A Patriotic Cocktail for the 4th of July!

Our Nation was founded by Patriots, and this day remembers their efforts to create the Grand Experiment that is the USA. Most of those men not only enjoyed spirits, but also had home distilleries of their own. What a country! Here's a festive cocktail with a Patriotic presentation. You can line up the glasses and do this in sets to make life easier on you..

This recipe uses: Lime Tree Cove Fresh Lemon Cocktail Sugar  

Red White & Blue (July 4) Cocktail (by the glass):

Ingredients needed:

• Clear tall glasses (this works better with tall glasses, but I've used clear plastic cups with some success)
• 1 lime
• Fresh Grenadine
• Clear Lemon Lime Soda
• Blue Curacao
• Vodka, Clear Rum, or Coconut Rum
• Ice
• Lime Tree Cove Fresh Lemon Cocktail Sugar  

Directions:

1. Line up glasses to make it easier.
2. Fill glasses with ice
3. Wet the rim of the glass with the remaining lime slice, and use your Barmaid to garnish the rim with Lime Tree Cove Fresh Lemon Cocktail Sugar  
4. Mix part 1 (The Red): 3 parts fresh grenadine with 1 part white rum or vodka. NOTE: Bottled Grenadine may be too heavy for some - fresh grenadine will create a lighter cocktail
5. Mix part 2 (The White): 1 part lemon lime soda with 1 part coconut rum
6. Mix part 3 (The Blue):4 parts lemon lime soda with 1 part white rum or vodka and a splash of blue curacao. NOTE: If too much blue curacao is added the blue and white layers will collapse.

Now, you need to pour each part into the glasses slowly in the following order to create the cocktail:

• Pour Part 1 The Red: This is the densest of the ingredients, so it should stay at the bottom of the glass when the other stuff is added (this is the moment from high school when your chemistry teacher told you, 'one day, chemistry will save your party!'). Fill the glass 1/3.
  
• Pour Part 2 The White: Pour slowly to allow this segment to float on top of the grenadine. The glass should now be 2/3 full.
• Pour Part 3 The Blue: This will be the lightest so it should float on top of the middle layer; pour it slowly and fill up the glass.
• Garnish with whatever patriotic decoration you wish (fireworks are not recommended), and wow the crowd!

Paul Artrip ‘The Rum Daddy’ is a rum and cane spirits judge, brand ambassador, mixologist and writer. You can reach him at his website The Rum Daddy.

Article Posted June 27, 2010