21 Festive Cocktails Perfect for Any Fourth of July Celebration
The right drink in your hand can truly make an Independence Day get-together memorable ― and we have you covered with refreshing summer sips that are sure to fit in with any spread.
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Our Best Ideas
If you’re hosting a Fourth of July cookout this year then you’ve likely already spent some time planning appetizers, picking side dishes to fill out your spread and whipping up at least one patriotic dessert. But no Independence Day celebration is complete without a cocktail or two — which is why we’ve rounded up a few of our favorites. You’ll find easy-to-mix drinks full of summery flavor as well as festive sips that feature plenty of red, white and blue. We’ve even included these fun gelatin shots, flavored with Blue Curaçao and grenadine. The patriotic theme is finished with a cloud of whipped cream and a flag-inspired topper.
Get the Recipe: Firecracker Shots
Moscow Mule
This classic cocktail combines vodka with a heady kick of fresh ginger and tonic water. It's traditional to serve these summer refreshers in copper cups, but they'll be popular no matter what glasses you choose to serve them in.
Get the Recipe: Moscow Mule
Red-White-and-Blue Cocktails
Get the sensation of fireworks in your mouth with this simple cocktail that features Pop Rocks-coated rims.
Get the Recipe: Red-White-and-Blue Cocktails
Mai Tai
Ree Drummond's rendition of a classic summer cocktail replaces the more obscure orgeat with almond-flavored syrup used in coffee shops, which is easier to find. Go all-out with an extravagant tropical garnish.
Coconut Pineapple Spritzer
This light cocktail couldn't be simpler to make and combines the flavors of a piña colada without the added calories. The secret is using coconut seltzer and pineapple vodka, which are both packed with flavor.
Get the Recipe: Coconut Pineapple Spritzer
Sweet Fallen Angel Cocktail
Here's one for the gin lovers (and there's always one in every group). Gin, grenadine, lime juice and club soda make for a refreshing cocktail that's halfway between a Collins and a Cherry Lime Ricky.
Get the Recipe: Sweet Fallen Angel Cocktail
Mezcal Sunrise
If you're a fan of tequila sunrises, then you'll fall for this mature version of the classic drink that replaces the tequila with smokey mezcal.
Get the Recipe: Mezcal Sunrise
Rosé Spritz
This sunset-hued cocktail combines pink Italian bubbly with bitter orange liqueur and sharp grapefruit juice with a splash of seltzer to make a refreshing yet interesting summer drink.
Get the Recipe: Rosé Spritz
Guy's Fourth of July Cocktail
This red and blue cocktail features a complex medley of ingredients that will take you straight to Flavor Town this Independence Day. Watermelon schnapps, cranberry juice, tequila and slice of jalapeño make for one unforgettable backyard cocktail.
Get the Recipe: Fourth of July Cocktail
Mezcal Stalk
This elegant cocktail combines tequila's smokey cousin, mezcal, with pineapple juice and orange liqueur for a drink your guests won't soon forget.
Get the Recipe: Mezcal Stalk
Blue Lagoon Cocktails
Prepare this tropical blue cocktail to counter a red cocktail at your July 4th party. The combination of coconut rum and Blue Curaçao is a match made in heaven.
Get the Recipe: Blue Lagoon Cocktails
Limoncello Vodka Collins
A traditional Tom Collins combines lemon juice, sparkling water and gin. However, this spin on a traditional collins replaces the gin with crowd-pleasing vodka and ups the lemon flavor with a shot of Italian lemon liqueur.
Get the Recipe: Limoncello Vodka Collins
Watermelon Cosmo Punch
Few fruits embody the spirit of summer than a juicy red watermelon. Geoffrey Zakarian's cosmo punch recipe is simple to make and focuses on that ripe watermelon flavor.
Get the Recipe: Watermelon Cosmo Punch
Red Wine Slushie
Molly Yeh's recipe for a boozy berry slush is tasty enough for even the most ardent wine-haters to enjoy. These slushies are finished with a decadent drizzle of condensed milk à la Hawaiian shave ice or New Orleans snoballs.
Get the Recipe: Red Wine Slushie
Basil-Lime Rum Fizz
This breezy rum cocktail is much more than the sum of its parts. In addition to the refreshing combination of rum, basil and lime, this tipple includes a black pepper and allspice simple syrup and a splash of spicy ginger beer for an added kick.
Get the Recipe: Basil-Lime Rum Fizz
Fireworks Red, White & Blue Daiquiris
This boozy layered slush features some surprising flavors in each color of the American flag. The blue layer is flavored with passion fruit liqueur, while the red layer features strawberry and juicy watermelon. The white layer balances the fruitiness with creamy coconut sorbet.
Get the Recipe: Fireworks Red, White and Blue Daiquiris
Ouzo Spritz with Pickled Watermelon Rind
If you're the type who doesn't do ordinary, then this is the cocktail for you. The star is an anise-flavored Greek spirit called ouzo, which turns milky when mixed with water. A garnish of pickled watermelon rind really makes this cocktail unique.
Get the Recipe: Ouzo Spritz with Pickled Watermelon Rind
Campari & Tonic with Grilled Oranges
There are few better apéritifs than campari, and few fruits go as perfectly with this bitter liqueur than oranges. Grilling the oranges brings out a slight bitterness that compliments the botanicals of the campari beautifully.
Get the Recipe: Campari and Tonic with Grilled Oranges
Snow Cone Pimm's Cup
Michael Symon's take on a classic cocktail stars Pimm's a fruit and herb flavored gin that should be a summer mainstay in everyone's bar. Tamed with a spalsh of sparkling lemonade, cucumber slices and fresh strawberries, this is an elegant cocktail almost anyone will love.
Get the Recipe: Snow Cone Pimm's Cup
Mango Mezcal Breeze
Deep, sultry mezcal balances out the sweetness of mango pulp, orange juice, grenadine and agave nectar, preventing this cocktail from becoming cloyingly sweet. The addition of fresh bay leaves adds an herbaceous backnote.
Get the Recipe: Mango Mezcal Breeze
Blackberry Spritzer
Blackberries, basil, and black currant liqueur make the chief flavor profile of this refreshing summer cocktail. Plus, its deep color is a reminder of the blue backgrop of the beloved Stars and Stripes.
Get the Recipe: Blackberry Spritzer
