Yes! It’s that time of year again. Time to get out the red, white and blue; relax; and have fire-cracking fun with some cool, classic, festive cocktails! So let’s get started!

What is a cocktail?

It is a type of liquor composed of sugar, water, and bitters.

In the not-so-distant past, picking out liquor was an easy task. Now, with so many choices, it’s getting a lot more interesting and exciting. This is what I say: Drink what you like, and don’t be afraid of trying new concoctions. Creating your own cocktail from your favorite liquors can be fun and tasty.
Let’s talk about some great 4th of July festive cocktails:

The Fire Cracker

The Fire Cracker is spicy and leaves your taste buds tingling! *Yum Yum*

2 oz. Milagro blanco tequila
3 dashes of hot sauce
2 small slices of serrano pepper
1 oz. fresh orange juice
½ oz. agave nectar
¾ oz. fresh lime juice
¼ oz. Orange Curaçao
1 orange twist

Instructions:

1. Place all ingredients in a shaker with ice.
2. Shake vigorously and strain into a cocktail glass.
3. Garnish with an orange twist.

Patriotic Margarita

This is a refreshing drink with lots of tropical fruit flavors.

1 cup frozen or fresh strawberries
2 tbsp Myers’s dark rum
2 tbsp coconut milk
2 tbsp pineapple juice
2 tbsp lime juice
1/2 cup crushed ice
2 to 4 tbsp Hpnotiq liqueur

Instructions:

1. Puree thawed frozen strawberries.
2. Blend 2 tablespoons each of the strawberry puree, dark rum, coconut milk, pineapple juice, fresh lime juice, and ½ cup crushed ice in a blender until smooth.
3. Pour 2 to 4 tablespoons Hpnotiq into a glass, and top with 2 to 4 tablespoons of the strawberry mixture

Sweet Independence

1 oz. Smirnoff marshmallow-infused vodka
1 oz. Blue Curacao.
Maraschino cherry

Instructions:

1. Pour the marshmallow-infused vodka into a chilled martini glass.
2. Drop a maraschino cherry in. It will fall to the bottom and make a pretty red glow there.
3. Carefully layer the Blue Curacao over the vodka to make three beautiful layers–red, white and blue. The flavor is orange, cherry and a hint of vanilla.

Have a lovely Independence Day, and enjoy!

Simone