If you’re planning a gathering to celebrate all things red, white and blue for July 4th, don’t forget your party cocktails! We have a variety of cocktail recipes on our website organized by spirit, but we’re going to save you some time by highlighting our top recommendations for Independence Day cocktails (organized by red, white and blue) that you can enjoy either independently or with a group of family and friends. To start off, we’ll share the three cocktail recipes featured on the tasting board here—a Strawberry Rhubarb Daiquiri, a Painkiller, and a Blue Raspberry Daiquiri. Read on for even more red, white and blue cocktail ideas!

STRAWBERRY RHUBARB DAIQUIRI
Strawberry dominates this simple daiquiri recipe, so you can quickly shake up a reddish-pink hued cocktail and get back to celebrating.

Ingredients:
-2 oz. of Rum 44
-1 oz. of fresh lime juice
-1 oz. of Cocktail & Sons Fassionola Syrup
-4 dashes of Fee Brothers Rhubarb Bitters

Instructions:
Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice. Shake hard, then strain into a coupe glass over ice. Garnish with a dehydrated lime wheel.

PAINKILLER
The coco lopez in this cocktail gives it a mostly white color that works great with a red, white and blue party theme. Combined with the juices and First Run Rum, the tropical Painkiller is a great choice for summertime gatherings.

Ingredients:
-2 oz. of First Run Rum
-4 oz. of pineapple juice
-1 oz. of orange juice
-1 oz. of Coco Lopez

Instructions:
Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice. Shake hard, then strain over fresh ice. Garnish with grated nutmeg.

BLUE RASPBERRY DAIQUIRI
If you’re familiar with blue curacao, then it won’t surprise you that most of the color in this bright blue cocktail is thanks to that ingredient. However, you can attribute a lot of the flavor to the raspberry-infused Rum 44. Be sure to give yourself a little extra prep time to make the infused rum.

Ingredients:
-2 oz. of Rum 44 infused with local Raspberries
-1 oz. of fresh lime juice
-1 oz. of simple syrup
-a couple dashes of Fee Brothers Blue Curacao 

Instructions:
To make this cocktail, add all ingredients to a shaker with ice. Shake hard, then strain into a coupe glass over ice. 

To make the raspberry-infused Rum 44, start with a bottle of Rum 44 and a pint of washed raspberries. Combine both in a mason jar, and shake once a day for a week. Then strain through a cheesecloth.

OTHER RED, WHITE & BLUE COCKTAIL IDEAS:

STRAWBERRY HIBISCUS DAIQUIRI
The color of this cocktail will capture everyone’s attention, but the flavor is what will bring your guests back for seconds. This popular cocktail requires a little bit of preparation as you will need hibiscus flowers to make a rum infusion, but it is otherwise incredibly simple to make. 

Ingredients:
-2 oz. of Hibiscus-infused Rum 44
-1 oz. of fresh lime juice
-1 oz. of El Guapo Cajun Grenadine

Instructions:
Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice. Shake hard for about 15 seconds, then strain into a chilled coupe glass over ice.

To make the hibiscus-infused rum, add one gram of hibiscus flowers per ounce of Rum 44 (a full bottle of Rum 44 would need about 25 grams of hibiscus flowers). Let the rum infuse for about one hour before using. 

CRANBERRY BOG
While we usually recommend this drink around the holiday season given the cranberry garnish, this effervescent cocktail is a great option given the bright red color and the fact that it can easily be batched for a party!

Ingredients for 1 cocktail:
-1.5 oz. Rum 44
-1 oz. Unsweetened cranberry juice
-3/4 oz. simple syrup
-1/2 oz. lime juice
-3 dashes of Floyd Wild Plum Bitters
-Fever Tree Tonic

Ingredients for 12 cocktails:
-18 oz. Rum 44
-12 oz. unsweetened cranberry
-9 oz. simple syrup
-6 oz. lime juice
-36 dashes of Floyd Wild Plum Bitters 
-Fever Tree Tonic

Instructions:
To make a single cocktail, shake all ingredients (except the tonic) with ice. Strain into a stemless wine glass over fresh ice. Top with Fever Tree Tonic, and garnish with a candied cranberry (cranberry rolled in sugar), a dried orange wheel and fresh mint. To make a party punch serving 12, add all ingredients (except the tonic) in a punch bowl and stir well to combine. When serving individual glasses, serve over ice, then top each glass with tonic to allow for full effervescence.

COCONUT FIZZ
This cocktail has a white cream color, a delicious tropical flavor, and with a foamy top, it has a great texture that’s fun to sip on.

Ingredients:
-1.5 oz. of Vanilla Rum
-2 oz. of unsweetened coconut puree cream
-1 oz. of simple syrup
-½ oz. of fresh lime juice
-½ oz. of fresh pineapple juice
-4 drops of Fee Brothers Orange Blossom Water

Instructions:
Combine all ingredients in a shaker, and dry shake. Next, shake with ice and strain into a Collins glass over fresh ice. Grate fresh lime zest over the top, and enjoy!

EL PRESIDENTE
Technically, this cocktail is clear, but it’s also crisp, clean and tasty. And, it looks great in a lineup with red and blue cocktails. 

Ingredients:
-1.5 oz. of Vanilla Rum 
-¾ oz. of Dry Vermouth
-¼ oz. of dry curaçao
-1 bar spoon of El Guapo Cajun Grenadine

Instructions:
Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir for about 30 seconds. Strain and serve up in a coupe glass. Garnish with a Luxardo cherry.

BLUEBERRY HIGHBALL SMASH
This cocktail requires a little preparation, as you’ll first need to infuse a bottle of Rum 44 with freshly rinsed blueberries, but the color and flavor make it totally worth the wait.

Ingredients:
-1.5 oz. of Blueberry infused Rum 44
-½ oz. of fresh lemon juice
-½ oz. of simple syrup
-¼ oz. of Fernet Vexia (or other Fernet)
-Guinep Flavored Sparkling Water
-mint

Instructions:
In a shaker, add all ingredients except for the Guinep Sparkling Water. Shake ingredients, then double strain into a highball glass over ice. Top with Guinep flavored sparkling mineral water. Garnish with a sprig of mint.

To make blueberry-infused Rum 44, start with a bottle of Rum 44 and a pint of washed blueberries. Combine both in a mason jar, and shake once a day for a week. Then strain through a cheesecloth.

VIOLETTE DAIQUIRI
Blue is an admittedly tricky color to make using natural ingredients. While the cocktail recipe above takes on a reddish-blue hue, this cocktail leans more purple-blue thanks to the Creme Violette. It’s an easy daiquiri with a distinctive color that leaves a lasting impression.

Ingredients:
-1.5 oz. of Rum 44
-1 oz. of Creme Violette
-1 oz. of fresh lime juice
-½ oz. of simple syrup

Instructions:
Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice. Shake hard, then strain into a coupe glass over ice.

Another cocktail to consider is our Vanilla Rum Shrub Highball. This cocktail has a layered color to it, thanks to the shrub. The fruit shrub will sit on the bottom of the glass, while the top of the glass takes a more clear color thanks to the club soda topper. Just be sure to select a fruit or berry shrub that has a red or blue color to it, and don’t stir the cocktail once in the highball glass if you want to keep the lovely layered look. 

Remember to visit our Burlington Tasting Room to pick up a bottle of rum (or whiskey, if you prefer) and other cocktail supplies, including Rhubarb Bitters, Fassionola Syrup, Grenadine, Orange Blossom Water, and even simple syrup. We wish you an incredible and colorful independence day. As always, please drink responsibly.

Written and published by Brianne Lucas on June 25, 2024.