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Fourth of July drink recipes: Make your cocktail red, white and blue


Everything is decked out in red, white and blue for the Fourth of July and your drinks can be, too. Whether you're going to a family barbecue or having a night in with friends, the right cocktails can make your get together even more festive.

The Firecracker

For this drink you will need equal parts grenadine, rum, blue curacao and vodka.

Pour grenadine in first for the red part of the drink. Next, pour vodka on top for white. Then, using a spoon to slow the pour, add the blue curacao and watch something awesome happen. As you pour, the blue will sink below the vodka but layer on top of the red.

Recipe by Ryan Holcomb, restaurant supervisor at Offcenter Grill.

Red, White and Blue Smash

Take 1.5 ounces of white rum and fresh York County strawberries and muddle them together. Fill a tall glass with ice, a little simple syrup or agave nectar and club soda or Sprite, depending on how sweet you want it. Add frozen blueberries on top for a layered drink.

Recipe by Ryan Mapes, bar tender and bar manager at Left Bank.

Bourbon Apple Pie

Apple pie is an American staple and this drink tastes just like one.

Make a simple syrup with two cans of concentrated apple juice, two cinnamon sticks and lemon juice (half of a lemon). Put it on a burner at high heat until it starts to boil, then reduce to medium heat until about 2/3 of it has evaporated. Once it's done, turn it off and set it aside. Then, fill a small glass with ice, add the syrup and 1.5 ounces of your choice of bourbon. Add some ginger ale and twist a spoon to mix it all up. Garnish with thinly sliced apple to finish it off.

Recipe by Ryan Mapes, bar tender and bar manager at Left Bank.

Old Glory Shot

Shots can be fun for a Fourth of July party, especially using this colorful recipe.

Fill a shot glass with 1/4 grenadine. Use a spoon to slowly pour 1/4 blue curacao on top of the grenadine, careful not to mix the two (it might take a few tries). Add 1/2 Rum Chata to top it off for a layered, red, white and blue shot. You can also make this shot into a bomb drink using the same ingredients, dropping the blue curacao into the grenadine and Rum Chata.

Recipe by Chris Herman of Murph's Study Hall

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