Food and Recipes Drinks 17 Red, White, and Boozy Drink Recipes for the Fourth of July By Kaitlyn Yarborough Kaitlyn Yarborough Part of the Southern Living team since 2017, Kaitlyn Yarborough is a Georgia native living in Austin, Texas, who covers a wide variety of topics for both the magazine and website, focusing on culture and lifestyle content, as well as travel in the South.She earned a B.A. in Journalism at the University of Georgia. She hopes to inspire your travel bucket list with her features on road trips through Texas Hill Country, bourbon tours in Kentucky, and the best beach getaways on the Gulf Coast. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on September 1, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox It's safe to say that Southerners can all agree on one thing during a hot, sweltering summer down here: Nothing cools you off like an ice-cold beverage. While sweet tea, homemade lemonade, and a cooler of Cokes (a term that covers all types of fizzy sodas) are a given, why not give your Fourth of July cookout something to talk about? Instead of the typical adults-only cooler of brews, try one of these fun and refreshing 4th of July drinks and cocktails. No matter if celebrating Independence Day lakeside, on the beach, or in your backyard, any of these sippers are sure to be the star of your patriotic celebration. It's time to raise your flag high, let the fireworks fly, and fix up a festive drink. Whether your party needs something "red, white, and boozy," a zero-proof "mocktail," or a fun refreshment for the kids, you're covered with these 25 Fourth of July drink recipes. 01 of 17 4th of July Punch Jennifer Causey Recipe: 4th of July Punch Instead of serving the same selection of beer from last year's barbecue, why not whip up a batch of this patriotic punch? 02 of 17 Watermelon Margaritas Southern Living Recipe: Watermelon Margaritas We've yet to make a more popular summer cocktail recipe than this refreshing watermelon margarita. 03 of 17 Sparkling Cherry Limeade Iain Bagwell; Prop Styling: Annette Joseph; Food Styling: Cynthia Groseclose Recipe: Sparkling Cherry Limeade We remade a classic sipper with a margarita-inspired twist. The recipe tastes just as good without alcohol, but we recommend tequila and orange liqueur if you're prepping for an adults-only crowd. 04 of 17 Fruity Floats Jennifer Davick Recipe: Fruity Floats During the dog days of summer, only a fruitier take on a Coke float will do. Pour your favorite fruit-flavored soda—grape, orange, or cherry—over vanilla ice cream for a frosty treat. 05 of 17 Salty Dog Cocktail Caitlin Bensel Recipe: Salty Dog Cocktail This cocktail is a gin-infused take on the traditional Greyhound cocktail. The result? A cooler that's nice and fruity, but not too sweet. 06 of 17 Iced Hibiscus Sweet Tea Jennifer Davick Recipe: Iced Hibiscus Sweet Tea This fruity, refreshing twist on traditional sweet tea will keep the party folks coming back for more. 07 of 17 Watermelon-Ginger Mojitos Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Watermelon-Ginger Mojitos Watermelon, mint, lime, and ginger come together to make one Fourth of July-worthy drink. 08 of 17 Summer Cobbler Cocktail Helen Norman; Prop Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller; Food Styling: Marian Cooper Cairns Recipe: Summer Cobbler Cocktail Make use of those fresh blackberries and locally made blackberry preserves at your farmers' market for this pretty pink drink. 09 of 17 Berry Splash Beth Dreiling Hontzas Recipe: Berry Splash This family-friendly recipe will cool off your crowd all summer long. 10 of 17 Pitcher Mojitos Caitlin Bensel Recipe: Pitcher Mojitos Refreshing and cool, these big-batch mojitos are the perfect hosting recipe for a summer party. 11 of 17 Homemade Cherry Limeade Southern Living Recipe: Homemade Cherry Limeade This quintessential summer drink deserves a spot at the Fourth of July cookout. Serve in Mason jars for a festive touch. 12 of 17 Raspberry Beer Cocktail Charles Walton IV Recipe: Raspberry Beer Cocktail We never knew what a handful of raspberries could do to a Summer Shandy. Now we do. 13 of 17 Shoo-Fly Punch Beth Dreiling Hontzas Recipe: Shoo-Fly Punch Southerners spend much of the summer saying "shoo, fly!" (Same goes for you, mosquitos and gnats...) Why not keep the ball rolling? Ginger beer is the secret to this zingy cocktail. 14 of 17 Classic Sweet Tea Alison Miksch Recipe: Classic Sweet Tea You can't beat the ultimate classic. If you can only have one drink, this one's a safe bet. 15 of 17 Lemon Mint Sparklers Hector Sanchez Recipe: Lemon-Mint Sparklers Set up a self-serve beverage station with fresh lemon and mint leaves to make this simple recipe party-ready. 16 of 17 Aperol and Blood Orange-Mint Spritz Peter Frank Edwards Recipe: Aperol and Blood Orange-Mint Spritz Everyone loves an Aperol spritz in the summertime, and this big-batch recipe gets extra personality from blood oranges and fresh mint. 17 of 17 Lemon-Blueberry Sweet Tea Jennifer Davick Recipe: Lemon-Blueberry Sweet Tea This is as close to red, white, and blue as sweet tea can get. Stewing the blueberries and lemon is the secret touch. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit