social media sensation Jax, as well as fire collab from DJ Cassidy, Shaggy, and Rayvon. So amp up your playlist and serve up some Malibu Piña Colada Punch for the ultimate Fourth of July get-together.
Ingredients (Batch Recipe):
2 Cups Malibu Original (or Malibu Peach!)
2 Cups club soda
1 Can Cream of Coconut
5 Cups pineapple juice
Watermelon slices, orange wheels, pineapple slices, strawberry slices, Maraschino cherries
How to mix:
Combine all ingredients into punch bowl or pitcher, and serve to guests over ice.
Mercer + Prince Pineapple Smash
Ingredients:
2 oz. Mercer + Prince
.5 oz. Cane or Demerara Syrup
.5 oz. Fresh Lime Juice
3-4 Chunks of Pineapple or 1 oz Pineapple Juice
Directions:
Add ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake together to combine/chill. Strain into a double old fashioned rocks glass filled with fresh ice and garnish with a bouquet of fresh mint.
METAXA Summer Sour
Ingredients:
1.5 oz METAXA 12 Stars
0.50 oz Lemon Juice
0.25 oz Sugar Syrup
Optional: 0.50 Egg White
2 dashes Angostura Bitters
Garnish: Lemon Zest
Directions:
Pour all ingredients in shaker with ice. Strain over ice into a double old fashioned glass. Garnish with a lemon zest.
Mezcal Campante Spritz
Ingredients:
1 oz Mezcal Campante
1 oz Aperol Aperitivo (or alternative)
1 oz fresh squeezed grapefruit juice
0.30 oz agave syrup
3 oz club soda
For Garnish: 1 Lemon leaf
Directions:
Combine all ingredients except the club soda in a wine glass. Add ice to the top of the glass and stir quickly to combine. Top with club soda and add a lemon leaf for garnish.
Mezcal UNIÓN Coriander Paloma
It took me a while to appreciate the beauty and nuance of mezcal and this brand is one of the chief reasons why I can’t get enough. – D.L.
1.5 oz Mezcal UNIÓN Uno
1 oz Coriander Cordial
1 bottle grapefruit soda (Squirt or Jarritos)
Instructions: Rim a glass with coriander salt. Add all ingredients to highball glass. Add ice and stir. Use pineapple slices as garnish. Enjoy!
Motor Beezneez
I’m loving the riff on this classic gin cocktail. It’s one of my top drinks to ease folks into appreciating gin. – D.L.
Ingredients:
2 oz Engine Gin
0.75 oz Lemon Juice
0.75 oz Honey Syrup (1:1 honey and hot water)
2 Sage Leaves
Mist Absinthe
Method: Shake all the ingredients and double strain into a Nick and Nora glass, garnish with a sage leaf.
Mount Gay Rum St. Lucy Cooler
One of the greatest rum distillers in the world. The tour of the facilities in Barbados is a true rum lover’s dream. I really need to get back there. – D.L.
Ingredients:
2 oz Mount Gay Black Barrel
3 Blackberries
0.50 oz Simple
0.50 oz Lemon
2 oz Float of tonic or soda
Directions:
Add blackberries and simple to the bottom of glass and gently muddle. Add rum, lemon, ice and finish with tonic. Garnish with rosemary and blackberries.
New York Ryeball
Ingredients:
1-1/2 Parts Hudson Whiskey Do The Rye Thing
3/4 Part Sweet Vermouth
1/2 Part Fresh Lime
Topped with Ginger Ale
Method:
Build all ingredients in a cocktail shaker, shake with ice. Strain into a highball cocktail glass over fresh ice. Garnish with a long orange peel.
Old Elk Bourbon Margarita
I’ve had a lot of cocktails in my time covering drinks. I can’t say I’ve had a margarita made with bourbon but I’m ready to find out. – D.L.
1.75 oz. Old Elk Bourbon
1 oz. fresh lime
.50 oz. agave
METHOD: Shake everything and pour over fresh ice into garnish with lime margarita foam lime wheel and pink salt
Margarita Foam
6 oz. lime
3 oz. agave syrup
1 oz. bourbon
3 oz. egg white
Tiny pinch of salt
METHOD: Place ingredients into ISI if filling immediately. Close and shake. Charge with no2 once. Shake a few times and expel first time for pressure.
PEACH ELDERFLOWER HIGHBALL
Created by Meg Quinn
Ingredients:
1 1/2 oz. Crown Royal Peach
1/2 oz. Elderflower Liqueur
5 oz. Tonic Water
Rosemary sprigs
Ride On
Created by Sebastien Derbomez, William Grant & Sons Manager, Brand Advocacy
Ingredients:
2 parts Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum
1/2 parts fresh lemon juice
1/2 parts Sailor Jerry Ironsides BBQ sauce
1 part pineapple juice
3 parts IPA beer
Method: Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker. Shake and strain into an ice filled highball glass rimmed with GYAO Mango Habanero Seasoning. Top with 3 parts IPA beer of choice. Garnish with a lemon slice.
Rye Smash
Uncle Nearest means a lot to me as a brand for reasons that should make sense considering the company I work for. I’m proud to see how they’re expanding operations and continuing to shatter expectations. – D.L.
Ingredients:
2 oz Uncle Nearest Straight Rye
3 lemon wedges
6 mint leaves
0.5-0.75 oz simple syrup
Seasonal fruit
Directions: Combine lemon wedges, mint leaves, simple syrup and seasonal fruit in a shaker. Muddle gently to release juice and oils. Add Uncle Nearest Straight Rye and ice. Shave for 8-10 seconds. Double strain into a rocks glass with fresh ice. Garnish with a sprig.
Solar Flare Recipe
created by Oak & Eden Mixologist Grace Terrell
In a perfect world, I’d have a sip of everything Oak & Eden makes. The concept alone has me stoked. – D.L.
2oz Oak & Eden Wheat & Honey Bourbon
1oz orange juice
.75oz lime juice
.75oz hot maple syrup (1:1 ratio of maple syrup and gochujang, or Korean chili paste)
2 dashes Angostura bitters
Add all ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a rocks glass with ice. Garnish with chili pepper.
Sorel Sea Breeze
I just tried this brand for the first time this week and was blown away at how it captures the essence of sorrel, the drink made famous across much of the West Indies. – D.L.
1 oz Sorel liqueur
1 oz vodka
1 oz coconut water
1 oz pomegranate juice
Club soda
Sprig of mint
Lime wedge
Method: Build all ingredients in a tall glass with plenty of ice, stir and top with club soda.
Take Me Out to the Ball Game
By Anna Mains, Monkey Shoulder Brand Ambassador
At first, I was like, ‘idk’ then I thought about it, and I was like, ‘yes.’ – D.L.
Ingredients:
1.5 parts Monkey Shoulder
3 parts Dr. Pepper
Small handful of honey-roasted peanuts
Method:
Chill a bottle of Monkey Shoulder and a bottle of Dr. Pepper in your cooler. Add a handful of nuts in the bottom of a glass. Combine ingredients with ice.
The Achiever
Big up to Kevin Hart! – D.L.
Ingredients:
2oz Gran Coramino Cristalino
0.75oz Lime Juice
0.5oz Prickly Pear Juice
0.5oz Crème de Coconut
2 dashes Orange Bitters
Directions:
Half Rim Rocks Glass W/ Salt & Sugar. Fill Cocktail Shaker w/ Fresh Ice. Add Cristalino, Lime Juice, Prickly Pear Juice, Crème De Coconut, And Orange Bitters To Cocktail Shaker. Shake And Double Strain Into Rocks Glass Over Fresh Ice. Garnish With Orange Twist.
The Grand Ball
Ingredients:
2 oz Four Roses Small Batch Bourbon
3/4 oz raspberry syrup*
3/4 oz lemon juice
1 egg white
Fresh raspberries and black berries for garnish
Directions: Muddle blackberries in a mixing tin and add remaining ingredients. Dry shake for fifteen seconds and add ice. Shake for another fifteen seconds or until the cocktail is well chilled. Double strain over ice into a rocks glass. Garnish
*Raspberry Syrup: Combine equal parts raspberries, granulated sugar, and hot water. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Cool to room temperature. Strain.
The Mint Julep
Ingredients:
2 oz of Rémy Martin VSOP
0.50 oz Sugar Syrup
Directions:
Add 8 mint springs and the sugar syrup to a mixing glass. Add crushed ice and 2 oz Rémy Martin VSOP. Shake until frosted, then pour the cocktail into a rock class. Garnish with a mint sprig.
True 52
Source: Various / Various
I recently interviewed Eric LeGrand and while he prefers his bourbon neat, I’m a cocktail enthusiast. Although LeGrand’s bourbon is very good on its own, it makes an extremely solid base for any drink you mix up. – D.L.
1.5 oz. Eric LeGrand Bourbon
.5 oz. Campari
.25 oz. Ginger Liqueur
.5 oz. Honey Syrup
.5 oz. Lemon Juice
1 oz. Black Tea
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a highball glass over ice. Top with Ginger Beer.
Tulchan Gin Rosemary and Blackberry Collins
Homemade rosemary syrup (sugar/water/rosemary)
2 parts Tulchan Gin
1 part Rosemary syrup
3 blackberries
1 part fresh lemon juice
Method: Build all in a tall glass with ice, stir and top with soda.
Very Berry Sour Cocktail
Ingredients:
2 oz Clyde May’s Straight Bourbon Whiskey
3/4 oz @somcordial Oregon Berry cordial
1/2 oz @boozybotanicals Rosemary Mint syrup
1/4 oz freshly squeezed lime juice
1/4 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
Method:
Pour all ingredients into a shaker and mix for 5-10 seconds. Pour over ice and enjoy. Garnish with rosemary sprig, assorted berries.
Weller Paper Plane
This is a Weller expression you might be able to find here and there. – D.L.
Ingredients:
3/4 oz Weller Special Reserve Bourbon
3/4 oz Amaro
3/4 oz Bitter Aperitivo
3/4 oz lemon juice
Method: Add the Weller Special Reserve, bitter aperitivo, amaro and lemon juice into a shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled. Strain into a coupe glass and garnish with a lemon peel.
Wheatley Vodka American Mule
Ingredients:
1.5 oz Wheatley Vodka
.5 oz lime juice
4 oz (or top off) Ginger Beer
Optional blueberry and/or strawberry for garnish
Method: Pour vodka and lime juice into copper Moscow Mule mug. Add ice cubes and top with ginger beer. Garnish with a blueberry and strawberry
Prepared For Pouring…And Other Offerings
19 Crimes
Very fine wine. Snoop Dogg knows his grapes. – D.L.
Learn more here.
Cultor
We haven’t tried out Cultor yet but we will very soon. Looks cool, though. – D.L.
Learn more here.
Duck Pond Cellars
We’ve featured Duck Pond Cellars previously and they continue to be one of our favorite brands. The company also produces spirits via its Ransom arm. Their Dry Gin expression is one of my new faves. – D.L.
Learn more here.
Fishers Lemonade
The late, great Keith “Guru” Elam once rapped “Lemonade is a popular drink and it still is” and we want to thank Fishers Lemonade for carrying on the tradition with their boozy version of the summertime classic. Without an ounce of hyperbole, these are fire. – D.L.
Free AF
Of the spirit-free offerings out there, Free AF is the closest to tasting like the real thing thanks to the brand’s patented and all-natural Afterglow additive. – D.L.
Learn more here.
HOP WTR Passion Peach Spritz
We have to remember that not everyone drinks adult beverages but still wants to feel like they’re part of the festivities. – D.L.
Ingredients:
2 oz Sweetened Passion Fruit Purée
¾ Yuzu Concentrate
Topped with Peach HOP WTR
BUILD: Add everything to a shaker tin except the Peach HOP WTR. Shake all of the ingredients with ice and strain into a glass of fresh ice. Top with Peach HOP WTR and garnish with Shisho Leaf.
Hoop Tea
It’s iced tea season and Hoop Tea has spiked varieties that will serve as your trusted sips companion during the cookout and fireworks display. Founded in Ocean City, Md., the brand offers a quartet of flavors along with ready-to-serve pouches. – D.L.
Learn more here.
High Tide
As cannabis leans further into the mainstream, the various ways to consume the product continue to develop. High Tide offers a quartet of cannabis-infused hard seltzers that, for now, are only available in Arizona and Utah. – D.L.
Learn more here.
Lifevine
Zero-sugar wine doesn’t seem like it would be all that tasty but Lifevine flips the tables on that assumption. – D.L.
Learn more here.
Sammy’s Beach Bar Cocktail Co.
We’ve had these canned cocktails from Sammy’s Beach Bar Cocktail Co. before and we’re happy to report that they’re solid. Very solid. – D.L.
Learn more here.
Simply Spiked
The Simply brand expanded into the adult beverage world with great results thus far. Don’t bypass this one in the aisle. – D.L.
Learn more here.
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Photo: Getty
