20 Easy Summer Cocktails to Celebrate July 4th

Sometimes an old standby hits the spot—a salt-rimmed margarita , maybe, or a refreshing mint julep sweetened with slow-steeped syrup. Other times, when we want to impress friends and family, we like eliciting oohs and aahs with zanier numbers like the Flor de Jalisco, which swaps in tequila for the rum and adds flor de jamaica for a vivid pink hue. Get the method > Flor de Jalisco (Hibiscus Tequila Mule) Photography by Linda Pugliese; Food Styling by Christine Albano; Prop Styling by Carla Gonzalez-Hart Unabashedly nontraditional—in Mexico, hibiscus is not a conventional cocktail element—this floral beverage tastes best when made with a ginger beer that skews spicy such as Ginger Lab .

Get the method > Little Dragon Cocktail Jeslyn Chanchaleune This margarita riff gets its citrus notes from lime juice and mandarin liqueur yet keeps things subtly savory with a dash of fish sauce. Get the method > Rudolph’s Regret Photography by Linda Xiao; Food Styling by Christine Albano; Prop Styling by Dayna Seman If you like a Blood. Sand cocktail, you’ll love this Irish rendition from Dublin’s Sidecar bar that calls for Amarena cherries, Aperol, and lemon juice.

Get the method > Green Goddess Cocktail Photography by Linda Xiao; Food Styling by Christine Albano; Prop Styling by Dayna Seman Cucumber juice—fresh, briny, floral—is the cocktail element you didn’t know you were missing, as this recipe proves. Get the method > Love Liquor Highball Photography by Linda Xiao; Food Styling by Christine Albano; Prop Styling by Dayna Seman Beet juice, sugarcane, and citrus meld harmoniously in this gingery rum drink.

Get the method > Steel Drops Photography by Linda Xiao; Food Styling by Christine Albano; Prop Styling by Dayna Seman The zip of lime juice. Tingle of fresh ginger make this Jamaican-inspired cocktail a fantastic preprandial treat. Get the recipe > Everything’s Coming Up Rosé Photography by Matt Taylor-Gross This bright fuchsia aperitivo mixes tannic hibiscus tea, sweet Lillet Rosé, and dry rosé—and tops it all off with a foamy Prosecco float.

Get the method > The Malibu Farideh Sadeghin As its name implies, this pisco-based cocktail flavored with grapefruit and Lillet Blanc tastes like a California sunset. Get the method > Leaf and Spear Photography by Christopher Testani The striking forest-green color of this sweet-and-savory cocktail is due to the kale-infused rum.

Get the method > Garden Kitchen Sink Gimlet Photography by Matt Taylor-Gross This boozy gin cocktail might be the best way to use up leftover mint and cucumbers. Get the method > Cuban-Style Daiquiri Photography by Matt Taylor-Gross The secret to our favorite daiquiri method is a sparing measure of Luxardo Maraschino, which lends a pleasingly complex, bittersweet cherry flavor. Get the method > Chile-Pomegranate Paloma Matt Taylor-Gross While the margarita is better known, the grapefruit-based Paloma is an equally refreshing Mexican classic.

Get the method > Carolina Blues Blueberry Cocktail Photography by Matt Taylor-Gross The Carolina Blues follows the classic Tom Collins blueprint but substitutes simple syrup for shrub, soda for prosecco, and lemon juice for lime. Get the method > Moto Guzzi Photography by Matt Taylor-Gross Named after the motorcycle label, this Aperol spritz riff out of Atlanta substitutes Cappelletti aperitivo, a red-wine-based aperitif, for the standard orange spirit.

Get the recipe > Smoky Grapefruit Gin and Tonic Photography by Eric Medsker Gin and tonics are the balm of summer. Add a slice of salt-sprinkled grilled grapefruit, and cut the tonic with soda, and the usual highball becomes doubly refreshing.

Get the recipe > Seared Apricot Ginger Cooler Photography by Eric Medsker Cooked fresh apricots are the fragrant, smoky centerpiece of this gingery whiskey cocktail. Get the method > Grilled Pineapple Margarita Photography by Eric Medsker Pairing grilled pineapple with mezcal results in bold, unbridled smokiness in this margarita variation.

Get the method > Gin Campari Sour Photography by Matt Taylor-Gross An egg white sands down Campari’s bitter edge here while also adding silkiness and opacity.