4th of July Backyard Bash Cocktails to Get the Party Started

For me, summer is like one big open-air cocktail party shifted into gear with my annual 4^th of July backyard bash. And let me tell you, nothing gets the fireworks lit quicker than a good 4^th of July cocktail. That's right, COCKTAIL. Nobody loves martinis more than I do, but for the 4^th there is no room for angular flutes with delicate stems. Goblets, schooners, tumblers-those are what drinks should be consumed from. Martini's are sedentary drinks intended to be sipped from an over-sized chair or a leather-seated bar stool while some member of the Rat Pack croons in the background. Simply put, martinis are just not meant for backyard barbecues where you may be called upon to "punt" if the volleyball comes aiming straight for the red, white and blue streamers strung from the tree above your head. The 4^th of July calls for drinks served in sturdy glasses that can stand up to the pressure of a stars and stripes Frisbee if it comes flying towards you at warp speed, or if the neighbor's black Labrador decides that he wants to make love to your leg, or if your cousin's four-year-old decides to use your arm as an impromptu monkey bar and swing upside down from it. Here are some of my all-time favorite cocktails that I absolutely must serve on the 4^th of July:

Gin and Tonic

You can never go wrong with a good gin and tonic. Now, I am a huge Bombay Sapphire fan; however, Beefeater is always the best choice for a gin and tonic. Maybe it's the guy in the tights; maybe it's the Tower of London; or, maybe it's because the joint association of England and gin reminds me of Winston Churchill. I have, in my collection of handwritten cocktail recipes, a decades-old note with a quote attributed to Winston Churchill, "The gin and tonic has saved more Englishmen's lives, and minds, than all the doctors in the empire." I'm not sure about Englishmen's lives, but a good gin and tonic has saved my life on more than one occasion. Anyway, I think that you will agree.

1) Fill one-third of the glass with gin
2) Add ice (lots and lots of ice)
3) Pour enough tonic to bring the liquid to the rim of the glass and stir
4) Squeeze the juice of half a lime into the glass and let it sit for two minutes. Add a big lime wedge to the drink. Stir, sip, enjoy.

Whiskey Sour

Now, when it comes to the perfect whiskey sour, I must insist that you go for Makers Mark bourbon. Honest to God, you will never have a better whiskey sour! And although it is so much easier to buy prepared sour mix, it really is so simple to make your own. And I promise that it will taste better than any mix you could ever buy.

1) In a shaker, pour an ounce of bourbon
2) 1 ounce lemon juice
3) 1 ounce sugar
4) 2 ounces of water
5) Add lots of ice and shake until shaker is ice cold
6) Pour into glass and add ice from shaker
7) Add slices of orange and a cherry

Vodka Punch

Here's a festive red, white and blue 4^th of July drink I concocted when I let my kids experiment in the kitchen and they made Hawaiian Punch ice cubes. When I saw the beautiful red and blue ice cubes floating in their water glasses, I thought how fun it would be to put the cubes in vodka. Admittedly, this drink starts out powerful, but when the ice begins to melt and meld with the vodka the drink becomes colorful and sublime. Just don't stand up too fast. And don't wear white. There's no way that if you drink more than one of these babies (and you will) you won't soil your clothes. Trust me; Hawaiian Punch is a bitch of a stain to get out!

1) Freeze red and blue flavored Hawaiian Punch in ice cube trays
2) Fill glass with vodka and add either red or blue ice cubes
3) Wait for the "punch" - it will come

Tropical Margarita

Warning: so refreshingly smooth it can be lethal. I discovered this drink by accident. I was having friends over for brunch one summer day and didn't have enough of any one juice to serve. I had a little pineapple juice, a little mango juice and a little orange juice so I decided to mix them all together into a glass pitcher. What a fantastic combination of flavors! I added tequila and the rest is history.

1) Pour one ounce of tequila into cocktail shaker and add,
2) One ounce of pineapple juice
3) One ounce of mango juice
4) One ounce of orange juice
5) Splash of lime juice
6) Add ice, shake and pour

Mojito

No 4^th of July would be complete without a rum drink. After all, rum plays such a twisted part in our nation's history it would almost be sacrilege not to serve it. And mojito is just such a fun word to say; especially after you've had a few.

1) Put a handful of fresh mint leaves in the bottom of a glass and, with a pestle or a spoon, crush the leaves into the glass to release the juice of the mint
2) Pour one ounce of rum into the glass
3) Add one tablespoon of sugar
4) Add ice
5) Add club soda
6) Squeeze fresh lime juice into the glass and add the wedges of lime to the glass
7) Stir
8) Find a cushioned chaise lounge in the shade and enjoy

So there you have it; a brief, but thorough compilation of my favorite cocktails to serve to your friends on the 4^th of July. All you need to do is festoon your yard with patriotic decorations conveniently found at Target and your local dollar store. Remember, the decorations will set the tone for your party so go crazy with the red, white and blue.

However, the most wonderful thing about having this bash every year is not the festive red, white and blue decorations; it's not the illegal fireworks my policeman/neighbor manages to confiscate and entertain us with; it's not the feeling of patriotism that permeates the entire scene. It's the fact that if you serve your guests enough of these cocktails, no one will ever remember that you, yourself, were too drunk to remember to put barbecue sauce on the spareribs or boil the corn. Let Freedom Ring!!!!