4th of July drinks
This Independence Day, treat yourself and loved ones to a delicious spread of homemade drinks. From colorful frosty blended cocktails to fruity mocktails or classics like lemonade and sweet tea, you only need a few important tools in your kitchen to whip up an impressive array of crowd-pleasing sippers.
This roundup contains what you need to make sure guests at your 4th of July get-together don’t go thirsty, including what you need to serve and sip drinks, keep everything cold and impress guests with new flavors and techniques at the bar.
Best 4th of July drink ideas
If you’re planning a 4th of July menu, chances are it’s full of all-American staples like hot dogs, burgers and potato salad. However, drinks are just as important as the food on the grill.
Whether you’re serving kids, adults or all ages, here are some favorite 4th of July drink ideas to pair with your party food.
Best nonalcoholic drinks for Independence Day
When it comes to mocktails and virgin drinks, it’s all about bright, summery classics like:
Sweet tea with fresh mint leaves
Homemade freshly squeezed lemonade
Fruit-infused water to keep everyone hydrated
Shirley temples to add to the red, white and blue theme
Cocktails to serve for the 4th of July
For the adults, you can have fun serving up colorful, refreshing spiked drinks like:
Strawberry daiquiris
Fruity sangria
Mimosas
Piña coladas
Jello shots (if you really want to go all-out)
Minty mojitos with fresh berries
What you need to make drinks for the 4th of July
Here are the tools and appliances that can help you pull off a July 4th gathering with some of the best drinks around.
Tools to prepare mocktails and cocktails
A high-speed blender: Nothing makes a frosty, smooth margarita or piña colada better than a powerful blender. This Vitamix blender can handily take down large ice cubes and frozen fruit to produce the perfect texture for tropical blended drinks.
Herb scissors: Put the finishing touches on your mojitos and lemonade with freshly cut herbs. These five-bladed scissors from Chefast make snipping fresh basil and mint quick and easy.
A high-quality cocktail shaker: You’ll certainly want a well-insulated and spacious cocktail shaker to serve a crowd on a hot day in July. Our favorite shaker from BrüMate holds up to 20 ounces of liquid and ice and includes three layers of insulation to keep your cocktails cool and refreshing. Plus, this attractive and shatterproof shaker comes in eight color schemes to match your décor.
A cocktail muddler: This time of year, blueberries, strawberries and raspberries are in full season and just begging to be macerated into a red or blue cocktail. The easiest way to do this is with a muddler, which mashes soft berries into a natural syrup to color and flavor your favorite mixers and spirits. This stainless-steel cocktail muddler from Hiware comes in a set with a 10-inch spoon that’s handy for mixing drinks in tall glasses.
Citrus juicer: There’s nothing like the taste of freshly squeezed lemonade on a hot summer afternoon. Of course, no one wants to take the time to individually squeeze each lemon, then pick out all the seeds. Save yourself the time and effort with a simple handheld citrus juicer. You can also use it to add fresh orange juice to mimosas and sangria. If you’re planning to make an extra-large batch of citrus juice, you may find this Cuisinart electric juicer more efficient.
How to serve your drinks
Ice molds: Take your drink presentation over the top with unique ice molds. You can make classic rocks or spheres that will melt slowly, even in the July heat. This set from Motigold includes silicone molds for both shapes, or have some fun with star-shaped ice molds that match the occasion.
Shot glasses: To ensure accurate measurements by the bartender and guests, make sure to have a few shot glasses on hand, especially if people are going to be mixing their own drinks. This 6-pack of glass shot glasses from JoyJolt have a nice heavy base that makes them hard to break or spill.
A break-proof pitcher: Serve up fruit-filled sangria or other big-batch drinks in a pretty shatter-proof pitcher. This clear plastic option from Amazing Abby holds 72 ounces of liquid and you can rest assured that it won’t cause a mess of broken glass on your patio. It also has a secure lid for pouring drinks without ice cubes splashing.
A punch bowl: If you’re a fan of ladling up your patriotic punch on the 4th of July, then a large centerpiece-worthy punch bowl like this one from Libbey is a must-have. The bowl comes with a matching ladle and eight 12-ounce punch glasses.
A set of shatterproof glasses: You can skip the single-use plastic and keep your breakable glasses safe inside by serving your drinks in melamine or reusable plastic cocktail glasses. This set of four 16-ounce old-fashioned glasses has a pretty blue firework motif perfect for July 4th.
If you plan to raise a glass of bubbly, we love these convenient, crystal-clear plastic champagne flutes. For something even more sturdy and guaranteed to keep your drinks ice-cold, Corkcicle makes 12-ounce triple-insulated stemless wine glasses with a spill-resistant lid that are perfect for picnics.
Can coozies: Whether you’re serving your favorite local beer, hard kombucha or sparkling water, keep guests’ hands dry and comfortable with padded coozies. This colorful set includes 14 unique coozies so party guests won’t have to guess which beer is theirs. For something more patriotic, we like this 12-piece set of coozies decorated with stars and stripes.
Lizzy Briskin is a writer for BestReviews. BestReviews is a product review company with a singular mission: to help simplify your purchasing decisions and save you time and money.
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