15 Patriotic Cocktails And Non-Alcoholic Drinks For The 4th Of July

Want to add a splash of red, white and blue and a dash of patriotism to your Fourth of July cocktails?

Here are 15 drink recipes — some with alcohol, others without — with names like “Firecracker,” “Cherry Bomb,” and “Star-Spangled Slushie.”

Firecracker

Cayenne pepper gives this cocktail from liquor.com some serious Independence Day attitude.

You’ll need:
2 1-inch cubed watermelon chunks
1½ ounces aged rum
½ ounce triple sec
½ ounce lime juice, freshly squeezed
½ ounce simple syrup (equal parts granulated sugar and water)
⅙ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Lime wedge for garnish

Muddle the watermelon in a mixing glass; add remaining ingredients and shake until well-chilled. Stain into a cocktail glass and garnish with a lime wedge.

Guy’s Fourth Of July Cocktail

Celebrity chef Guy Fiera has a hot take on an Independence Day drink, via the Food Network.

You’ll need:
1 ounce watermelon schnapps
1 big splash cranberry juice
1 very thin slice jalapeño or serrano pepper
1 slice lemon
1 slice lime
1½ ounces tequila
¼ ounce blue Curaçao
½ ounce simple syrup
Watermelon wedge, for garnish (optional)

Mix the schnapps and cranberry juice in a shaker, then pour into an ice-filled glass. Muddle the pepper, lemon and lime slices, tequila, blue Curaçao and simple syrup (to make a batch, dissolve sugar in equal parts hot water and chill) in the shaker. Slowly strain into the glass over the red layer. Add the watermelon wedge garnish, if desired.

Rocket Jell-O Shots

These red, white and blue vodka-infused shots from delish scream Fourth of July. This recipe yields about 20 shots.

You’ll need:
1 box instant blueberry Jell-O
1 box instant cherry Jell-O
1 envelope of gelatin
1½ cups vodka (½ cup for each layer)
1 cup milk (divided)
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract.

The key is to allow adequate cooling time between layers.

In a small bowl, combine ½ cup boiling water and the blueberry mix and stir until it’s completely dissolved. Stir in ½ cup vodka. Repeat the process in a separate bowl with the cherry Jell-O. Let both mixtures cool.

To make the white layer, sprinkle gelatin over ¼ cup milk in a medium bowl. In a saucepan over medium heat, brining the remaining ¾ cup milk to a simmer. Turn off the heat and stir in the sugar, vanilla and vodka, then pour the mixture over the plain gelatin mixture and stir until the gelatin is completely dissolved. Let cool for 10 minutes.

Lightly spray 20 2-ounce plastic shot glasses with cooking spray. Spoon about 1 tablespoon blueberry Jell-O mix into each. Refrigerate until set but not completely firm, about 15 minutes.

Top with about 1 tablespoon of the white gelatin mixture. Refrigerate until set, about 10 minutes.

Finish with about 1 tablespoon of the cherry Jell-O mixture and refrigerate until firm, about two hours.

Cherry Bomb

This recipe for a festively colored cocktail from allrecipes.com serves four.

You’ll need:
1 liter lime soda
4 fluid ounces rum
4 fluid ounces grenadine syrup
1 lime, juiced
1 lime, sliced
4 maraschino cherries

Stir the soda, rum, grenadine and lime juice in a mixing glass; pour into four chilled glasses; and garnish with sliced lime and cherries.

Fireworks Red, White And Blue Daiquiris

This boozy daiquiri from the Food Network uses rum and liqueurs. The recipe makes six cocktails.

For the red layer, you’ll need:
1 cup frozen strawberries
1 cup frozen watermelon chunks
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
2 tablespoons white rum
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup ice cubes

For the white layer, you’ll need:
1 cup coconut sorbet
¼ cup rum
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
1 cup ice cubes

For the blue layer, you’ll need:
⅓ cup blue passion fruit liqueur, such as Hpnotiq or Alize
¼ cup fresh lime juice (about 4 limes)
2 tablespoons blue Curaçao liqueur
2 tablespoons white rum
2 tablespoons sugar
2 cups ice cubes

For the red layer, put the ingredients in a blender. Blend until thick and smooth. Stir in a couple tablespoons of water if the mixture is too thick. Transfer to a large measuring cup or small bowl and place in the freezer while you’re making the next layer.

In a clean blender pitcher each time, repeat the process for the white layer. For the blue layer, blend until slushy and there are no chunks of ice left.

Pour the red mixture into the bottom of six 8-ounce glasses, about ⅓ cup each. Gently poon the white mixture over the red layer, taking care to keep them separate., then do the same with the blue layer.

4th Of July Wine Sparklers

This recipe from kitchn.com is quick and easy to make. It serves six to eight people.

You’ll need:
2 cups watermelon stars, cut with a star-shaped cookie cutter
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 bottle chilled dry white wine, such as Fumé Blanc, Chenin Blanc, or Vinho Verde
1 liter chilled lemon lime soda, such as a SodaStream mix, Sprite or 7UP

Put the watermelon and blueberries in the bottom of a 1-gallon pitcher. Pour in the white wine and soda, and gently mix to combine. Make sure a few fruit pieces make it into each glass.

Big Red

This recipe from “Maple Syrup” author and Bushwick Kitchen founder featured on liquor.com combines unlikely flavors.

You’ll need:
2 ounces Johnnie Walker Red Label scotch whisky
2 ounces Budweiser beer (or any lager)
2 ounces ginger beer

Fill a Collins glass with ice, add the scotch, beer and ginger beer. Stir gently to combine.

Red Cherry Mojito

From Hy-Vee, this recipe serves eight. It uses store-brand ingredients, but other brands will also work.

You’ll need:
15 pitted cherries
¼ cup fresh mint leaves
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 12-ounce can Hy-Vee frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
1½ cups cherry rum
4½ cups chilled Hy-Vee club soda

Put the cherries, mint leaves and lime juice in a cocktail shaker or muddling glass. Use a muddler to gently “bruise” the mint and release the cherry juice. Pour into a pitcher, add the lemonade concentrate and cherry rum, and stir to combine. Just before serving, slowly add the club soda and stir together. Serve in ice-filled glasses and garnish with mint sprigs for garnish.

4th Of July Martini

This recipe from Food.com is quick and easy to make and can be adjusted to serve a crowd. Proportions have been adjusted to serve four.

You’ll need:
6 ounces vodka
2 ounces triple sec
2 ounces blue Curaçao
2 ounces prepared sweet-and-sour mix
4 dashes grenadine liqueur

Mix all ingredients except the grenadine in a shaker and chill. Pour into a martini glass. Add the grenadine, and it will sink to the bottom.

Red, White And Blue Piña Colada

This patriotic take on the piña colada from 3 Yummy Tummies serves two.

You’ll need:
2 3-ounce shots of rum
2 3-ounce shots of blue Curaçao
6 ounces pineapple juice
4.5 ounces cream of coconut
1 cup fresh strawberries
2 cups ice

Add rum, pineapple juice, cream of coconut and ice to a blender and blend until smooth. Pour about two-thirds of the mixture into a separate container, leaving the rest in the blender. Add the strawberries to the blender and blend until smooth, then pour into drinking glasses. Slowly, pour one-third of the reserved piña colada mixture into the glasses. Add the remaining reserve mixture and blue Curaçao to the blender and blend until combined, then slowly pour it into the glasses.

Star-Spangled Slushie

This drink from Kegworks features colorful layers made with vodka, grenadine and blue Curaçao blended with lemonade and ice. This recipe makes one cocktail.

You’ll need:
1½ ounces vodka
½ ounce blue Curaçao
Fentimans Victorian Lemonade
Ice

Blend the vodka with 1 ounce of lemonade and three-fourths cup of ice. Repeat the step with grenadine and blue Curaçao, creating three separate batches. Layer each on top of the other in a cooler glass and top with festive, patriotic straws.

All-American Milkshake (Non-Alcoholic)

For a nostalgic twist, create an All-American Milkshake using this recipe from Joy Jolt.

You’ll need:
1 cup vanilla ice cream
½ cup milk
¼ cup strawberry purée
¼ cup blueberry purée
Whipped cream
Red, white and blue sprinkles

Blend the ice cream and milk until smooth. Layer the strawberry and blueberry purée in a glass. Pour in the milkshake, and top with whipped cream and sprinkles.

Watermelon Sweet Tea (Nonalcoholic)

This drink from Pioneer Woman begs to be consumed on a porch swing. The drink will keep for up to 8 hours in the refrigerator.

You’ll need:
4 green tea bags
½ cup packed fresh mint leaves, plus more for garnish
⅔ cup honey
8 cups cubed seedless watermelon (1-inch cubes)

Put the tea bags and mint in a large heat-proof pitcher. Add 5 cups boiling water and steep for 4 minutes. Remove the tea bags and mint without squeezing the tea bags. Whisk in the honey until it’s dissolved. Let cool to room temperature for about an hour, then refrigerate until cool, about 2 hours.

While the tea is chilling, arrange 2 cups of the 1-inch watermelon cubes on a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until solid (about 1 hour).

Purée the remaining six-cups of watermelon in a blender until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into the pitcher and stir to combine.

Divide the frozen watermelon cubes among the glasses. Add the tea and garnish with mint sprigs.

Sparkling Berry Lemonade (Non-Alcoholic)

This kid-friendly recipe from Joy Jolt, which sells premium glasses and barware, combines fresh berries and lemonade topped with a splash of sparkling water.

You’ll need:
1 cup sliced strawberries
1 cup blueberries
1 cup lemonade
1 cup sparkling water
Ice
Mint leaves for garnish

Muddle the strawberries and blueberries in a glass, add the lemonade and ice, and top with sparkling water and garnish with mint leaves.

Red, White And Blue Cocktails And Mocktails

This drink from Food Network is like a firecracker in your mouth. It can be alcoholic or non-alcoholic. The kick comes from coating the glass with blue Tropical Punch Pop Rocks. Run a wedge of lemon around the rim of the glass, then dip in a plate of the candies and fill the glasses with any red drink or cocktail.

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