Happy 239th Birthday, America! It’s time to celebrate the patriotic way: with a red, a white or a blue cocktail. As the grills heat up and the sun shines, we’re saluting the Fourth of July with a toast. Pick your favorite color of the flag and let the Independence #daydrinking begin.
RED
The Jamillionaire, Forchetta/Bastoni, Sebastopol, CA
1 oz Spirit Works Sloe Gin
1 oz dark rum
1/2 oz Canton Liqueur
1/2 oz lime juice
2 tsp grenadine
Combine ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake vigorously, strain, and serve up in a martini glass, garnish with lime wheel.
Skinny Minnie by Rob Floyd, 41 Ocean, Santa Monica, CA
1 large strawberry
1 small sprig of Rosemary
1 ½ oz. favorite Citron vodka
2 oz. fresh lemon juice
4 oz. Perrier Water
Small pinch of Stevia, Agave, or Stir sweetener (if you like it tart, skip this)
Muddle strawberry and rosemary in mixing glass. Shake vodka, lemon juice, Perrier Water and preferred sweetener with ice in mixing glass three to four times. Strain over fresh ice into a tall (Collins style) glass. Add a strawberry and a sprig of Rosemary as garnish and serve.
Imperial Negroni by Tony Pflum, Batch Gastropub, Miami
1 oz Mandarine Napoléon
1 oz Spring 44 Gin
1 oz Campari
1 oz Dry Vermouth
Equal parts of all stirred for 20 seconds. Strain into a old fashion glass over ice, and servers with an orange peel garnish.
WHITE
Polar Bear (Inspired by Trick Dog), Bacchanal, NYC
1.5 oz Pierde Almas ‘Puratita’ mezcal
1 oz Dolin Blanc vermouth
1/2 oz Tempus Fugit white crème de menthe
3 dashes Angelica tincture
Shake hard and double strain. Garnish with star anise and lemon twist (discard).
Basil Gimlet, GRACE Modern American Cuisine, Fort Worth
2 oz. Vodka
3 oz. Lime juice
Torn basil leaves
Dash of agave nectar
Soda water
Shake over ice. Serve in a chilled martini glass. Top with soda water.
Sakura by Julie Renee Williams, Evelyn, NYC
1.5 oz Ultimat Vodka
.75 Unfiltered Nigiri Sake
.25 oz Sakura Honey Syrup
.5 oz Yuzu Lemon Juice
Garnish: White Flower
Shake, fine strain, and serve in a crystal coupe with white flower garnish.
BLUE
Blue Fizz by Lisa R. Kindel, Capital Cellars, Frankfort, KY
6-7 Fresh Blueberries
1/2 teaspoon of simple syrup
3 oz Blueberry Midnight Moon Moonshine
4 oz Perrier Water
20 Frozen Blueberries instead of ice.
Muddle blueberries in shaker. Add simple syrup and Moonshine. Pour seltzer over and stir ingredients to mix. Serve in rocks glass. Add frozen blueberries as needed. (On R in photo below.)
Rockit Bomb Pop, Rockit Bar & Grill, Chicago
1 oz. Bacardi Razz Rum
1 oz. Bacardi Limon Rum
2 oz. Lemonade
.5oz Blue Curacao
Pour Blue Curacao into the bottom of a chilled pilsner glass before adding ice. Combine rums and lemonade in a shaker with ice and shake vigorously. Using a strainer, pour slowly into the glass to insure the Blue Curacao stays at the bottom. Garnish with five cherries.
The Blue, RHUMBAR, Mirage Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas
1.5oz of Monte Cristo White
.5oz Velvet Falernum
1 oz spiced blueberry demerara
1 oz fresh lime juice
8-10 mint leaves
Perrier Water
Gently muddle mint leaves in a mixing glass with the blueberry demerara. Add the remaining ingredients with ice, give it three to four hard shakes and pour into a glass. Top with a splash of Perrier Water and garnish with a sprig of mint and two blueberries. (On R in photo below)
Red, White & Blue
Yankee Doodle by Niccole Trzaska, The Liberty Bar, New York, NY
½ oz. Lucid Absinthe
1 oz. Sobieski Vodka
¼ oz. simple syrup
Splash of lemon juice
Drizzle of raspberry brandy
Ginger beer
Fresh blueberries and sugar cube for garnish
In a cocktail shaker, add fresh blueberries and simple syrup and muddle. Add Lucid Absinthe, Sobieski Vodka, lemon juice and shake. Strain into a highball glass and top with raspberry brandy and ginger beer. Garnish with fresh blueberries and a sugar cube and serve.
Photos provided by each restaurant or bar.
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