Summer is here, and sunny days mean basking outdoors and sipping on refreshing quaffers. Berries and fresh herbs are begging for harvest, and what better way to incorporate summer’s bounty than into your 4th of July cocktails! From classics and their riffs to sangria and fruit-forward flavors, these recipes can be enjoyed whether you’re staying home and celebrating virtually, or scaling up to accommodate your family BBQ and fireworks festivities.

Americano
1 oz Campari
1 oz Sweet Vermouth
6 oz Club Soda
Swath or twist of orange zest

Combine all ingredients in an old-fashioned glass and add ice. Stir to incorporate and garnish with an orange zest.

Widely argued as America’s first cocktail, the Sazerac dates as far back as 1838 in New Orleans. Originally made with French cognac, American Rye is now used more often.

Sazerac
2 oz Rye whiskey
½ oz simple syrup
3 dashes Peychaud’s bitters
Absinthe rinse
Swath or twist of lemon zest

Rinse an old fashioned glass with Absinthe and discard any remaining (into your mouth preferably) or spritz the glass 3-4 times with an atomizer. Combine rye, simple syrup, and bitters in a glass mixing vessel. Add ice and stir until chilled. Strain the mixture into the Absinthe rinsed glass and garnish with a lemon zest, expressing the oils over the cocktail.

The French Connection
by Bently Heritage Estate Distillery’s Artisan Mixologist Lucas Huff
1 ½ oz. Juniper Grove Atrium Gin
¾ oz. Grand Marnier
½ oz. Aperol
¾ oz. Lemon Juice
1 Sprig of Tarragon

Add all ingredients with ice into a shaker and shake vigorously. Double strain into a small coupe or Nick & Nora glass. Garnish with fresh tarragon.

Blueberry Aperol Spritz
3 oz Prosecco or other dry sparkling white wine
2 oz Aperol
1 oz Club Soda
3-5 Blueberries

Add Aperol and sparkling wine to a wine glass filled with ice. Top with soda and garnish with fresh, frozen, or sugared blueberries. For a red, white, and blue layered appearance, do not stir.

Rose Sangria
1 bottle of dry Rose wine
2 oz Chambord
2 tbsp sugar
1c raspberries
1c quartered strawberries
½ c blueberries
1 sliced lemon

Mix the wine, liqueur, and sugar in a pitcher, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the fruit and refrigerate for at least one hour and up to a day. Add club soda just before serving.

Hurricane
The Hurricane was born in New Orleans during WWII, at a time when whiskey was hard to come by. It’s named after the hurricane lamp, which strongly resembles the glass it comes in.
2 oz. Light rum
2 oz. Dark rum
2 oz. Passion fruit juice
1 oz. Orange juice
½ oz. fresh lime juice
1 barspoon grenadine
orange slice and cherry garnish

Add all ingredients to a shaker tin and add ice. Shake well and double strain over ice into a hurricane glass. Garnish with orange slice and cherry.

Pink Señorita
Copper & Steel Bar, Hyatt Regency Frisco-Dallas
2 oz. Casa Noble Tequila
½ oz. Simple Syrup
½ oz. Lime Juice
2 oz. Pink Grapefruit Juice
Cranberry Juice
Mint Sprig

Combine tequila, grapefruit juice, lime juice and simple syrup in a shaker. Shake well and strain into a margarita glass over fresh ice. Top with a splash of cranberry juice and garnish with mint sprig.

Forgotten Vineyard
1 ½ oz gin
½ oz Lillet blanc
½ oz Cabernet reduction
½ oz lemon juice
3 Ripe strawberries
1 Basil leaf

For the cabernet reduction, simmer ½ c Cabernet with ½ c sugar uncovered until the sugar is dissolved and the volume is reduced by half. Store in the refrigerator.

Muddle the strawberries in a shaker tin, then add the remaining ingredients. Add ice and shake vigorously. Double strain over fresh ice in an old fashioned glass. Garnish with slapped basil leaf.

Amerimosa
¾ oz raspberry puree
6 oz sparkling wine
Lemon twist

Add raspberry puree to a flute then slowly pour in sparkling wine to top off. Garnish with a lemon twist, expressing the lemon oil over the glass as you twist.

Rhubarb Daiquiri
2 oz White Rum
1 oz fresh lime juice
1 oz Rhubarb syrup

To make rhubarb syrup, bring 4c freshly chopped rhubarb stems, 1c sugar, and 1c water to boil in a saucepan. Lower to a simmer and cook until rhubarb is soft. Strain through cheesecloth to remove solids from the syrup. Store in the refrigerator.

Add rum, lime, and syrup to a shaker. Add ice and shake vigorously. Strain into a coupe and garnish with a lime.

Blackberry Mojito (pictured at top)
1 ½ oz White or Dark Rum
½ oz lime juice
½ oz honey syrup
3 blackberries
5 mint leaves
Mint garnish

Muddle blackberries in the bottom of a mixing tin. Add mint leaves and press gently. Add rum, lime juice, honey syrup, and ice and shake well. Strain over fresh ice into a collins glass and garnish with slapped mint.

Huckleberry Limedrop
2 oz Huckleberry Vodka
½ oz Limecello
½ oz lime juice
½ oz honey syrup

Combine all ingredients in a shaker and add ice. Shake vigorously and double strain into a sugared rim Martini glass.