Photo: Maskot (Getty Images).
July 4th is the day we, as Americans, celebrate our independence from Great Britain. It’s been a few years, but we continue to party in the only way we know how: by shooting fireworks into the sky, creating giant explosions above our heads for our amusement. The only thing that could make a loud, violent sky filled with fire better would be by imbibing one of these tasty Independence Day-themed cocktails that are as fun to make as they are to drink.
Celebrate With These 4th of July Cocktails:
Patriotic Punch
Ingredients:
- 1½ parts SVEDKA Cucumber Lime
- ¾ part simple syrup
- ¾ part fresh lime juice
- 1 strawberry (top removed)
Instructions:
Muddle strawberry in a cocktail shaker, add remaining ingredients, and fill with ice. Shake well and fine strain into a Collins glass over fresh ice. Garnish with strawberries and a cucumber slice.
American Cucumber Cocktail
Courtesy of Kim Crawford Wines
Ingredients:
- 1 seedless cucumber, thinly sliced
- 1 lime thinly sliced
- Fresh mint leaves
- 1/4 cup of lime juice
- 1/4 cup of honey
- 1 bottle of Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc
- 1 liter bottle carbonated water, chilled
Instructions:
In a large pitcher, combine cucumber, lime slices and 12 mint leaves in a large pitcher. In a small bowl, stir together lime juice and honey until combined. Pour over cucumber mixer, add wine, stirring gently. Cover and chill for at least two hours. (Recipe makes a batch. For single serving, use parts;1 oz = 1 part)
THE SPARKLER
Courtesy of Martini & Rossi
Ingredients:
- 5 ounces Martini & Rossi Prosecco
- 1 scoop Raspberry Sorbet
- Garnish: Raspberries
Preparation:
Using a melon baller, add a scoop of raspberry to a chilled champagne flute. Fill with Martini & Rossi Prosecco. Garnish with raspberries.
BERRY AMERICAN
Courtesy of St-Germain
Ingredients:
- 1 part St-Germain French Elderflower Liqueur
- 2 parts Vodka
- ¾ part Fresh Lemon
- ¼ part Simple Syrup
- 1 part Muddled Strawberry
- Top with Martini & Rossi Sparkling Rosé
Preparation:
Shake and strain over fresh ice in a Collins glass. Top with Martini & Rossi Sparkling Rosé. Garnish with strawberries.
Smoke & Spice
By Spoke & Steele’s Tyler Burns
Ingredients:
- 1 oz rittenhouse rye
- 1 oz monte alban reposado
- 3/4 oz fresh lime juice
- 1/2 oz lazzaroni amaretto
- 1/2 oz spiced simple syrup
- Pinch cayenne pepper
- 2 dash apple bitters
- 2 dash San Francisco alpine herb bitters
- Cedar plank
Preparations:
Build all ingredients in a cocktail tin over ice, shake and strain into the beaker. Using a blowtorch, torch a small circle on one end of the cedar plank until smoking. Quickly use the inverted coupe glass to trap in some of the smoke and serve with the cocktail on the side.
Red, White & Bluegrass State
Courtesy of Maker’s Mark
Ingredients:
- 2 parts Maker’s Mark® Bourbon
- 2–3 large blackberries
- ½ part raspberry liqueur
- 2 parts ginger ale
Preparation:
Muddle 2 or 3 large blackberries in a Collins glass with a splash of raspberry liqueur. Add in equal parts Maker’s Mark® Bourbon and ginger ale. Stir gently. Top off with ice.
