With Fourth of July is right around the corner, here are some summer-ready cocktails
The first half of 2020 has not been easy for any of us, to say the least, with social distancing and self-quarantining still being the norm for many people. But when you’re keeping a home-based existence, there ought to be plenty of time and opportunities to utilize that home bar of yours for some top-tier cocktail recipes, especially for the Fourth of July.
The Fourth of July is just around the corner — as is the official kick-off of summer 2020 — and plenty of celebrating ought to be ahead. In turn, on behalf of Guilty Eats, I have gathered 20 cocktail recipes from a mix of top spirit brands and well-respected American mixologists.
Below are 20 summer-friendly cocktail recipes worth preparing at home on the Fourth of July:
Fiery Fieri
Emmy Award-winning chef and restaurateur Guy Fieri and legendary rocker and entrepreneur Sammy Hagar are the brains behind Santo Tequila. Fieri’s Fiery Fieri cocktail incorporates Santo Spirits’ Santo Tequila Blanco, while Hagar — who was referenced in my recent interview with Tommy Lee — also remains synonymous with the Cabo Wabo brand.
Ingredients:
- 2 oz. Santo Tequila Blanco
- 1 oz. Agave Nectar
- 1.5 oz. Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice
- 0.5 oz Guy Fieri Brown Sugar Bourbon BBQ Sauce
- 2 Dashes Angostura bitter
- Garnish:Full Rim Chipotle Chili Sugar Rim
Method:
- Rim 10oz glass with chipotle chili sugar blend, fill with ice and set aside.
- Fill mixing glass 2/3 with ice and add Santo Mezquila, agave nectar, lime juice, BBQ sauce, and Australian bitters.
- Cap mixing glass with shakertin and shake vigorously for 10-15 seconds.
- Strain contents from shaker tin into rimmed 10oz glass and serve.
Buchanan’s Citrus Solstice
This special cocktail was created by mixologist Eric Ribeiro, using Buchanan’s 18-Year-Old Special Reserve as a base.
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 oz. Buchanan’s 18-Year-Old Special Reserve Blended Scotch Whisky
- 3/4 oz. Fresh Orange Juice
- 1/2 oz. Fresh Lemon Juice
- 1/2 oz. Grenadine
- Fresh Mint Sprig for garnish
Method:
- Combine Buchanan’s 18-Year-Old Special Reserve, fresh orange juice, fresh lemon juice and grenadine into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well.
- Strain contents into a Coupe glass.
- Garnish with fresh mint sprig.
Summer Watermelon Sparkle
Few foods are more synonymous with summer dining than watermelon, making this CÎROC-based beverage especially 4th Of July-ready.
Ingredients:
- 1 oz. CÎROC Summer Watermelon
- 1/2 oz. Cranberry Juice
- 1 oz. Champagne to top
- 1/4 oz. Elderflower Liqueur if desired
- Watermelon Skin Twist for garnish
Method:
- Pour the CÎROC Watermelon and cranberry juice into a flute glass.
- Top with champagne.
- Garnish with a Watermelon skin twist.
Texas Mint Julep
Hand-crafted from corn-to-cork, one barrel at a time in Hye, Texas, Garrison Brothers makes award-winning bourbon.
Ingredients:
- 2.5 oz. Garrison Brothers Small Batch Bourbon
- 1 oz. mint infused simple syrup
- Garnish: Sprig of fresh mint
Method:
- Combine all ingredients in mixing tin with ice.
- Shake and strain over crushed ice into a julep glass.
- Garnish with that sprig of fresh mint.
- Serve and enjoy
Stonewall Cobbler
Also of note about the Garrison Brothers is its recent Operation Crush COVID-19 benefit campaign, in which customers had an opportunity to purchase the brand’s oldest and most prized bourbon, which had never been released before, Laguna Madre and the rare and beloved Honeydew. The fundraising goal for this campaign was $2 million dollars.
Ingredients:
- 3/4 oz. Laird’s Applejack Brandy
- 3/4 oz. Peche Liqueur
- 3/4 oz. Abricot Liqueur
- 1.5 oz. Garrison Brothers Small Batch Bourbon
Method:
- Dry shake and pour over 1 large format ice cube in a rocks glass.
- Enjoy. Simple as that.