Fourth Of July Cocktail Recipes

For as long as I can remember, the Fourth of July has always been my favorite holiday of the year. Growing up, it was because of the fireworks, the outdoor picnic/BBQ with family and friends, and the massive pool party that my community pool would throw every year.

As I have gotten older, I have continued to love the holiday for all of those reasons, but now I am also able to really have fun when it comes to entertaining guests and making some Fouth-themed cocktails for a night to remember. The key is creativity without going overboard. I'm not one for overly sweet and creamy cocktails, so my creativity for this holiday stems more from quality ingredients with seasonal flair.

The Fourth of July, like many holidays, brings with it a sense of novelty. People are inclined to go all out making up themed items for the holiday and it can get a little tacky. When it comes to making drinks for holidays, I like to think about seasonal ingredients first and then incorporate fun colors and "special effects" later. I am much more inclined to make a red, white, and blue sangria with fresh berries and a good sparkling white than I am to make a cocktail made out of pure colored liqueurs. But, that's just my taste.

Like every holiday-themed cocktail, making Fourth of July drinks should be fun, above all else. You have a variety of colors to be creative with (red, white, and blue, clearly) and you have the very agreeable summer weather to have fun with as well. Make drinks that are fun and warm-weather friendly for the occasion and people will be coming back for seconds and thirds. It's their patriotic duty, after all.

Click here for more Fourth of July cocktail recipes.

— Sara Kay, The Spir.it