Fourth of July parties are the pinnacle of summer fun – check out our independence inspired cocktails and spiked treats to wow your party goers.
You don’t need much to have a fun Fourth of July celebration, but there are a few musts: fireworks, grilled meats and red, white and blue cocktails. We Americans love a themed party (come on, we wear top hats to watch a groundhog crawl from its den), and July 4th has the perfect color palette for layered cocktails and festive snacks.
Before you plan your own red, white and blue party, check out our star-spangled spread of easy, delicious Fourth of July cocktails and treats for a crowd.
Before the fireworks kick off your night with a bang, mix up a (taste) explosion of your own with this spicy margarita. This cocktail balances premium, jalapeño-infused tequila with sweet agave, coconut and fresh berries for a fun Fourth of July drink that tastes like victory.
The Recipe:
2 ounces Tanteo Jalapeño Tequila
1 ounce lime juice, freshly squeezed
¾ ounce agave nectar
1 ounce cream of coconut
Fresh blueberries
Fresh raspberries
In a shaker with ice, combine tequila, lime juice, agave nectar and cream of coconut. Shake well and strain into a glass over fresh ice. Garnish with berries on skewers to make a mini flag.
If there’s one bottle you should pick up for your Fourth of July celebration, it’s blue curacao. As you might have guessed, its blue color is what will help you achieve those gorgeous colored cocktails...like this one! If you’ve already picked up sparklers for your celebration, then you also have the perfect patriotic cocktail garnish.
The Recipe:
1 ½ ounces St. Augustine Distillery New World Gin
1 ounce St. Augustine Mule Mixer
¾ ounce Charles Regnier Blue Curacao
Fresh strawberry
Sparkler
In a glass with ice, add gin, mule mix and blue curacao. Stir to combine and top with soda water. Garnish with fresh strawberry and a sparkler.
If you’ve ever enjoyed a Bomb Pop, you’ll understand why this adult version inspires instant nostalgia. This boozy popsicle is a dreamy combination of fresh fruit, vodka and cream that’ll help your Fourth crew stay cool. Plus, you can easily make non-alcoholic versions for the kiddos and sober guests!
The Recipe:
½ teaspoon Chopin Vodka
1 medium strawberry, chopped
1 tablespoon blueberries
1 tablespoon grenadine
2 tablespoons coconut water
3 tablespoons cream
Combine vodka, chopped strawberry, blueberries, grenadine, coconut water and cream in a popsicle mold and gently stir. Freeze for at least four hours or until frozen solid. Serve and enjoy immediately. Recipe makes 1 popsicle, repeat as needed.
What is the American spirit made of? Independence, justice...and bourbon.
Fun fact: bourbon is the official national spirit of the United States, so it’s the perfect spirit to add to Fourth of July treats. Not only are these cake pops colored to honor the day, but they’ll also deliver a delicious boozy bite for your party guests between sips.
The Recipe:
Cake Balls:
1 box red velvet cake mix
¼ cup Cooper's Mark Bourbon
½ cup frosting*
*Frosting:
1 cup butter, softened
2 ounces Cooper's Mark Bourbon Cream Liqueur
4 cups powdered sugar
Cake Ball Coating:
1, 12-ounce  bag  white chocolate
1 ½ ounces Cooper's Mark Bourbon Cream Liqueur
Red and blue food coloring
Lollipop stick
Festive sprinkles
For the frosting: Add butter and bourbon cream liqueur to a bowl and beat on low until combined. Add powdered sugar in ½ cup increments and beat on low. Once powdered sugar is combined, mix on medium-high speed until mixture turns into a thick frosting texture.
For the cake pops: Make cake mix as directed. Add bourbon and bake as directed. Allow cake to cool completely. Once cool, remove cake from pan, place into a large mixing bowl and crumble cake finely. Add frosting and mix until thoroughly combined. Allow cake balls to chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before decorating.
For the cake pop coating: Place chocolate in a microwaveable bowl and microwave in 20 second increments, stirring between each set. Once completely melted, mix in bourbon. Ration out 1/3 of the chocolate mixture in a separate bowl and stir in blue food coloring. Do the same for the red food coloring, while leaving 1/3 of the chocolate mixture without color. Remove the cake balls from the refrigerator, add lollipop sticks to each ball and decorate with chocolate coating and festive sprinkles.
If you’re not a fan of grenadine, there are other ways to achieve the red hue in a red, white and blue cocktail. This recipe uses cranberry juice, which will also cut back on the sweetness for guests avoiding sugar or artificial flavors.
The Recipe:
1 ½ ounces Tito’s Handmade Vodka
2 ounces cranberry juice
3 ounces sparkling water
Blueberries
Add vodka and cranberry juice to a glass filled with ice. Slowly pour sparkling water over the mixture to create a layered effect. Garnish with fresh blueberries.
It’s not a summer pool party without watermelon, and this bubbly bourbon cocktail is the perfect way to feature everyone’s favorite in-season fruit. The watermelon star garnish is an essential nod to the good ol’ stars and stripes.
The Recipe:
3 ounces simple syrup
3 ounces fresh lime juice
2 cups watermelon, cubed
8 ounces club soda
Watermelon star for garnish
Mint leaves
Add whiskey, simple syrup, lime juice and watermelon to a blender. Blend until combined. Pour into a pitcher and add club soda. Fill with ice and garnish with watermelon star and mint leaves.
Just because it’s the most ‘Merican of holidays doesn’t mean you have to give up your favorite tropical tiki drinks. Proudly represent the stars and stripes with this red, white and blue take on a classic piña colada. Stick a tiny American flag on top instead of a cocktail umbrella for some extra patriotic flair.
The Recipe:
1 can CoCo Rum
1 ounce Palms Coconut Rum
1/2 cup pineapple chunks
2 ounces cream of coconut
1 ½ ounces Charles Regnier Blue Curacao
1 ½ ounces grenadine
Blend together CoCo Rum, rum, pineapple and cream of coconut until smooth. Separate the mixture into three equal parts. Blend blue curaçao into one portion and grenadine into another, leaving one portion plain. Gently pour each layer into a glass to create a colorful, tropical drink.
This cocktail recipe requires some delicate mixing to achieve the tri-colored look, but never fear: there is a method to the madness. Make sure you have a bar spoon on hand so you can gently pour the white layer in the middle. Once you do, you’ll have the most refreshing, citrusy and Instagrammable cocktail!
The Recipe:
1 ounce Pinnacle Original Vodka
1 ounce DeKuyper Blue Curacao Liqueur
2 ounces lemon soda
1 ounce grenadine
Blueberries
Mint leaves
Lightly mix vodka and lemon soda in a shaker with ice and set aside. In a serving glass, pour grenadine slowly to form a layer at the bottom, then fill the glass with crushed ice. Strain the vodka mixture over the back of a bar spoon onto the ice and carefully float blue curaçao on top. Garnish with a mint leaf and blueberries on a skewer for a festive, layered cocktail.
Not interested in getting in the weeds of mixology science just to make a pretty drink? Heard that. For this recipe, just drop a red, white and blue popsicle into a glass of rum and sparkling wine and call it a day. All the on-theme colors, none of the fuss. God bless America.
The Recipe:
1 ounce Captain Morgan White Rum
3 ounces La Bella Prosseco DOC
1 red, white and blue ice pop
In a tall glass, combine rum and sparkling wine. Drop popsicle into glass and serve immediately.
Do you hear that? It’s freedom ringing, and you’d better pick up. This tequila cocktail is tasty from sea to shining sea, combining citrus, bubbles and an unexpected hibiscus twist that will have you saluting the author of this recipe. Plus, save the hibiscus syrup to use in other red, white and blue treats on your Fourth of July party’s menu!
The Recipe:
2 ounces Patrón Silver Tequila
2 ounces soda water
1 ounce lime juice, freshly squeezed
½ ounce Citrónge Orange Liqueur
¼ ounce hibiscus syrup*
Blueberries
Hibiscus Syrup:
¾ cup dried hibiscus flowers
4 cups water
4 cups sugar
For the hibiscus syrup: Combine dried hibiscus flowers, water and sugar in a medium saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, then drop heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat, cover, and let steep for 5 minutes. Place a fine-meshed sieve over a large measuring cup or bowl with a pour spout and pour syrup through. Let drain completely and discard flowers. Pour the syrup into a clean jar with a lid. Cover and let cool.
For the cocktail: In a cocktail shaker, combine tequila, lime juice and orange liqueur. Shake vigorously to chill. In the bottom of a Collins glass, add the hibiscus syrup and fill the glass with crushed ice. Slowly pour the chilled mixture over the ice. Top with soda water and fill the top of the glass with blueberries.
