july 4th drinks

Happy summer!

This week I’m re-posting my recipes and ideas to kick off summer and start planning for our 4th of July party. I have 3 perfectly colorful patriotic cocktails that all begin with the same base with slight variations.

The cocktails can either be made with rum or made completely non-alcoholic so everyone can have something colorful and icy to sip.

Besides adding a festive touch to your party, the daiquiris can be prepared ahead of time and stored in the freezer in plastic containers or plastic ziploc-type food storage bags.

Your guests can choose their daiquiris or layer all three colors into the glass. The individual flavors blend perfectly: “Red” (strawberry), “White” (lemon-lime), and “Blue” (tinted with a splash of blue curacao, an orange flavored liqueur). Layering all three colors in the glass is my favorite look for the the 4th of July.

The Cocktail Base:
1 – 6-oz. can frozen lemonade concentrate (2/3 c.)
1/2 of a 6-oz. can frozen limeade concentrate (1/3 c.)
2/3 c. light rum *you can use the 6 oz. lemonade can to measure
1/4 to 1/3 cup powdered sugar (or more to taste)
3 c. ice cubes
Garnish (see below)

White Daiquiris ~
In a blender combine lemonade and limeade concentrates, rum and powdered sugar. Cover and blend until smooth. Add ice blending until slushy.
Makes 6 ~ 5oz. servings.

Blue Daiquiris ~
Prepare as for white daiquiris, except add 1/4 c. blue curacao along with the frozen lemonade and limeade concentrates, rum and powdered sugar.
Makes 6 ~ 6oz. servings.

Red Daiquiris ~
Prepare as for white daiquiris, except use one 6-oz. can of frozen lemonade or limeade concentrate. Add 2 cups frozen unsweetened strawberries or slightly sweetened red raspberries to the blender with the concentrate, rum and powdered sugar.
Makes 6 ~ 6oz. servings.

For Non-Alcoholic Daiquiris ~ Substitute pineapple juice or water for the rum. Add a touch of blue food coloring for the blue “daiquiris”.

Tips:

The drinks can also be pre-poured into glasses and left in the freezer. This will save even more time during a party and frost the glass.
If drinks are kept in the freezer, the alcohol in the drinks will keep the mixture from freezing solid and will retain a perfect slushy texture. If your drinks are non-alcoholic, the mixture will freeze solid but will thaw quickly.
If you layer the red, white and blue daiquiris into one glass, spoon the second and third layers over eachother instead of pouring. Pouring may mix your colors depending on how liquid the consistency is.
The non-alcoholic strawberry daiquiri recipe makes a great icy dessert that can be spooned into a dish.

For extra bang! and pop!~ Dip strawberries into white chocolate and sprinkle with patriotic confections. Cross-cut star fruit is also a festive rim garnish. All can be prepared ahead of time and added to the glass rim just before serving. Serve with a decorative straw. I found “firework straws” (as pictured) in the past at Pottery Barn and Pier 1 but I think most party stores now carry them.