9 Red, White, and Blue Cocktail Recipes That Will Make Your 4th of July Party Pop

The 4th of July is all about celebrating with family, enjoying a tasty cookout, and relaxing with a bottle of beer — but not everyone is a beer drinker. Creating two or three 4th of July themed cocktails will elevate your party and give your guests something to look forward to beyond a can of hard seltzer. Check out these delicious and unique cocktail recipes — three red, three white, and three blue.

The Easiest 4th of July Cocktails:

• Raspberry whiskey scotch
• Meyer Lemon Spritz
• Blue lagoon

The Most Unique 4th of July Cocktails:

• Sunset rosé
• Coconut martini
• Indigo gin rickey

The Best Classics With a Twist:

• Spicy paloma
• Coconut mojito
• Blue margarita

To get you started: Invest in a high-quality cocktail shaker. I used the Coppermill Kitchen Vintage inspired, authentic copper cocktail shaker (Buy from Coppermill Kitchen, $45) and love its elegant appearance for parties. (Keep in mind that this shaker is handmade, and interior discolorations and exterior marks are part of the design.)

Red: Spicy Paloma

I was a bit hesitant about this Paloma at first, because it called for smoky habanero bitters. However, the bitters added the perfect amount of kick to balance out the agave syrup, grapefruit juice, and sparkling grapefruit seltzer. This bright and sweet cocktail can easily become too sweet, so make sure to add the agave syrup gradually until you reach your desired sweetness.

Ingredients (Recipe courtesy of Saloonbox):

• 2 ounces CaliFino Reposado (Buy from Old Town Tequila, $39.99)
• ½ ounce agave syrup
• ¾ ounce grapefruit juice
• ½ ounces lime juice
• 0 to 6 dashes Scrappy’s Firewater Tincture (Buy from Amazon, $23.20)
• 2 ounces Q Grapefruit Soda (Buy at Target, $3.99)
• Dried grapefruit garnish, optional (Buy from Amazon, $14.50)

Notes:

• 1 ounce = 2 tablespoons
• If you don’t have fresh lime, substitute 0.5 ounces lime juice for 1 packet of True Lime crystallized lime (Buy from Amazon, $25.72 for 500 packs).

Instructions:

1. Chill glass in freezer.
2. To shaker, add tequila, agave syrup, grapefruit juice, lime juice, and 1 to 6 dashes firewater tincture. Add ice and seal shaker.
3. Shake vigorously 10 seconds or until thoroughly chilled.
4. Open shaker and add 2 ounces Q grapefruit soda.
5. Strain into ice-filled glass. Garnish with dried grapefruit.

Red: Raspberry Whiskey Scotch

My picture-taking skills probably need some work, but hopefully that won’t deter you from trying this flavor-packed drink. Raspberry and lemon are classic pairings in dessert, so why not pair them in a cocktail? I created this recipe with a few of my family members (loosely based on a whiskey sour), and we all agreed that even non-whiskey drinkers would enjoy it for a sip or two. Just four raspberries muddled at the bottom of the glass were enough to turn the whole drink vibrant red.

Ingredients:

• 3 to 5 fresh or frozen raspberries
• 2 ounces Glenmorangie X Single Malt Scotch Whiskey (Buy from Country Wine & Spirits, $34.99)
• ¾ ounce fresh lemon juice
• ¾ ounce simple syrup
• Half a lemon round to garnish

Directions:

1. Muddle (a.k.a. lightly mash to release flavor) raspberries at bottom of glass. Fill glass with ice.
2. Add Glenmorangie, lemon juice, and simple syrup to shaker. Add ice and seal shaker.
3. Shake vigorously until thoroughly chilled.
4. Strain cocktail into glass. Garnish with lemon.

Red: Sunset Rosé

This cocktail is marketed as “summer in a glass,” and I personally couldn’t agree with the description more. It’s light and sweet — the rosé balances out the vodka, and the pear and ginger infusion adds bright and slightly sharper notes. As with raspberries, three blackberries are enough to color the entire drink red.

Ingredients (Recipe courtesy of Cocktail Courier):

• 3 to 4 fresh or frozen blackberries
• 3 ounces Whispering Angel Rosé (Buy from Wine.com, $24.99)
• 1 ½ ounces Belvedere Organic Infusions Pear & Ginger Vodka (Buy from Drizly, $33.99)
• ½ ounce lime juice (or 1 packet True Lime)
• ¼ ounce honey water
• Mint sprig for garnish, optional

Notes:

• Make honey water by combining 2 parts honey and 1 part warm water. Make sure all honey dissolves before chilling in fridge 1 hour.
• If you don’t want to use honey water, use ¼ ounce quick-dissolve sugar or simple syrup.

Instructions:

1. Muddle blackberries in shaker. Add vodka, lime juice, and honey water to shaker. Add ice and seal shaker.
2. Shake vigorously until chilled.
3. Strain into glass filled with ice. Top with 3 ounces rosé.
4. Garnish with mint sprig.

White: Coconut Mojito

The best of both worlds rest right inside a glass of coconut mojito. Save this as a dessert drink for the after-dinner festivities if you want to make something particularly special. We promise: It’s worth the effort.

Ingredients (Courtesy of ACoupleCooks.com):

• 7 to 8 mint leaves (2 for garnish)
• 1 ounce white rum
• 1 ounce coconut rum or Bacardi coconut cream liqueur (Buy from Wine Chateau, $29.97)
• 1 ounce lime juice (or 2 packets True Lime)
• 1 ounce cream of coconut (Buy at Walmart, $3.68)
• 2 ounces club soda

Notes:

• Do not use coconut cream in place of cream of coconut. Coconut cream is unsweetened and thick, and will not impart the same flavor.

Instructions:

1. Muddle mint leaves in cocktail shaker. Add white rum, coconut rum, lime juice, and cream of coconut to shaker. Add ice and close shaker.
2. Shake vigorously until cold.
3. Strain cocktail over tall glass of ice. Top with 2 ounces soda water and garnish with remaining mint leaves.

White: Meyer Lemon Spritz

Okay, this one isn’t exactly white. It’s clear, but it still fits with the theme. And it’s so simple to make that it deserves a place on your drink menu.

You don’t even have to bother with lemon or mint garnishes — just add a little vodka to a glass of meyer lemon club soda. If vodka isn’t your favorite, try softening this cocktail with a little fresh lemon juice and a tablespoon of dissolvable sugar.

Ingredients:

• ½ bottle Betty Buzz Meyer Lemon Club Soda (Buy on InstaCart, $6.99)
• 1 ½ ounces Belvedere Organic Infusions Pear & Ginger Vodka, or vodka of choice
• Mint leaves to garnish, optional
• Lemon twist to garnish, optional

Instructions:

1. Add club soda and vodka to glass over ice.
2. Garnish with mint leaves and lemon twist.

White: Coconut Martini

Martinis are not my favorite, but this tropical twist gives the cocktail a good name. Sweet coconut and lime are a perfect combination here, and the simplicity of the recipe makes it a good pick for a busy host.

Ingredients (Recipe courtesy of ACoupleCooks.com):

• Sweetened shredded coconut, for a topper (Buy from Amazon, $5.30)
• 2 ounces vodka
• ½ ounce fresh lime juice
• 1 ounce cream of coconut

Notes:

• Do not use coconut cream in place of cream of coconut.

Instructions:

1. Dip martini glass rim into cream of coconut (spread out on a plate). Then dip glass rim into shredded coconut to coat.
2. Add vodka, lime juice, and cream of coconut to shaker. Add ice and close shaker.
3. Shake vigorously until cool.
4. Strain into martini glass.

Blue: Margarita

This blue margarita is a simple twist on a classic, and works perfectly for guests that want something they know. You only need a splash of blue curaçao to give this cocktail a bright blue color.

Ingredients:

• 2 ounces Volcan Blanco Tequila (Buy from Bourboun Central, $39.09)
• 1 ounce blue curaçao (Buy from Wine.com, $28.99)
• 1 ounce fresh lime juice
• Flaky sea salt
• Lime round to garnish

Instructions:

1. Rub lime wedge around glass rim. Dip and twist rim in plate of salt to coat.
2. Add tequila, blue curaçao, and lime juice to shaker. Add ice and close shaker.
3. Shake vigorously until cold.
4. Strain into glass, garnish with lime round.

Blue: Blue Lagoon

Another easy yet enticing cocktail: the blue lagoon. It features a simple mix of blue curaçao, vodka, and lemonade, and it’s perfect for anyone who wants to hide the taste of alcohol (it tastes like sweet lemonade).

Ingredients:

• 1 ounce vodka
• 1 ounce blue curaçao
• 4 ounces lemonade
• Lemon or lime wheel to garnish
• Maraschino cherry to garnish

Instructions:

1. Add vodka, blue curaçao, lemonade, and ice to shaker and close lid.
2. Shake vigorously until cold.
3. Strain into tall, ice-filled glass. Garnish with lemon or lime wheel and cherry.

Blue: Indigo Gin Rickey

In the hopes of creating a blue drink that didn’t rely on blue curaçao, I experimented with an Indigo Gin. As I should have guessed, the gin was more purple than blue, so I ultimately had to add a splash of blue curaçao to give the cocktail a true blue color. This lemon-lime twist on this classic gin rickey might be too potent for some, but I enjoyed the tang of the citrus with the pine-y flavor of the gin.

Ingredients:

• 2 ounces Empress Indigo Gin (Buy from Caskers, $46.99)
• 1 ounce lime juice (or 2 packets of True Lime)
• ½ bottle of Betty Buzz Sparkling Lemon Lime Soda (Buy on InstaCart, $6.99)
• Splash of blue curaçao
• Lime round to garnish

Instructions:

1. Fill glass with ice.
2. Add gin, lime juice, lemon lime club soda, and splash of blue curaçao.
3. Garnish with lime round.

Now, who wants to try out these cocktails? Just don’t drink them all in one day!