Who says food can't be art? Certainly not Pinterest! And Labor Day is just the time to get creative with the patriotic drinks recipes. "Crafts" some red
white and blue cocktails and American themed shots and recipes. Use these festive American holiday-themed alcoholic beverages for 4th of July, Flag Day and Memorial Day too.
RWB Bomb Pop: Slush (partially freeze) separately: Dekuyper's Raspberry Pucker, cherry liqueur or Bacardi Razz, blue Curacao and Smirnoff ice (or lemonade, vodka or gin). Add slush in layers with red on bottom, clear in middle and blue on top.
Red, White and Brew: Are your party-goers a beer crowd? Then why not spike those beers with a shot of red or blue food coloring for a fun Fourth of July look? Hey, bars dye beer green for St. Patrick's Day--why not blue beer or red beer for America's birthday? Amber beers are already reddish in color. Hopheads will love Founders Red's Rye IPA. Lagunitas Imperial Red is a maltier beer. Or Redd's Apple Ale is getting quite a following.
Red Wine and Blue: Serve your wine loving guests an assortment of wines. Select a rich, dry red like Malbec or Shiraz and a sweet red Lambrusco. Moscato or Reisling are nice sweet whites wines and chardonnay is a delicious dry white. For blue white, add a little grape juice to a sweet white. Or bust out good old Boone's Farm Blue Hawaiian just for fun!
Red Hot White Lightning Blues: Put a kick in your patriotic punch bowl. Blend cranberry juice, grapefruit soda, Dekuyper's Raspberry Pucker, vodka (one shot of liqueur and alcohol to each 8 ounce serving of juice). Freeze blue gelatin or clear soda in star-shaped ice cube trays.
Rum White and Beach Cooler: This is a 4th of July spin on a traditional New Orleans Hurricane recipe. Blend blue Hi-C fruit punch, limeade, Dekuyper's Blue Curacao and Malibu coconut rum. Garnish with strawberry and apple slices cut in star shapes.
Star-Spangled Sangria: In a pitcher, blend one bottle dry red wine (Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon) one 2 liters grapefruit soda, one 12-ounce can lemonade and a fifth of Dekuyper's Peach Schnapps. Freeze Dekuyer's Blue Curacao in star-shaped ice cubes. Slice oranges, lemons and limes and cut in star shapes with cookie cutter.
Ruby White and Blue Solitaire shot (slush or regular): My then-boyfriend was a bartender. He gave me a ruby solitaire as a promise ring. This drink is named for
that ring. 100% Cranberry Juice cocktail (Ocean Spray is a good brand.) DeKuyper Peachtree Schnapps.
lemon twist, strawberry and blueberry bowtie for garnish. Freeze the cranberry juice until it slushes. Place in a covered ice bucket or
cooler. Mix one shot of Schnapps with four oz. of cranberry juice.
American Woman (aka Bahama Mama, a drink from my conga line days). In a shaker, blend, shots of Malibu Coconut Rum, Suntory Midori
(melon liquor) and 4-6 ounces Dole Orange-Peach-Mango or Dole
Pine-Orange-Banana). Garnish with pale green honeydew melon chunk, strawberry,
blueberry for RWB bowtie.
Blue Motorcycle: My now-husband used to ride a Union Jack blue 1970 Triumph Daytona;
this drink is a tribute to that bike.Mix one ounce each of vodka, rum and Blue Curacao liquor. Add four
ounces Vernor's (the original American soda) or Squirt grapefruit soda.
Star-Spangled Brain: This novelty was an early shot. It looks like a squirrels' brain (hence the name) but
tastes delicious. Fill a Collins glass half full of Dekuyper Strawberry or Pucker
Raspberry Schnapps. Slowly dribble in one-two ounces of Bailey's Irish Cream to
make "brain."
Stripy Stars Slammer: Another early shot, you slam the glass on
the table and drink in one gulp. Slamming releases CO2 and makes froth. It
isn't necessary to literally slam the glass. Just pick it up with one hand,
cover it with the other hand and set down firmly on the table. 1 oz tequila, 1 ounce pink champagne, 4 ounces Vernor's.
Ein Prosit! L'Chaim! Sainte! Salud! Nastrovya! Skol! Opah and all that. But if you drink this Memorial Day, don't drive.
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