Everyone loves the Fourth of July, but no matter how many weenies you roast or Mellencamp songs you blare from the patio boom box, it’s over in a day. Which leaves the other 30 calendar squares—and this month, an added bonus: five weekends!—free for more open-ended cocktail gatherings. So go, have your hot dog, drink your beer, and when the fireworks fizzle out, just know we have you covered with the 11 essential cocktails for your July parties.
From Tiki torch bearer Martin Cate of San Francisco’s Smuggler’s Cove, this tall, refreshing sipper calls for good aged Barbados rum and not a whole lot else. With just lime juice and rich simple syrup, the recipe is easy to scale up, but don’t skip the shaved nutmeg, which gives the drink a subtle creamy dimension.
Your guests will go nuts over this fun spin on aMai Tai, from Shane Paule, the bar manager at Austin’s Isla. Two types of rum and fresh citrus provide the baseline for a classic summer drink with a special ingredient: macadamia nut liqueur. Don’t own any colorful cocktail umbrellas? Now’s your chance to get some.
The sweaty silver cup, the deep inhale of fresh mint poking through the ice—no drink stokes the warm-weather juju like a well-prepared Julep. This version dumps bourbon for añejo tequila and a handful of the season’s best blueberries to form a cocktail that’s easy to sip all summer long—no horse race needed.
It’s gone from Reagan-era bar staple to speakeasy punchline in the span of a generation, but the Sex on the Beach is still a pretty damn good summer drink. Despite its silly name, this blend of vodka, peach schnapps, and orange and cranberry juices hits all the fruity notes in the rainbow but with surprising restraint. Want to gussy up the color a notch? Float a splash of crème de cassis over the top.
Few spirits are as distinctive as rhum agricole, and the Pink Flamingo, served at S.F.’s Over Proof, is the perfect summer vessel in which to showcase it. Mixed with pineapple gum syrup and a special sauce of Campari andLeopold Bros. aperitivo, the rhum agricole’s funky, grassy notes shine as bright as the pink liquid in the glass.
The holy matrimony of honey, egg white and lemon come alive around a backbone of blanco tequila and lavender bitters. What finds its way to the glass has both a high Instagram appeal and an explosion of flavors and textures that range from bitter and sweet to floral, tart and frothy.
Power up on antioxidants with this seasonal Mojito made with fresh blueberries and anaçaí-blueberry-flavored vodka. The cool-blue drink balances the earthy snap of mint with the tart-meets-sweet notes of the vodka. Looks pretty, tastes gorgeous!
The perfect drink for that booze-tempered brunch party, this low-octane cocktail from San Diego barman Erick Castro featured in Kat Odell’sDay Drinking: 50 Cocktails for a Mellow Buzz puts dry vermouth in the driver’s seat alongside fruit and sugar. Muddling the orange vigorously will give the drink an added bitterness from the peel.
Seduce your guests with this crowd-pleasing mix of gin and dry sparkling wine, served atBacchus Bar in Portland, Ore. As summer sippers go, this one plays all the hits: fresh fruit juices (grapefruit and lime), bright bitter notes (Peychaud’s) and a custom-made pineapple simple syrup that holds the flavors in place.
Looking to add some flare to your next taco-fueled barbecue? From the bar team at Chicago’sFat Baby Tacos, this twist on thePaloma substitutes mezcal for tequila and ramps up the fruit juices (grapefruit, lime) in a cocktail that’s stronger, smokier and several degrees spicier (due to the chile-piquin-rubbed rim) than its namesake.
It looks like a Spanish Gin & Tonic and drinks like Sangria. The Front Porch Swing shows off the soft, easy flavors of summer with cucumber vodka, dry white wine and elderflower liqueur, all dumped into a wine glass stuffed with fresh fruit and herbs. The best part? This drink is easy to scale up for your next pitcher-perfect picnic.
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