8 Most Popular Patriotic Drinks to Try This Year

Looking for the perfect drink to celebrate Flag Day, the 4th of July, or the Olympic Games? Check out our roundup of the most popular patriotic drinks!

From colorful cocktails to family-friendly beverages, these recipes will add a festive touch to your holiday. Whether you’re hosting a party or just looking to enjoy a special treat, these drinks are sure to impress.

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Red, White, and Blue Vodka Lemonade Slush

Celebrate your patriotism with a refreshing (and colorful!) slush, made from layers of crushed ice and flavors of grenadine, blue curacao, and spiked lemonade.

• Prep: 10 mins
• Yields: 4 large drinks

INGREDIENTS

• 9 cup ice, separated. Note: may need up to 12 cups.
• 1 cup grenadine
• 1 cup Blue Curacao
• 1 cup vodka
• 1 cup lemonade

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Using a food processor, crush mix 3 cups of ice and grenadine syrup together until slushy. Note: You need this layer to be extra thick, so if needed, add up to 1 cup more ice and blend. When finished, set aside.
2. Repeat the step for the Blue Curacao, blending with 3 cups of ice until slushy. Like the last layer, you want this to be extra thick. If needed, add up to 1 more cup of ice and blend. Set aside.
3. Add vodka, lemonade, and remaining 3 cups of ice to the blender and mix until slushy. It’s not as important for this layer to be thick, but it should be comparable to the others. Add up to 1 more cup of ice if needed. When finished, set aside.
4. Prepare drinks by layering the flavors in this order: grenadine, blue curacao, and finish with the vodka lemonade on top.
5. Serve as desired.

Patriotic Drink (For Kids)

This drink was in a Family Fun magazine a few years ago. When poured carefully, this makes a red, white and blue drink for any star-spangled occasion. It separates by using the drink with the highest sugar content on the bottom, and the least on top.

• Prep: 10 mins
• Yields: 1

INGREDIENTS

• 3ounces cranberry juice or 3 ounces fruit punch
• 3ounces Gatorade sports drink (blue)
• 3ounces sugar free 7-Up or 3 ounces Sprite
• ice cube, fill glass to the top with cubes

DIRECTIONS

1. Place the ice cubes in the bottom 3rd of a tall 12 ounce clear glass. Pour the cranberry juice or fruit punch in to fill the bottom 3rd.
2. Place a few more cubes in to the middle and pour in the blue Gatorade to fill the glass 2/3 full.
3. Place the final 3rd of ice in the glass. Pour in the diet 7up or diet Sprite.
4. Serve and enjoy!

Patriotic Punch

This family friendly patriotic punch is a sweet, fun, and colorful layered drink to celebrate the holidays with!

• Prep: 5 mins
• Yields: 1 glass

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup Cran-raspberry juice
• 1/2 cup Gatorade Frost
• 1/2 cup Powerade Zero Mixed Berry, it needs to be the zero to work with the density of sugar content
• 1 cup ice cubes

Before You Begin

1. Hawaiian punch, fruit punch, Kool-Aid, or any other different sugary punch will work for your red drink. Keep in mind the red layer needs to have the highest sugar content for it to sink to the bottom. It’s all about the differing levels of sugar when it comes to the layered look with this drink.
2. You can make this punch in a pitcher but making it in a pitcher is just for looks. As you pour the drink into individual glasses, the layers will combine into a purple-y color. This drink is best when made in individual wide-mouth cups like mason jars. It can work in a pitcher or other style cups, but the wide-mouth mason jars are best. 

Instructions

1. Pour the Cran-Raspberry into your cup. Add the ice.
2. Hold a spoon upside-down over the ice and pour your white Gatorade slowly, then the blue. As the ice shifts it may start to mix.

Firecracker Cocktail

When layering cocktails, you’ll want to layer the thicker and more heavily sweetened liquids on the bottom and the lighter liquids on top. This one has cranberry juice cocktail on the bottom, blue Curacao liqueur and vodka in the middle and club soda on top to finish.

Makes 1 cocktail

Ingredients

• 2 oz sweetened cranberry juice (do not use unsweetened or artificially sweetened cranberry juice)
• 1 oz blue curacao liqueur
• 1 1/2 oz raspberry-flavored vodka
• 2 oz club soda (or flavored seltzer like lemon or orange)
• maraschino cherry or other red berry, for garnish

Directions

1. Pour the cranberry juice into a highball or other tall cocktail glass, then fill to the top with ice.
2. Place a spoon with the bowl facing down against the side of the glass, and slowly pour in the blue curacao over the back of the spoon. Rinse the spoon (or use a new one) and repeat with the vodka and the club soda.
3. Garnish with a cherry and serve immediately.

Triple Berry Frozen Smoothies

Not all patriotic layered drinks have to be boozy or full of sugar. Wake up on the Fourth and make yourself this healthy breakfast smoothie that will keep you going through each and every cookout you attend.

• Yield: 3 servings

Ingredients

For the Blue Layer:

• 1/2 Cup milk or cranberry juice
• 1 Cup blueberries, fresh or frozen
• 1 Tablespoon honey
• 3 oz yogurt, I used Lemon Chobani
• 5-8 ice cubes

For the White Layer:

• 1/2 Cup milk
• 1 Tablespoon honey
• 6 oz yogurt, I used Lemon Chobani
• 6-8 ice cubes

For the Red Layer:

• 1/2 Cup milk or cranberry juice
• 1 Cup strawberries, fresh or frozen
• 1/2 Cup pitted cherries, fresh or frozen
• 1 Tablespoon honey
• 3 oz yogurt, I used Lemon Chobani
• 5-8 ice cubes

Instructions 

1. Blend together the ingredients for the blue layer and divide into 3 (or more) glasses. Place in the freezer for 10 minutes.
2. Repeat for each layer, freezing for at least 10 minutes in between each color.
3. Let thaw for 10 minutes before serving. 

Red, White and Blueberry Margaritas

These Red, White & Blue Margaritas (Firecracker Margaritas) are truly easy to make, and perfect for any patriotic holidays!

• Prep: 20 mins
• Yield: 6 cups

INGREDIENTS

FROZEN STRAWBERRY MARGARITA INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups (12 ounces) frozen strawberries
• 1/2 cup tequila
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup agave nectar (or honey)
• extra ice, if needed

FROZEN BLUEBERRY MARGARITA INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup (12 ounces) frozen blueberries
• 1/2 cup tequila
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup agave nectar (or honey)
• extra ice, if needed

FROZEN COCONUT MARGARITA INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup coconut milk (I recommend full-fat)
• 1/2 cup silver tequila
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup agave nectar (or honey)
• extra ice, if needed
• Optional: a fresh lime wedge and margarita salt or sugar, to rim the glasses

INSTRUCTIONS

1. For each of the margarita recipes, add the five ingredients to a blender and pulse until completely smooth. If the mixture is too thin, add extra ice until it is the consistency of a thick slushy. Pour into a container, and store in the freezer while you rinse the blender to make the next batch.
2. If you would like to rim your glasses with salt or sugar, make a small slit in a fresh lime wedge and run it around the tops of your glasses to wet the edges. Then invert the glasses, and dip them in a bowl of salt or sugar to coat the rims.
3. Use a spoon to scoop your desired first flavor of margaritas into the bottom of your serving glasses until they are 1/3 full. Add your second flavor, and then your final flavor. Serve immediately.
4. For those of you who would like to have somewhat straight lines between layers, I have a little tip. Once your first layer is in, do not add a huge spoonful of the next color on top. Rather, add just a few small spoonfuls of the next color in small piles around the edges of the first layer until you have made a circle border. Then fill in the center, and THEN you can start adding in larger spoonfuls on top of that. (Repeat with the third layer.) If you add a huge glop of a new color, it will make the layer underneath get super uneven and start to bleed color everywhere.
5. But hey, after about 5-10 minutes, the colors will start to seep and combine anyway. So however yours turn out, no worries — they will be delicious!

Patriotic Panna Cotta Shooters

Rich and creamy panna cotta is layered with grenadine syrup and citrusy blue curaçao for a sparkling red, white, and blue dessert. Serve these Patriotic Panna Cotta Shooters for Memorial Day or July Fourth holidays.

• Yield: 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

• 6 oz. grenadine syrup
• 1/2 tsp. powdered gelatin
• 1 tbsp. cold water
• 1 cup lite coconut milk
• 1/2 cup half and half
• 3 tbsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. coconut extract
• 3 oz. blue curaçao
• Wilton gold star edible glitter or other star-shaped sprinkles

INSTRUCTIONS 

1. Pour 1 oz. of grenadine into six 3 oz. clear glasses. Freeze grenadine solid, and keep glasses stored in freezer until panna cotta portion is ready.
2. In a small condiment cup, sprinkle the powdered gelatin over the cold water and let stand until absorbed. Set aside.
3. Combine the coconut milk, half and half and sugar in a saucepan. Heat the mixture until just boiling.
4. Microwave the gelatin mixture for 7-10 seconds, until melted and liquid. Remove the milk mixture from heat source and whisk in melted gelatin. Add coconut extract. Allow mixture to cool significantly.
5. Remove glasses of frozen grenadine from freezer and very slowly pour in 2 oz. of cooled coconut panna cotta into each glass. A little red from the grenadine may bleed into the white panna cotta, but as it stands the red should settle back down to the bottom. Refrigerate glasses until panna cotta is set and grenadine layer has completely thawed. Just before serving pour over 1/2 oz. blue curaçao and sprinkle with edible star glitter.

4th of July Jello Shots

Celebrate the 4th of July with these fabulously festive layered red white and blue jello shots, made with vodka.

• Prep: 20 mins
• Cook: 10 mins
• Chilling: 6 hrs
• Servings: 40 jello shots

Ingredients

For the Blue Layer (Bottom):

• 3 oz blue raspberry jello mix
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 1/2 cup vodka

For the White Layer (Middle):

• 2 packets of unflavored gelatin
• 1/2 cup cold water for blooming the gelatin
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 can 14 oz sweetened condensed milk

For the Red Layer (Top):

• 3 oz cherry jello mix cherry or strawberry would work
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 1/2 cup vodka

Optional Garnish Ideas:

• Whipped cream
• Red white, and blue sprinkles

Instructions

To Make the Blue Layer (Bottom):

• Dissolve the blue gelatin in 1 cup of boiling water.
• Stir in 1/2 cup of vodka and 1/2 cup of cold water.
• Pour the jello mixture into your 1 oz shot glasses, filling up to one-third of the way.
• Place in the refrigerator to set, about 2-3 hours.

To Make the White Layer (Middle):

• Sprinkle 2 packets of unflavored gelatin over ½ cup of cold water. Let it sit for a few minutes to “bloom.”
• Add 1 cup boiling water and stir until the gelatin is completely dissolved.
• Stir in the sweetened condensed milk until well mixed. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature.
• Once the blue layer is set, gently pour the white gelatin mixture over it to fill another third of the glasses. Return to the refrigerator and let set for another 2-3 hours.

To Make the Red Layer (Top):

1. Dissolve the red Jell-O in 1 cup of boiling water.
2. Mix in ½ cup vodka and ½ cup cold water.
3. Once the white layer is set, carefully add the red layer on top, filling up to the top of the glasses.
4. Refrigerate until set, about 2-3 hours or overnight for best results.