Toast Our Country With These Awesomely Easy 4th Of July Cocktails
The Fourth of July is that one holiday that brings excitement. From the endless summer treats, festive décor, fireworks galore, and special moments with friends and family. If you were one of the lucky ones, you took off Friday and can start celebrating now with one of these drinks. Don’t worry, the rest of us will catch up soon enough. So if you are planning a barbecue, heading to a friend’s beach house, or throwing a rooftop party, we have listed a few easy 4th of July Cocktails and a boozy dessert to fete this Independence Day. So go ahead, toast our country with these cool, and breezy concoctions. Hopefully you’re not working the next day. Happy 4th!
Skinny Pineapple Margarita
Ingredients:
1 Part Dulce Vida Pineapple Jalapeno Tequila
3 Parts Club Soda
Squeeze of fresh lime
Method:
Include all ingredients into a glass over ice. Gently stir to mix ingredients. Garnish with a slice of pineapple or lime.
Kona’s Endless Summer
Ingredients:
1 oz white rum
1 oz pineapple juice
1/2 oz honey syrup
3/4 oz lime juice
3 oz Kona Tropical Punch
Method:
Combine all ingredients, except Kona, to a cocktail shaker with ice. Next, shake for approximately 30 seconds to chill and combine the ingredients. Now, strain the cocktail into the pineapple and fill the pineapple with crushed ice. Top with Kona Tropical Punch (approx 3 ounces) Garnish & Enjoy!
Pineapple Preparation:
For a well-prepared pineapple vessel, you want to remove the pineapple meat from around half the pineapple (approx 1.5-2 inches deep) and leave around 1/2 inch of meat on the sides. You don’t want to cut too much or too close to the sides as this will diminish the structural integrity of the pineapple.
Not Your Mother’s White Wine Spritzer
Ingredients:
1 bottle Casillero del Diablo Sauvignon Blanc (750 ml)
3/4 cup elderflower liqueur
3/4 cup lemon juice
750 ml club soda (about 3 cups)
Fresh herbs such as rosemary, mint, and thyme
Method:
Combine all ingredients in a pitcher with ice and stir very briefly.Garnish each glass with additional sprigs of herbs.
Adult Bomb Pop Cocktail
Ingredients:
Red Layer:
- 1 oz. Van Gogh Raspberry Vodka
- 3 oz. fruit punch
- ½ oz. grenadine
White Layer:
- 2 oz. Van Gogh Pineapple Vodka
- 1 heaping tsp. coconut cream
- 1 oz. pineapple juice
Blue Layer:
- 1 oz. Van Gogh Vodka
- ½ oz. blue curacao
- 3 oz. lemonade
Method:
Blend red layer, pour in a glass and place in freezer until a good slush consistency is achieved. Blend white layer, rest gently on top of the red layer and place in freezer. Blend blue layer and fill to the top of the glass. Freeze until ready to drink. Garnish with a mint sprig.
Boozy Berry Snow Cone
Ingredients:
- 2 oz. Van Gogh Açaí-Blueberry, chilled
- 4 oz. pink lemonade, chilled
- 1 cup of ice
Method:
Add chilled vodka and lemonade to a mixing glass, stir and set aside. Blend ice cubes in a blender until desired snow-like consistency, then scoop into a glass or white container. Top with chilled Van Gogh Açaí-Blueberry and lemonade mixture, and garnish with red berries.
RWB Spiked Lemonade
Ingredients:
- 1/2 oz. grenadine
- 1/2 oz. blue curaçao
- 1/2 oz. lemonade
- 1-1/2 oz. Van Gogh Voka
- Crushed ice
Method:
Combine crushed ice with grenadine and 1/2 ounce Van Gogh Vodka, add to the bottom of a highball glass. Combine crushed ice with lemonade and 1/2 ounce Van Gogh Vodka and place in glass on top of red layer. Combine crushed ice with blue curaçao and remaining 1/2 ounce of Van Gogh Vodka and place in glass on top of the white layer. Garnish with floating blueberries and a mint sprig.
Blue Betty
Ingredients:
- 2 oz Deep Eddy Vodka
- 2 oz Topo Chico
- ¼ oz agave nectar or simple syrup
- 6 blueberries (muddle)
- 1 basil leaf (muddle)
- ¼ oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Blueberry and basil leaf garnish
Method:
Mix the first 4 ingredients, then muddle, shake and strain over new ice. Top with Topo Chico. Garnish with blueberry and basil leaf garnish.
Berry and Sage 75
Ingredients:
- 5 oz. Koskenkorva Vodka
- .5 oz. freshly squeezed lemon juice
- .5 oz. simple syrup
- 3 blackberries
- 2 sage leaves
- 3 oz. chilled champagne
Method:
Muddle 2 blackberries in tin. Lightly roll 1 sage leave between your hands and add to tin. Shake long and hard, then top with 3 oz. of champagne. Fine strain into champagne flute and garnish with 1 blackberry and 1 sage leaf.
Red River Punch
Ingredients:
- 5 oz Koskenkorva Vodka
- .5 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
- .5 oz simple Syrup
- 4 pcs raspberry
- Egg White
- Soda Water
Method:
Muddle raspberries in a shaker with the liquids and add egg white. Shake vigorously with ice and double strain in a wine glass.
Rum Old Pal
Ingredients:
- 1 oz Zaya Rum
- 1 oz Campari
- 1 oz Carpano Bianco Vermouth
Method:
Add all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir for around 30 seconds to chill and combine ingredients. Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice. Garnish & Enjoy.
For Dessert
Black & Bluebery Pie with Rock & Rye Whiskey
(Courtesy of Caity Pies, Nashville)
Ingredients:
- 1 batch of unbaked pie dough (can be store bought)
- 4 cups of Blueberries
- 2 cups Blackberries
- 1 cup of Sugar
- 1/4 cup All Purpose Flour
- 2 Tbsp Quick Cooking Tapioca
- 2 Tbsp fresh Orange Zest, divided
- 4 Tbsp Slow & Low Rock & Rye
- 1 Tbsp Turbinado Sugar
Method:
Mix berries, sugar, flour, tapioca, half of the orange zest, and the Slow & Low in a bowl. Allow to rest for 15 minutes, or use immediately if fruit is frozen.
Roll out half of the dough In a 10 inch circle and line a 9” pie pan. Fill with berry mixture. Roll out remaining dough and cover berries either with a lattice or a top crust with slits across to vent.
Preheat oven to 425.
Crack an egg in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Brush across the top crust and add a sprinkle of turbinado sugar.
Bake for 20 minutes at 425 and then reduce heat to 350. Continue to bake for 40 -50 minutes, turning at least once. Cover the edges with foil towards the end of the bake, if needed.
Allow pie to cool for 5 hours or overnight. Sprinkle with remaining orange zest and serve with Whiskey ice cream and a glass of Slow & Low.
Makes 8 servings.
Photos: Courtesy