Six Bright Red Fourth of July Cocktails
From punches to classic drinks, all these beverages sport some (holiday) spirit
With the spirit of celebrationand a long weekendupon us, there’s never been a better time to explore a color’s impact on a cocktail. From ruby red to rust or carmine, there’s really nothing that unites the following six selections other than the fact that they share a color with one of the three from the American flagand they happen to be superb. Whether you’re looking to make a batch of punch or sip something with sorbet involved, there are a lot of good options here. And if we’ve learned anything from the Negroniand color theorythere’s something delightfully bold about a red drink.
Santa Rosa Punch
A truly masterful mix, by Meaghan Dorman of NYC’s acclaimed cocktail bar Dear Irving, the Santa Rose Punch uses Peru’s national liquor, pisco. It’s easy to make as a one-off or a big batchand the flavor profile is far more advanced than what you’ll get from a normal punch. It’s sweet, sour and spicy all at onceand pretty magical.
1 oz BarSol Pisco
1 oz Sorel
1 oz Cocci Rosa
.5 oz lime juice
2 cherries, muddled
Shake with ice, strain into Collins glass and fill with crushed ice. Garnish with cherry. To make it a punch, multiply all ingredients by 50 and add 20 oz cherry juice (blend cherries with water and strain out) to make up for the muddled cherries.
Pink Champagne and Raspberry Granit
Another wonder from patissier Francois Payard, this granitsimilar to an alcohol-based sorbetis fruity and fun. It’s a more complex recipe, but the results are well worth it. This is the epitome of summer refreshment.
2.5 pints raspberries
.5 pint blueberries
1 cups sugar
One 750-ml bottle ros champagne
Juice of 1 lemon
Combine two pints of raspberries, the sugar and cup of water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Strain the pure through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl. Stir in the champagne and lemon juice. Scrape the mixture into a shallow metal baking pan, cover, and freeze until firm, at least eight hours. (You can make the granit ahead and keep it covered in the freezer for up to three days.) Using the tip of a spoon or the tines of a fork, scrape the granit into chilled dessert glasses, garnish with the remaining pint raspberries and the blueberries, and serve immediately.
Shadow Boxer
Developed by Ivy Mix, co-owner of Leyendaa new Pan-Latin cocktail bar also owned by Clover Clubs Julie Reinerthe Shadow Boxer matches Yaguara Cachaa with Campari in a powerful way. This is a fruity, spicy cocktail made with nuance and there’s really nothing else quite like itthanks especially to the apricot and grapefruit notes.
1.5 oz Yaguara Cachaa
.75 oz Campari
.75 oz Dolin dry vermouth
.25 oz Blume Apricot Eau de Vie
.25 oz Giffard Pamplemousse
Stir and serve on the rocks with an orange twist.
Cali Daiquiri Punch
This large batch punch plays upon the classic daiquiri with exceptional results. Developed by the team at Caliche Rum, it’s a quick recipe to throw together and enjoy. The Puerto Rican white rum offers hints of vanilla which accent the lime nicely.
15 oz Caliche Rum
5 oz fresh lime juice
5 oz stevia water reduction (10 drops of liquid stevia to 1 oz. water)
1 strawberry
Garnish: strawberry or lime twist
Build with ice in punch bowl and stir. Serves five people.
Gran Cobbler
San Francisco’s Forgery Bar offers some of the best cocktails you can find in the Bay Area. This particular one, developed by Jacques Bezuidenhout and Ken Luciano, plays upon the classic Cobbler cocktail. Absinthe lends a nice anise profile, which counteracts the vermouth. All the while, the raspberries keep it fresh and fun.
2 oz Gran Lusso Vermouth
1 Bar Spoon Pernod Absinthe
6 to 8 Raspberries
.25 oz Lime
Shake all ingredients with ice and strain over Cobbled ice in a Claret Glass.
Cocktail Bouquet
Vibrant, bubbling and the perfect cross between high and low brow, the Cocktail Bouquet, developed by Belvedere, employs their high-end vodka. But it’s the red cream soda that makes it fun and playful. Fresh sour and lemon sorbet balance the drink out perfectly. Again, it’s easy to make for a large group or as a one-off. And it speaks to getting creative with summer cocktails.
Single Serving:
1.5 oz Belvedere
2 oz fresh sour
Small scoop of lemon sorbet
Top with red cream soda
Batch:
1 to 1.5 cups Belvedere
2 to 2.25 cups fresh sour
Combine the Belvedere and fresh sour in a cocktail shaker. Shake vigorously and into a tall, chilled glass. Add a small scoop of lemon sorbet and top with red cream soda.
Images courtesy of respective brands
