Exclusive Red, White, And Blue Cocktail Ideas For Independence Day

I've got a confession to make: I'm a cocktail queen. I love cocktails at happy hour, cocktails by the pool, and some boozy, frozen fun on a hot day. In fact, my friends and I all pitched in to buy a margarita machine in college, and I’ve never looked back since. The truth is, cocktails are just fabulous. They give stiff spirits a nice, smooth zing, and turn any run-of-the-mill get-together into a full-blown affair. But if there's one thing I'm absolutely crazy for, it's a themed drink, and these original and easy red, white, and blue cocktail ideas, courtesy of 10 Barrel Brewing exclusively for Bustle, are Fourth of July approved, and just what your Independence Day celebration needs.

There's plenty of ways to celebrate the Fourth of July, from food to lawn games to festive flag t-shirts. But no Independence Day soirée would be complete without some themed food and drink to celebrate the rockets’ red glare. From star-shaped appetizers to patriotic fruit pizzas, food all but becomes part of the decoration on the Fourth of July. I’ve already confessed my love for cocktails, but these festive drinks pack a surprising punch that make them even harder to deny: beer! Thanks to the brilliant beverage masterminds at 10 Barrel Brewing, these drinks pack the smooth sipping of a cocktail with the carbonated kick of a craft brew. And the result is enough to make anyone cheers to the land of the free and the home of the brave. Plus, they're totally easy to put together!

Whether you’re hosting your own shindig or attending someone else’s this year, make your contribution to the Fourth of July barbecue the star of the party with these patriotic cocktails. They’re cute, boozy, and come with festive red, white, and blue hues built in.

Raspberry Crush Margarita

Just because we’re celebrating America, the beautiful, doesn’t mean we can’t give a nod to our neighbors down south while in the process. What better way to celebrate than by cheersing it with your own drink of choice? And why not make that drink of choice this Raspberry Crush Margarita?

INGREDIENTS

Salt for rim

1 oz. tequila

1 oz. triple sec

4 oz. fresh lime juice, plus more for rim

Ice

10 Barrel Brewing Co. Raspberry Crush Beer

Total Prep Time: 2 minutes

1. Fill a shallow dish with salt and line the rim of a tall cocktail glass with lime juice. Roll juiced rim in salt to coat.
2. Combine tequila, triple sec, and lime juice and stir to combine. Add ice and top with with a splash of 10 Barrel Raspberry Crush.
3. Garnish with fresh lime.
4. Serve with a blue straw for ambience.

Cucumber Crush Mojito

This recipe combines the refreshing zing of summery cucumber cocktail with the bright herbaceousness of fresh mint leaves — aka, it’s basically summer in a glass and tastes great on a hot day. The Cucumber Crush Mojito gives you all the easy drinking of a straight-up mojito with an extra dose of carbonation. And that little hint of sour you’re getting? It’s the quirky bite this makes this cocktail hard to put down.

INGREDIENTS

10 Mint leaves, torn

1.5 oz. clear rum

2 tbsp. Sugar

Ice

10 Barrel Brewing Co. Cucumber Sour Crush

Total Prep Time: 2 minutes

1. In a tall cocktail glass, combine mint leaves, rum, and sugar and muddle until mixed.
2. Add a scoop of ice and top with a splash of 10 Barrell Cucumber Crush.
3. Garnish with fresh mint.
4. Serve with red straw for ambiance.

Now that you've got your festive drinks, time to party!