Whether you’re planning a casual BBQ or a more formal celebration for this Fourth of July weekend, a specialty cocktail is the perfect way to class up any event. This holiday happens to be one of the easiest to work with when it comes to creating a specialty drink. Whether you stick to Sex and the City-style cosmos or whip out the blender for fruit-flavored margaritas, it’s easy to come up with drinks that incorporate the patriotic colors of the Fourth: red, white and blue.
Star Spangled Blue Martini
Inject a classic martini with a bright blue color and a hint of orange flavor. For best results, make sure both the gin and martini glasses are well chilled by placing them in the freezer beforehand. Ingredients: 2 dashes of dry vermouth, 2 dashes of blue curacao, 2 oz. of Bombay Sapphire gin (or other kind), and lemon twist for garnish. The blue color of this martini will be so vivid that your guests will be raving!
Yankee Doodle Pina Colada
The classic frozen pina colada is a favorite for pineapple and coconut lovers. Not only that, it’ll make your friends and family believe they’re on a tropical island getaway. Ingredients: 2 oz. light rum, ½ cup of pineapple cubes or 2 oz. of pineapple juice, 1.5 oz. of coconut cream, pineapple wedge for garnish. Blend all ingredients with 2 cups of ice. To make this white blended drink even more patriotic, add a maraschino cherry and some blueberries as garnish. Serve in a hurricane glass for that extra vacation-y touch.
Rocket’s Red Glare Cosmo
A cosmopolitan, the drink of choice of the Sex and the City gals, will work superbly as your red cocktail. Ingredients: 1 oz. vodka, ½ oz. triple sec, ½ oz. of Rose’s® lime juice, ½ oz. of cranberry juice. Shake all ingredients in a shaker with ice for a well-chilled drink. Strain into a martini glass and garnish with a lime wedge.
Wait, What About the Kids?
Don’t worry, we didn’t forget about kids drinks. You definitely want to encourage them to hydrate themselves as they run around with friends during your celebration. What better way to appeal to both their eyes and taste buds than with red, white and blue drinks? For the red and blue drinks, try mixing either red or blue punch with ginger ale for that extra carbonated kick. As for the white drink, try vanilla floats with vanilla ice cream and ginger ale or any other light soda. Or, to get them to eat their fruits, try adding blueberries and raspberries to a cup of sprite. With all of these patriotic drink options for your Fourth celebration, both the adults and kids will stay cool and happy.
