How to Make Your Ordinary 4th of July Cocktails Special

Summertime means an abundance of frozen drinks and dubiously sweet concoctions decorated with fruit slices and umbrellas. For your Fourth of July celebrations, cocktails can add a celebratory, fun or sophisticated note. The easiest way to create theme cocktails is to consider color. Red, white and blue offer numerous options for a variety of drinks. Don't be limited to just red, white and blue shots!

It will be easy to find colorful cups and napkins for your Fourth of July party. But if you are feeling more creative, the next way to enhance your cocktails is with the ice cubes. They will make colorful and cold additions to your cocktails. Freezing some of your mixers, such as fruit juices or limeade, adds color and keeps your cocktails from becoming too watery. Another option are ice cubes with fruit inside. Put a small amount of water in each compartment of an ice cube tray, and allow it to freeze. Top the thin layer of ice with a blueberry, cherry or raspberry. Then add more water to cover the berry and freeze solid. Other fruits such as mandarin oranges or mango could also be used.

Red drinks are the easiest to start with. Red wine, strawberries, cranberries and pomegranates will all color your Fourth of July cocktails bright red. PAMA Pomegranate liquor is a fairly new product with a vivid red color. White drinks are fairly straightforward as well. Think simple drinks, like gin and tonic, vodka and limeade and white sangria. Creating blue cocktails may require a little more craftiness. Blue curaco is an easy choice ad can be found in many bar recipe books. Many grocery stores now carry blueberry/pomegranate juice blends that are a dark blue purple shade. You can even create some fun cocktails with blue drinks make from drink mixes.

Here are some drink suggestions for your Fourth of July cocktails.

PAMA Seabreeze (by PAMA)

2 oz. PAMA
2 oz. cranberry juice
1 oz. grapefruit juice

Pour into an ice filled highball glass.

Pomegranate mojito (by PAMA)

1 oz. PAMA
1 oz. white rum
1/2 oz. lime juice
club soda
2 tsp. sugar or simple syrup
6 to 12 mint leaves
pomegranate seeds

Muddle the sugar or syrup with the mint leaves and pomegranate seeds in a glass. Fill with ice and add PAMA, rum, and lime juice. Top with a splash of club soda.

Mojito

6-12 mint leaves
1 1/2 oz. white rum
1/2 oz. lime juice
2 tsp. sugar or simple syrup
Club soda

Muddle the sugar and mint leaves in a glass. Fill with ice then add rum and lime juice. Top with a splash of club soda.

Electric lemonade

1 oz. light rum
3/4 oz. blue curaco
1 oz. sweet and sour
7-Up soda

Mix all ingredients in a tall glass with ice.

Ice Bomb

2 oz UV Blue Raspberry vodka
2 oz orange vodka
2 oz vodka
Sprite soda

Pour all liquors into a highball glass filled with ice cubes. Fill with Sprite soda, and serve.

Classic Summer Sangria

1 750-ml bottle of dry red wine
1 1/2 cups lemon-lime soda (such as 7UP)
1 1/2 cups limeade, lemonade or orange juice
12 lime slices
12 lemon slices
8 orange slices
1/2 cup Cointreau or other orange liqueur
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons grenadine (optional)

Mix sugar, brandy, liqueur, grenadine, juice and fruit slices in a large pitcher. Pour the wine over the fruit mixture. Allow to settle in the fridge for at least an hour or longer. Add the soda and stir just before serving over ice.

Berry Sangria

1 (750-ml) bottle chilled dry rose wine
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup water
1/4 cup creme de cassis
1 1/2 cups assorted berries such as blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, or to taste

Put berries into a heatproof pitcher. Bring sugar, water, and creme de cassis just to a simmer in a small saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Pour syrup into heatproof pitcher and let stand 5 minutes. Add wine and lemon juice and stir mixture well. Chill, covered, until ready to serve. Serve over ice.