Independence Day happens to fall on a Saturday this year, meaning: three day weekend! What better way to celebrate the birth of our nation, and an extra day off from the grind, then imbibing on a few patriotic sips. Here, we offer red, white, and blue cocktails using some summertime fruits to make this one heck of a summer break. Enjoy!
Watermelon Red
Nothing says summer quite like a big ol’ watermelon. It’s sweet and refreshing, and no childhood summer memory is complete without the family picnic montage, mowing down on a wedge, cheeks awash in the sticky pink fruit. So add some mojo to that Independence Day barbecue with this sweet and refreshing sip, the Watermelon Mojito.
Watermelon Mojito
- 1 sprig of mint
- 1 lime wedge
- 1 tablespoon raw cane sugar
- 4 oz. seedless watermelon (or seeded), cut into cubes
- 2 oz. white rum
In a heavy glass or Mason jar, combine mint, lime and sugar. Muddle together until sugar dissolves. Add watermelon and muddle until liquefied. Stir in rum and fill with ice, garnish with a watermelon wedge.
Loco Blanco
Trying to beat the summer heat but still want to join the outdoor party? Break out the blender and mix one of the summer’s go-to tropical creations: the Piña Colada. The Piña Colada is a Puerto Rican import, most likely dating back to those heady tiki times of the 1950s, though there are rumors that the cocktail’s origin dates back even further. The old-timey rumor swirls around a Puerto Rican pirate, named Roberto Cofresi, who served a concoction of coconut, pineapple, and white rum to his piratical crew. However, he died in the mid 19th-century, taking his recipe with him to Davy Jones’ Locker.
The most likely origin rests with San Juan’s Caribe Hilton and its popular Beachomber Bar. Now called the Piña Colada Club, the cocktail was supposedly created in 1954 when barman Ramon “Monchito” Marrero was tasked with capturing the true flavor and vibe of Puerto Rico. His creation was such a hit that the commonwealth named the Piña Colada the national drink. And the rest, as they say, is history.
The Original Piña Colada
- 2 oz. white rum
- 1 oz. coconut cream
- 1 oz. heavy cream
- 6 oz. fresh pineapple juice
- ½ cup crushed ice
Add the rum, coconut cream, heavy cream and pineapple juice together in a blender. Add the ice and blend for about 15 seconds or until smooth. Serve in a 12-ounce glass. Garnish with a fresh pineapple wedge and a maraschino cherry.
Two Blue
Come summer, every Floridian loves mango. But what about blue mangoes? If it’s the Blue Mango Breeze, then sign me up. By way of DeKuyper, the Dutch liquor conglomerate producing any number of flavored liqueurs lining the barroom, this recipe is sweet and tropical—the perfect addition to the Independece Day festivities.
Blue Mango Breeze
- 1 part Cruzan Mango Rum
- 1 part pineapple juice
- 1 part soda water
- Dash of DeKuyper Blue Curaçao
Rim a rocks glass with sugar; add ice. In an cocktail shaker filled with ice, add rum, juice and Curaçao; shake and strain into glass. Top with soda water and stir.
Recipe courtesy of DeKuyper
If overly sweet is not your thing, try this blued version of a tiki favorite, Corpse Reviver (No. Blue). Brought to us by Absolut, this is for the grownups of the party who have refined that cocktail palate. Enjoy.
Corpse Reviver (No. Blue)
- ¾ part gin
- ¾ part Lillet Blanc
- ¾ part Blue Curaçao
- ¾ part fresh lime juice
- 1 dash absinthe
Garnish: 1 twist lemon
Fill a shaker with ice cubes. Add all ingredients; shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with lemon.
Better yet, let Absolut show you how to make this sip below:
Recipe and video courtesy of Absolut
Facebook Comments