22 Patriotic 4th of July Cocktails to Celebrate the Holiday
Honor America with a classic combo of drinks and fireworks.
It's that time of year again, when the whole family gets together to perform the patriotic duties of eating, drinking, and setting off low-grade explosives in the backyard. While we don't recommend mixing booze and fireworks (unless you've got fingers to spare), these summery cocktails are great for those of you in the peanut gallery.
But coming up with a cocktail menu for a party is hard work. You have to track down the recipes, figure out your ingredients, go shopping, and make sure you've got something for everyone from grandma to your hard-partying younger cousins. As a result, most people just throw their hands up in resignation and fill a cooler with beers, white wines, and seltzers. There's nothing wrong with that, but July 4th is also an opportunity to step things up with a couple refreshing cocktails. If the happen to honor America via name, ingredients, or appearance, even better.
These Independence Day cocktails are guaranteed to get your patriotic juices flowing. Some are red, white, and blue, others feature perfectly appropriate names, and all are what you want to drink on a warm and festive July 4th, ideally with a hot dog or burger at the ready. This lineup of July 4th drinks will keep you and your guests cool, happy, and just tipsy enough to be impressed by those grocery-store sparklers. So make one or more of these 4th of July cocktail recipes, raise a glass, and enjoy the holiday.
22 Patriotic 4th of July Cocktails to Celebrate the Holiday
- The Summer Grapefruit Smash is a refreshing cocktail that proves whiskey isn't just a cold-weather drink. It features Teeling Small Batch Irish Whiskey alongside Martini Riserva Special Bitter, a botanical aperitif that's like a richer, spicier, less bitter Campari. Muddled grapefruit provides a splash of fresh, tart juice, simple syrup lends some sweetness, and orange bitters brings it all together with a dash of complexity. The Summer Grapefruit Smash is easy to make at home for summer parties, or just f... View Summer Grapefruit Smash Recipe
- The Bramble Berry Sour is a tart and refreshing cocktail from Chef Omar Tate. It combines Bombay Bramble (a gin infused with raspberries and blackberries), lemon juice, orange juice, Martini and Rossi Bitter, Martini and Rossi Fiero , and honey syrup. Once your ingredients are in hand, shake with cubed ice and then strain into a rocks glass over crushed ice. The resulting cocktail is perfect for summer, providing a wave of cooling refreshment that combines berry notes, tart citrus, and bitter liqueur... View Bramble Berry Sour Recipe
- The Summer Watermelon Cooler is a thirst-quenching cocktail made with Bacardi Superior white rum, fresh watermelon juice, and grapefruit soda, plus blueberries and lime to garnish. It's a great way to beat the summer heat and to infuse your body with some electrolytes. Best of all, you don't need any special tools to make it—just add your ingredients into a tall glass with ice, and you're ready to enjoy this easygoing cooler. View Summer Watermelon Cooler Recipe
- The classic Mojito and its simple mix of rum, lime, sugar, mint, and sparkling water is the perfect summer drink, always there to provide refreshment on the hottest days. But that doesn't mean it can't be tweaked. The Blueberry Strawberry Mojito sticks to the rum, lime, and sugar trio, but it then swerves to include fresh strawberries and blueberries, plus the option to top with club soda or optional sparkling wine. Garnish with mint, and you've got a fun take on the Mojito that will be a hit at summer pa... View Blueberry Strawberry Mojito Recipe
- Summer of the Spritz is an easy-drinking vodka cocktail that's heavy on refreshment. Combining Seagram’s Juicy Watermelon Flavored Vodka with bianco vermouth, grapefruit, and Prosecco (so, to recap: flavored vodka, craft vermouth, fresh juice, and sparkling wine), you're checking a lot of boxes that are sure to please the crowd at your next backyard barbecue or pool party. View Summer of the Spritz Recipe
- Tommy's Vacation combines a couple of base spirits that you don't typically find in the same glass: mezcal and watermelon vodka. The first adds a smoky and savory backbone to the cocktail, while the latter keeps things easy-drinking. Throw in some lemon, agave, and Ancho Reyes Verde , and you've got an interesting blend of refreshment that's perfect for pool season. View Tommy's Vacation Recipe
- The Americano cocktail originated at Gaspare Campari's bar in Milan, Italy in the 1860s, and likely gained its name because of its popularity amongst American tourists. It's made with Campari , sweet vermouth , and differs from the slightly older Milano-Torino only in the addition of soda water. James Bond ordered one in the short story From a View to a Kill , giving it some serious cool-factor, and it's great for a hot summer day or sitting at an Italian café with a good book. View Americano Recipe
- You know what's better than lemonade? Spiked Lemonade. This version opts for vodka, and also adds some fresh raspberries into the mix. Where things take a turn from your typical lemonade is the inclusion of ginger beer instead of water. That gives the cocktail a gingery, effervescent touch that's extra refreshing. See the recipe below, and try mixing up a Spiked Lemonade for yourself. If you want to make a whole batch for a pool party or other summery affair, just multiple the base ingredients (vodka, lemo... View Spiked Lemonade Recipe
- Scotch is often relegated to the back of one's liquor cabinet until the cooler months, which is a real shame, because scotch can and should be enjoyed all year round. Proving that point is the Smoked Independence, which blends peaty Laphroaig 10 Year with pineapple rum and pomegranate to create a delicious, sweet, and smoky cocktail you'll want to break out at backyard barbecues. It retains that lush scotch character while offering plenty of refreshment—making the Smoked Indepe... View Smoked Independence Recipe
- The Watermelon Paloma is a twist on the classic Paloma cocktail that employs watermelon and seltzer instead of grapefruit soda. This change results in a tall glass of refreshment that will keep you hydrated on hot days. Throw in some cilantro and salt, and you get a savory foil to the thirst-quenching watermelon. So all throughout summer, mix up a Watermelon Paloma, drink one down, and repeat as necessary. View Watermelon Paloma Recipe
- The Gin Rickey is a classic gin cocktail made with a simple combination of fresh lime juice and soda water. It's a summertime favorite, and couldn't be easier to make. The Rickey is also a great recipe for mixing up your normal routine of Gin and Tonics , though it won't give you the same bitter kick if that's what you're looking for. The Rickey was invented by "Colonel Joe" Rickey at Shoomaker's Bar in Washington, DC, way back in the summer of 1883. Rickey himself was a fairly active political figure, ca... View Gin Rickey Recipe
- The Pimm's Cup cocktail is a British classic that's great for summer afternoons and brunches with friends. The Pimm's Cup is fresh and delicious, with plenty of citrus, spices and herbal notes. As it's light on alcohol compared to a full-proof cocktail, the Pimm's Cup is easy to drink and there's little guilt when ordering a second round. What's in a Pimm's Cup Cockail? The base spirit for the Pimm's Cup is Pimm's No. 1 , a low-proof gin-based liqueu... View Pimm's Cup Recipe
- The Whiskey Smash is a classic whiskey cocktail, and a cousin of the Mint Julep —the only difference being that a smash contains fresh fruit, while juleps don't. The ingredients are a simple combination of bourbon , lemons, simple syrup , and mint , making this a strong but well-balanced formula. The classic Whiskey Smash dates back to the good old days of 19th century American mixology, and appears in some of the earliest cocktail recipe books around. The name likely comes from the muddling involved i... View Whiskey Smash Recipe
- The Noble Punch is a refreshing tequila drink that employs pineapple alongside lime, simple syrup, and soda. The tequila provides a firm base for the other ingredients to stand on, and the topper of soda offers a touch of hydration and effervescence perfect for fighting the summer heat. It's an easy cocktail to make, whether you're mixing up a solo serving for yourself or batching up a large vat for a party. View Noble Punch Recipe
- The classic Daiquiri is a delicious and wonderfully simple cocktail that consists of only three ingredients: white rum, lime juice, and sugar. That's it. As always, we recommend using fresh lime juice, as well as simple syrup to avoid getting clumps of granulated sugar in your Daiquiri. (And for some excellent rums to use, see our writeup for the best rums for a Daiquiri according to top bartenders.) The rise of the Frozen Daiquiri Although drinkers have b... View Daiquiri Recipe
- Spanish for "dove," the Paloma is a Mexican favorite that is wonderful for the summer patio. Its refreshing taste is a wonderful example of sweet and tart flavors being combined with salt and powerful tequila . If unavailable, the grapefruit soda can be substituted with a combination of grapefruit juice and either club soda or sparkling water. View Paloma Recipe
- Margaritas are a beloved cocktail enjoyed by millions of people around the world. However, there's something special about a Frozen Margarita that sets it apart from the classic version. It's difficult to place the Frozen Margarita to a specific point in history, but people have been making the Frozen Marg since at least the 1930s, when bartenders started experimenting with blended drinks. The first official Frozen Margarita machine was invented in 1971 by a&nb... View Frozen Margarita Recipe
- The Chilton is an easy-to-make, three-ingredient drink that combines vodka with fresh lemon juice and soda water. It allegedly hails from West Texas, possibly the city of Lubbock, where legend says that it was first concocted by a Lubbock Country Club bartender for one Dr. Chilton. The good doctor wanted a drink that was strong, citrusy, and not too sweet, and this is certainly that. Whether or not that origin story is true, the drink has particular sway in West Texas, and it's easy to see why. The Chilton... View The Chilton Recipe
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