Stars, Stripes & Sips: 250th Anniversary Cocktails Everyone Will Love

There’s no better excuse to gather friends and family than America’s 250th birthday. Whether you’re firing up the grill, spending the day by the pool, or settling in to watch fireworks light up the night sky, a great cocktail is always part of the celebration. From timeless bourbon favorites to light, refreshing summer sips and colorful red, white, and blue creations, these festive drinks are made for raising a glass to 250 years of American history. Cheers to good company, great cocktails, and a celebration that’s sure to be one for the history books.

DeSour Margarita

Makes one serving

1 oz DELEON Reposado

1 oz Lemon Juice

0.5 oz Agave Nectar

Garnish: Dehydrated Orange Wheel

Glassware: Rocks Glass
Instructions: Add all ingredients to a shaker, except the red wine. Fill with ice and shake for about 6 to 8 seconds. Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice. Add the red wine float and garnish.

The Don Lemonade 

Makes one serving

Ingredients:

• 1.5 oz Tequila Don Julio Reposado

• 4 oz Lyrical Lemonade (or lemonade of your choice)

• Lemon wedge garnish

Garnish: Lemon Wedge

Glassware: Collins glass

Preparation:

• Add ingredients to a shaker with ice

• Shake thoroughly and strain over ice into a collins glass

• Garnish with lemon wedge

The Sweet Fresh Johnnie & Green Tea

Makes one serving

Ingredients:

• 1.5oz Johnnie Walker Black Label

• 5oz sweet green tea

Garnish: Lemongrass and a pineapple leaf or cucumber

Directions: Add Johnnie Walker Black Label into an ice-filled highball glass. Add sweet green tea, stir, and garnish.

Martini & Tonic 

Makes one serving

Ingredients:

• 1 oz Tanqueray LDG

• 1 oz Dry Vermouth

• 3 dashes Orange Bitters

• Top w/Tonic

Garnish: Lemon Twist

Glassware: Highball Glass

Method: Stir, top tonic

Lagavulin Affogato

Makes one serving

Ingredients:

• 1.5 oz Lagavulin 16 Year Old

• 1 cup of vanilla soft serve ice cream

Garnish: Coffee beans

Glassware: Ice cream cup

Method: Serve ice cream, pour over Lagavulin, top with coffee beans and enjoy!

Kentucky Mule

Makes one serving

Ingredients:

1.5 oz Bulleit Bourbon

0.5 oz Fresh Lime Juice

4 oz Ginger Beer

Garnish: Lime wheel

Glassware: Mule Mug/Highball Glass

Method: Build ingredients in a Mule Mug/Highball Glass over ice, top with ginger beer, stir gently, and garnish with a lime wheel.

Crown Royal Peach Mint Julep

Makes one serving

Ingredients:

1.5 oz Crown Royal Peach

2 dashes of Angostura Bitters

4-5 Mint Leaves

Crushed Iced

Garnish: Mint Bouquet

Glassware: Highball Glass

Instructions: Guddle mint and bitters generously. Add whisky and crushed ice. Garnish with a mint bouquet

Frozen Mocha

Makes one serving

Ingredients:

1.5oz Baileys Chocolate Liqueur
0.75oz Vodka
1oz Chilled Espresso
0.5oz Simple Syrup
1.5oz Water or Milk
Glassware: Coupe

Instructions: Add all ingredients into a blender with ice. Blend until smooth and frothy.

American Spritz

Ingredients:

2 oz Jeptha Creed Red, White, and Blue Bourbon
½ oz elderflower liqueur
¾ oz lemon juice
¼ oz simple syrup
Prosecco
Mint sprig

Directions:

Add all ingredients, except prosecco, to shaker tin
Add ice and shake
Double strain into flute glass
Top with prosecco
Garnish with mint sprig

Bramble

Ingredients:

2 oz Devil’s Grin Texas Gin
1 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
0.5 oz Simple Syrup
0.5 oz Blackberry Liqueur (Crème de Mûre)
Garnish: Lemon Wheel & Fresh Blackberry

Method: Shake the gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup with ice. Strain into a rocks glass filled with crushed ice. Slowly pour the blackberry liqueur over the top so it “bleeds” through the ice. Garnish with a lemon wheel and a blackberry.

California Spritz

Ingredients:

1 oz Gunpowder Irish Gin with Californian Orange Citrus
0.75 oz Lemon Juice
1 oz Orange Juice
0.75 oz Passion Fruit Syrup/Puree
2 oz Sparkling Wine
2 oz Soda Water
Orange wheel for garnish

Instructions:

Fill a wine glass with ice cubes
Pour all the ingredients over the ice and stir gently
Garnish with orange wheels

Tiger Smash

Ingredients:

2 oz Oxbow Small Batch White Rum
0.5 oz Blackberry Syrup
4 oz Fresh Lemonade
Garnish: Dehydrated Lemon Wheel

Directions: Add all ingredients to a highball glass with ice. Top with fresh lemonade and stir. Garnish with a dehydrated lemon wheel.

Golden Grove

Ingredients:

1 1/2 parts Basil Hayden Golden Rye

1 part Lemon Juice

1/2 part Simple Syrup

2 Ginger coins

1 dash Celery Bitters

Grapefruit Soda

Method:

Add Basil Hayden Golden Rye, lemon juice, simple syrup, ginger, and celery bitters to a shaker with ice. Shake.

Strain into a chilled Collins glass over ice.

Spritz with grapefruit soda.

Serve and garnish with a grapefruit slice.

Island Fizz

Ingredients:

· 1.5 oz. Elijah Craig Small Batch Bourbon

· 1.5 oz. Coconut Water

· 1.5 oz. Guava Nectar

· .5 oz. Lime Juice

· 1.5 oz. Cucumber Soda

· Cucumber Wheel (for garnish)

 

Instructions: Combine Elijah Craig Small Batch Bourbon, coconut water, guava nectar, and lime juice in a shaker with ice and shake until chilled. Top will cucumber soda. Strain into a Collins glass over fresh ice and garnish with a cucumber wheel.

Soursop Spritz

Ingredients:

· 1.5 oz. Elijah Craig Small Batch Bourbon

· 2 oz. Soursop Juice

· 2 oz. Non-Alcoholic Sparkling Wine

· .5 oz. Lime Juice

· Lime Wheel (for garnish)

 

Instructions: Combine Elijah Craig Small Batch Bourbon, soursop juice and lime juice in a shaker with ice. Shake until chilled. Top with non-alcoholic sparkling wine, serve in champagne flute and garnish with a lime wheel.