Celebrate 4th Of July 2026 With These Cocktails - Page 15

The 4th of July holiday weekend is upon us, and we’re certain cookouts and indoor hangs are happening all across the nation. As we celebrate America’s 250th anniversary, we’ve got a handy cocktail guide for your 4th of July celebrations.

I currently reside in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, and I can assure you, I will not be going outside until the sun goes down. With temps over 100 degrees across the region, it’s impossible to find relief. However, I am a big fan of the colorful and refreshing drinks crafted in honor of the 4th of July, also known as Independence Day.

A drink I’ve been crushing is a Whiskey Lemonade, an easy option when you want something refreshing and tasty. I’ve been making my Whiskey Lemonade concoctions with either Jim Beam White Label or Green River’s new Honey whiskey. Both make excellent cocktails that work for the season, so you can’t go wrong either way.

I didn’t add any beers to this roundup, as I just featured some in our ongoing Summer Drinks roundup here.

Hopefully, readers will find a new favorite below.

Have a happy 4th of July!

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Photo: Getty

All-American Rum Limeade
Mixologist: Lee Corbett (@TheRogueBrusselSprout)

Ingredients:
1.5 oz Kōloa Kaua’i White Rum
Pinch of blue spirulina
Barspoon of water
1 oz Campari
0.25 oz grenadine
2–3 oz limeade
Strawberries and blueberries for garnish
Glitter-coated apple slices cut into stars for garnish

Directions:
Mix blue spirulina with a bar spoon of water, stir in rum, and set aside. Add Campari and grenadine to a tall glass, stir, then fill with ice. Slowly pour in limeade to avoid mixing layers, leaving 1 inch at the top. Float the blue spirulina rum on top through a fine-mesh strainer. Garnish with strawberries, blueberries, and glittery star-shaped apple slices; serve with a straw.

American Spritz

Ingredients:
2 oz Jeptha Creed Red, White, and Blue Bourbon
½ oz elderflower liqueur
¾ oz lemon juice
¼ oz simple syrup
Prosecco
Mint sprig

Directions:
Add all ingredients, except prosecco, to shaker tin. Add ice and shake. Double strain into flute glass. Top with prosecco. Garnish with mint sprig.

Berry Rouge Royale

Ingredients:
1 ½ oz GREY GOOSE® Berry Rouge Flavored Vodka
2 oz Fresh Lemonade
¾ oz Brut Rosé
¾ oz Soda Water
3 Fresh Raspberries
3 Fresh Blueberries
1 Lemon Wheel
Mint Sprig

BUILD: In a wine glass, build over cubed ice and stir gently. Garnish with raspberries, blueberries, lemon wheel, and sprig of mint.

Black-Eyed Rye

Ingredients:
1.5 oz Sagamore Whiskey Small Batch Rye
0.5 oz Fresh Lime Juice
1 oz Blackberry Simple Syrup
Top with Ginger Beer
Garnish: Mint Leaves, Blackberries and Dehydrated Lime Wheel

Blackberry Simple Syrup Directions: Mix equal parts water, sugar, and blackberries in a pot. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes. Chill overnight and strain.

Cocktail Directions: Add all ingredients to a highball glass with ice. Top with ginger beer and garnish with mint leaves, blackberries and dehydrated lime wheel.

Blue 1575 Swimming Pool

Ingredients:
15ml Bols Blue 1575 Liqueur
40ml Rum
50ml Coconut Cream
20ml Bols Coconut Liqueur
30ml Pineapple Juice
Garnish: Pineapple Wedge & Mint Sprig

Directions: Put all ingredients in a blender, except for the Bols Blue 1575. Add ice and blend for 20 seconds. Pour in a highball glass. Add the garnish pineapple wedge & mint sprig.

Bourbon Spritz (Five Springs)

Ingredients:
1 bottle Five Springs Blood Orange Bourbon
1 bottle Aperol
1.5 cups lemon juice
Club soda

Directions:
Pour bourbon, Aperol, and lemon juice into a pitcher with ice and stir. Fill a glass with ice and cocktail, then top with club soda.

Garnish: Blood orange wheels

California Spritz

Ingredients:
1 oz Gunpowder Irish Gin with Californian Orange Citrus
0.75 oz Lemon Juice
1 oz Orange Juice
0.75 oz Passion Fruit Syrup/Puree
2 oz Sparkling Wine
2 oz Soda Water
Orange wheel for garnish

Instructions:
Fill a wine glass with ice cubes.Pour all the ingredients over the ice and stir gently. Garnish with orange wheels.

Cutwater Red, White & Blue Variety Pack

Cutwater’s ready-to-drink canned cocktails are always solid, and their Red, White, and Blue variety pack features three summertime classics in the Strawberry Daiquiri, Pina Colada, and Blue Hawaiian.

Learn more here.

Firecracker Gin + Tonic

Ingredients:
1.5 oz. NOLET’S Silver Gin
1 Bomb Pop (or other popsicle)
Frozen Raspberries & Blueberries
4 oz. Tonic Water

Method:
Fill a Balloon glass with ice and frozen fruit. Add NOLET’S Silver, tonic water, and a popsicle.

Firecracker Sidecar

Ingredients:
1 oz D’USSÉ VSOP
.75 oz Bacardí Mango Chile
.75 oz Orange Liqueur
.75 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
1 dash Tabasco
1 Dried Mango Slice

BUILD: Add all ingredients into a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with dried mango slice.

Island Pop

Ingredients:
2 oz Blue Chair Bay Coconut Rum
6 oz Lemonade
Bomb Pop, for garnish
Lemon Slice, for garnish

Instructions: In a glass filled with ice, combine Coconut Rum and lemonade. Stir until mixed. Garnish with a Bomb Pop and lemon slice.

Pink Pepper Berry Collins

INGREDIENTS :
2 oz Waterloo Gin Prickly Pear & Rose Gin
1 oz fresh lemon juice
3⁄4 oz Pink Pepper Berry simple syrup
Soda water, to top
Fresh berries, to garnish

Pink Pepper Berry Simple Syrup:
1 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon pink peppercorns
1⁄4 cup mixed berries

METHOD :
To make the Pink Pepper Berry simple syrup combine water, sugar, pink peppercorns, and mixed berries in a pot. Bring to a gentle simmer, and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat, and let steep for 15 minutes. Strain out the peppercorn and berries. Set aside and cool to room temperature.

In a cocktail shaker, add the Waterloo Gin Prickly Pear & Rose Gin, lemon juice, simple syrup, and ice. Shake until chilled. Strain into a Collins glass filled with ice. Top with soda water, and garnish with fresh berries. Enjoy!

Ready For Takeoff

Ingredients:
0.75 oz Middle West Michelone Reserve Straight Wheated Bourbon
0.75 oz Amaro Nonino
0.75 oz Aperol
0.75 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
Garnish: Miniature Paper Plane

Directions: Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a Nick & Nora glass. Garnish with a miniature paper plane.

Red, White, & Berry Lemonade

Ingredients
2 oz Smirnoff Red, White, & Berry
3 oz Lemonade

Directions: Combine ingredients in a serving glass with ice and stir. Garnish and serve.

Stars and Stripes

Ingredients:
2 oz Chicken Cock Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey Blended With Laird’s Apple Brandy
1 oz Apple Juice
.25 oz Vanilla Simple Syrup
.25 oz Pomegranate Syrup
4 dashes Barbie’s Orange Cinnamon Bitters
Cocktail Foam*
Garnish: Sparkler

Directions: Add all ingredients to a highball glass with ice and stir gently to combine. Spoon cocktail foam over the back of a bar spoon onto the surface of the drink. Garnish with a lit sparkler.

Cocktail Foam Ingredients:
2 tbsp Heavy Whipping Cream
¾ tsp Powdered Sugar
1 Small Drop Vanilla Extract

Cocktail Foam Directions: Place a small bowl and whisk in the freezer for 10 minutes. Add the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract to the chilled bowl. Whisk vigorously by hand (or with a hand mixer) until soft, billowy peaks form for about 2–3 minutes. You want it thick enough to float but not stiff.

Tiger Smash

Ingredients:
2 oz Oxbow Small Batch White Rum
0.5 oz Blackberry Syrup
4 oz Fresh Lemonade
Garnish: Dehydrated Lemon Wheel

Directions: Add all ingredients to a highball glass with ice. Top with fresh lemonade and stir. Garnish with a dehydrated lemon wheel.

Watermelon Spritz

Ingredients:
1 cup fresh watermelon (or watermelon juice)
1 oz lime juice
½ oz simple syrup
3-4 oz La Marca Prosecco
Mint sprig and watermelon wedge for garnish

Method:
Blend chilled watermelon, lime juice and simple syrup and strain into a Spritz glass with ice. Stir gently to combine. Top with La Marca Prosecco and garnish with mint and watermelon wedge.