Independence Day is time for fireworks, family, bbqs, travel and fun! The biggest holiday during the summer is also one of the booziest – and here are the cocktails to enjoy!
The Fresh Toast – Here are the best 4th of July cocktails to enjoy at every event. These are easy and will be a big hit!
July 4th is the big holiday in the summer and people make the most of it! Travel, bbqs, fireworks, parades all on the buffet of fun! And the centerpiece for most is a good drink….it is the 4th booziest holiday of the year. It is also a big weekend for marijuana, but with gatherings, most people reach for something cold. Here are the best 4th of July cocktails embracing the hot weather, tasty flavors and simple classic.
Watermelon is the perfect summer fruit – crispy, flavorful and hydrating, it has been a sticky favorite for years. This cocktail gives it a great twist for outdoor actives. Just be careful – it can be lethal!
Ingredients
Firecracker Shots
This could be the most delicious shot to celebrate Independence Day. A little effort will make a big splash when you arrive these taste treats! Great to kick-off the party or an extra special dessert!
Ingredients
Blue Layer
Red Layer
Create
Squeeze the grapefruit segments into a shaker and drop in the fruit (or add fresh juice)
Add the gin, sweet vermouth and Campari to the shaker with ice, and shake until well-chilled
Place ice in a rocks glass and curl the grapefruit peel around the inside of the glass
Strain into the prepared glass
Rosé Spritz
Quick, easy and delicious – this is good for small and large groups as it can be assembled on the fly.
Ingredients
Mint for garnish
Create
Fill a white wine glass halfway with ice
Add Prosecco, seltzer, orange liqueur and grapefruit juice and stir
Garnish with a grapefruit twist and a sprig of mint
The Mint Julep is an All-American classic drink celebrating horse racing, morning drinking and good bourbon! What better beverage to have at 4th of July BBQ?
Ingredients
8fresh mint leaves, plus more for garnish
¼ to ½ounce simple syrup (you can make ahead)
2ouncesbourbon
Crushed ice
Create
In a julep cup or glass, muddle the mint leaves in ¼ ounce simple syrup
Add the bourbon and fill the cup with crushed ice
Garnish with mint
Simply Syrup
Combine 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water in a medium saucepan over medium heat
Bring to a boil, stirring, until sugar has dissolved.
Allow to cool, place in fridge to be cocktail ready
Remember to be careful on your consumption and drink plenty of water. Have a great Independence Day!
Lean into the joy of the holiday season with this merry cocktails – delight your taste buds and favorite people!
According to TikTok, it s the most wonderful, stressful, fun, boozy time of year. So why not lean into the season and make merry with something fun. Here are the best cocktails to make you feel festive, no matter what the situation. Plus, these are drinks you can make quickly with minimum effort and maximum fun. Pour one of these concoctions and have a moment of peace or share them with the one you like, love or tolerate at work. Sip, savor and bring a little ho ho ho into the moment.
Here is a way to settle into a cozy beverage which will warm your body and soul. Bourbon has been part of the holidays for generations…and you can make this a new tradition.
Ingredients
2ozbourbon
1/2oz simple syrup
2dashes bitters
2 dashes orange juice
Garnish: cinnamon stick and orange peel
Create
Combine ingredients in a mixing glass and add ice
Stir for 20 seconds
Strain into a rocks glass with ice
Garnish with orange peel and a cinnamon stick
Easy, Tasty Egg Nog
You either you love it or hate it, but Egg Nog is a holiday staple. This recipe makes it lighter, tasty and a wee dangerous since it is so good. It bring a whole new take on a staid drink.
Ingredients
2 oz store bought egg nog
1ozmilk (2% is the best)
small splash vanilla
1 oz Licor 43
Create
Combine egg nog, milk and vanilla
Stir until well mixed
Add Licor 43 and stir again
Pour into a fun glass and enjoy
White Bishop
The Bishop’s Wife is a great holiday movie filled with the Christmas spirit and some never ending booze. This drink is an embraces the fun, warmth, snow, and spirit of the evening. Perfect as a dessert drink, a morning treat or just to lift your holiday mood.
Nothing says celebration like bubbles. Whether you use champagne or prosecco, this is bound to bring a smile to your face. And the poinsettia is Christmas tradition since
Ingredients
1/2ozorange liqueur
3oz cranberry juice
3oz of champagne or prosecco
Garnish with fresh cranberries
Create
Pour orange liqueur and cranberry juice into a chilled champagne flute
At this year, every one wants to indulge a bit – here are some fun cocktails to make the season merry and bright
Whiskey is the most popular liquor in most US states, and sales increased 9.4% in 2022 compared to 2020. Monks help introduce the world to whiskey over 1000 year ago after. What not blend this booze in the best holiday whiskey cocktails? It is a crowd pleaser.
Whiskey is a general term for a distilled, barrel-aged spirit made from fermented grains, while bourbon is a type of whiskey that meets specific requirements. It is made from a mashbill that’s at least 51% corn, while whiskey can be made from a blend of grains like corn, rye, barley, or wheat. The corn in bourbon gives it a distinctive sweet flavor. It must be aged in new, charred oak barrels, while other whiskeys can be aged in a variety of barrels, including those previously used for other spirits. It cannot contain any additives or colorings. Bourbon is primarily produced in Kentucky, though it can be made anywhere in the world. To be designated “straight bourbon whiskey,” bourbon must be aged in new charred oak barrels for at least two years.
A holiday favorite, it is a similar to a rich, flavorful, creamy milkshake with a kick.
Ingredients
3 parts Whole Milk
2 parts Half and Half
1.5 parts Bourbon
1 part sifted Sugar, Powdered
Vanilla extract
Fresh Grated Nutmeg
Cinnamon Stick
Create
In a pitcher, whisk together milk, half-and-half, bourbon, sugar and vanilla
Freeze until slushy and ready to serve
Stir before serving it in a chilled glass
Finish with a few gratings of fresh nutmeg
Garnish with a cinnamon stick.
Maple Bourbon Coffee
Seen in the movie Elf, this morning delight it perfect hone hosting holiday guests, prep for tailgating or after a morning of shopping.
Ingredients
4 cups coffee, strongly brewed
4 cups whole milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
9 ozs Maple Bourbon
Whipped cream
Grated cinnamon
Create
Add coffee, milk, vanilla extract and ground cinnamon to a slow cooker
Heat on low for 1 ½ hours
Add in bourbon
Serve in heat safe glasses and top with whipped cream and cinnamon
Christmas Old Fashioned Cocktail
Having some friends over and want to impress them? What about a pitcher of this festive elixir? It bring some holiday cheer to even the meanest Scrooge.
Ingredients
3Cranberries
2ozWhiskey
1ozGinger Syrup
2dashesAngostura Bitters
1Orange Slice
1Rosemary Sprig
Create
Crush cranberries in a rocks cocktail glass
Add whiskey, ginger syrup and bitters
Fill glass with ice, garnish with orange slice and rosemary sprig
Why just have wine or beer for your Thanksgiving gatherings? Why not have a fun, festive cocktail around Turkey Day.
Whether a family affair, a Friendsgiving, or just having fun on the long holiday weekend, why not spice it up with something delicious to drink? Here are the best cocktails for an easy, festive Thanksgiving.
Most people indulge in pumpkin pie during the holidays. Why not mix it and wow the taste buds with the classic flavor mixed with a a favorite drink? While making the pie, set aside a little of the pumpkin and use it to make defiantly a crowd pleaser.
Ingredients
Start by adding brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and water to a saucepan on low-medium heat
Whisk to combine and bring to a very low simmer
Once the sugar has dissolved, take the pan off of the heat
Pour the syrup into a container and place in the fridge to cool for 10-15 minutes
Add a handful of ice cubes to a cocktail shaker
Pour in the tequila, cointreau, pumpkin syrup, lime juice, pumpkin puree, and 3 dashes of angostura bitters
Close the lid tightly and shake for 15-30 seconds
Remove the lid from the cocktail shaker and gently strain the drink into ice filled glasses
Garnish with any herbs and spices like cinnamon sticks, freshly grated nutmeg, or rosemary
Amaretto Sour
The Amaretto Sour was likely created in 1974 by the importer of Amaretto di Saronno as a promotional push. The original recipe was two parts amaretto liqueur to one part lemon juice.
The Amaretto Sour became popular in the 1970s and 1980s. It was a favorite among bartenders and patrons because of its distinct almond flavor and refreshing sourness. It is a cozy drink perfect for a small gathering to celebrate Thanksgiving.
1 1/2ouncesamaretto liqueur
3/4ouncecask-proof bourbon
1ouncelemon juice, freshly squeezed
1teaspoonsimple syrup
1/2ounceegg white
Garnish:lemon twist
Garnish:2brandied cherries
Create
Add amaretto, bourbon, lemon juice, simple syrup and egg white to a shaker and dry-shake (no ice) for 15 seconds
Add ice and shake again until well-chilled
Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice
Garnish with a lemon twist and 2 skewered brandied cherries
Apple Pie Bourbons
What is more Thanksgiving than apple pie and bourbon? While not settle into a nice drink contain both of them. A rich, luscious, flavor to enjoy watch football or as a pre drink before the big meal.
Ingredients
2 apples (green and red), chopped
1 1” piece fresh ginger
1 whole nutmeg, slightly shaved
4 cinnamon sticks, plus more for garnish
1 1/2 cup bourbon
3 sugar cubes
Create
Fill a mason jar with bourbon, apples, sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, and ginger.
Let mixture sit 2 to 4 days. (Taste after 2 days and let sit longer as desired.)
Pour mixture into shot glasses and garnish with a cinnamon stick.
Rose Kennedy
This cocktails also known as a “VSS” (vodka soda splash) is about refreshing as possible, and a low calorie alternative to other options. Developed in DC in the late 80s, the original Rose Kennedy was garnished with lemon only and contained only enough cranberry to make the drink barely pink making the squeezed lemon and cranberry flavors faint but equal. At the time, the use of a lime made it an Ethel Kennedy.
Ingredients
2 ounces vodka
1 1/2 ounces soda
1/2 ounce of cranberry
Create
In a glass filled with ice, add vodka and soda
Splash cranberry juice and garnish with a lemon wedge
While apple pie is the third favorite holiday (behind pumpkin and pecan), it is a delicious flavor to mix into the classic margarita…it give it an autumn feel and pairs perfectly with the tequila.
Ingredients
1 medium lemon
2 ounces Reposado or silver tequila
1 1/2 ounces apple cider or unfiltered apple juice
1/2 ounce maple syrup
1 pinch ground cinnamon
1 cinnamon stick or thin apple slices for garnish
Create
Juice medium lemon until you have 3/4 ounce
Place the lemon juice, 2 ounces tequila, 1 1/2 ounces apple cider, 1/2 ounce maple syrup, and 1 pinch ground cinnamon in a cocktail shaker
Fill the shaker halfway with ice Seal the and shake vigorously, about 20 seconds.
Pour through a strainer into the glass
Garnish with a cinnamon stick and thin apple slices if desired