15 Refreshing Cocktails and Mocktails to Help You Celebrate America’s Birthday in Style – One Green Planet

On July 4th, 1776, the United States of America declared its independence from the British Empire, and our fledgling nation launched itself into a war that would change the course of history forever. After a long struggle, the 13 colonies won their freedom from the British Empire in a victory that resonated around the globe, and July 4th became Independence Day.

While the historical significance of this date is not lost on us, instead of memorializing a bloody conflict, we like to think of the 4th of July as Uncle Sam’s birthday party, and no birthday party is complete without good food, close friends, family, and of course – fancy drinks! As Independence Day draws closer, BBQs are planned and prepped, patriotic desserts are being baked, and picnic spots are being staked out, we thought we would help you all out with on the most critical elements of the day, the drinks.

We’ve put together 15 of our most refreshing, pinky-out-while-drinking cocktails and mocktails to help you celebrate Independence Day with class and style; no light beer for you! These summery beverages will be the star of whatever party you attend this 4th because, in this heat, everybody’s favorite person is the one who brings the drinks!

1. Vanilla Pear Cardamom Cocktail 

This Vanilla Pear Cardamom Cocktail combines fresh pear with vanilla vodka and amaretto all tied together with the slightly floral flavor of cardamom. If you’re not a fan of nutmeg you might feel like you’re missing out with all the new non-dairy nogs. But this thick and creamy drink is a perfect replacement. It’s great as a dessert or as the main drink at your holiday cookie exchange.

2. Bloody Marias Made With Infused Tequila 

Think of gazpacho: cool and refreshing, with spicy undertones, now put that idea into liquid form, minus the vegetables of course. These Bloody Marias Made With Infused Tequila will get your 4th of July started out right!

3. Not Your Average Carrot Juice 

Warning: This is Not Your Average Carrot Juice. Drinking fresh vegetable juices load your body up with tons of vitamins while being easy on your digestive system. Whether you are a juice newbie or veteran, this sweet and zesty combination will make you feel energized and refreshed. The several shots of bourbon thrown into this carrot juice will make you bubbly and sleepy so that this cocktail strikes the perfect balance between healthy and boozy.

4. Sparkling Dragon Fruit Margarita 

Summer will be pretty in pink with this refreshing drink. These Sparkling Dragon Fruit Margaritas aren’t just beautiful, they are delicious, too. Made with pink dragon fruit purée, freshly-squeezed lime juice, silver tequila, triple sec, and simple syrup, a splash of club soda is added to sparkle things up. Making this cocktail without the dragon fruit won’t change the flavor, it just won’t have the alluring neon pink glow.

5. Bubbly Raw Satsuma and Mint Mocktail 

This Bubbly Raw Satsuma and Mint Mocktail is a perfect balance of sweet, from the satsuma juice, and sour from the grapefruit juice. The fresh mint crushed into it will remind you of a mojito but the citrus flavors will be a bit more nuanced and subtle. Plus, if you feel like living life on the edge, you can throw a shot of vodka in as well to give this drink an extra bit of kick!

6. Peach Melba Sangria 

Meet Peach Melba Sangria, the traditional peach and raspberry dessert’s boozy sister! With sangria, the fruit is key – it has to be something that you want to keep going back to. Something juicy, sweet, and ripe. To amp up the peach flavor, toss in a bit of peach schnapps and some sparkling water for effervescence. Aren’t you getting thirsty just thinking about it?

7. Candied Orange Peel and Orange Whiskey Sour 

Who says you need a bartender’s license to make a truly epic mixed drink? This Candied Orange Peel and Orange Whiskey Sour is taken to the next level with homemade candied orange peel and homemade sour mix. It’s pure love in liquid form! Pull up a chair, let’s whip up these sweet slices while sipping on a candy-garnished adult beverage, my bar is stocked!

Recommendation: Download the Food Monster App 

If you enjoy articles like this and want more, we highly recommend downloading the Food Monster App. For those who don’t have it, it’s a brilliant Food app available for both Android and iPhone. It’s a great resource for anyone looking to cut out or reduce allergens like meat, dairy, soy, gluten, eggs, grains, and more find awesome recipes, cooking tips, articles, product recommendations and how-tos. The app shows you how having diet/health/food preferences can be full of delicious abundance rather than restrictions.

The Food Monster app has over 8000+ recipes, and 500 are free. To access the rest, you have to pay a subscription fee but it’s totally worth it because not only do you get instant access to 8000+ recipes, you get 10 NEW recipes every day! You can also make meal plans, add bookmarks, read feature stories, and browse recipes across hundreds of categories like diet, cuisine, meal type, occasion, ingredient, popular, seasonal, and so much more!

Now the only question left is whether to eat your ceviche with chips or make it into a tostada – but we’re sure you can handle that.

8. Ginger Lime Kombucharita

This Ginger Lime Kombucharita is an updated version of the classic Mexican cocktail – the margarita. The base of tequila, lime, and triple sec remains the same but the beverage is augmented with ginger kombucha, which provides a slight tang of fermentation, and the spicy notes of ginger on the back end of the drink give it more depth and complexity than its predecessor. It’s the perfect warm weather beverage to enjoy with a friend.

9. Healthy Piña Colada (Hallelujah!) 

If you like Piña Coladas … and getting caught in the rain…then you totally need to make this. Say no to pre-made mixes! That should be your new motto! We find it is much, much tastier to make your own. But we get it, you want a drink because you are trying to relax, so you don’t want to spend all day making said drink. We’ve got your back! Just buy the ingredients beforehand; the perishable items are frozen, so you can store all of it for your time of need.

10. Jamaican Sexy Juice 

If you’re ever attending a Caribbean (more specifically, Jamaican) function, you are guaranteed to find Jamaican Sexy Juice on the menu. Where the name “Sexy Juice” actually derives from, nobody knows. Perhaps it’s that sexy feeling that manifests itself or maybe it’s a drink exclusive to sexy people?

12. Ginger Beer Mocktail 

This is one of our favorite mocktails because it’s so crisp and refreshing. This Ginger Beer Mocktail‘s spicy bite of ginger is complemented by the tangy sour of lime and a subtle sweetness from the coconut sugar. This recipe is quick, easy, and perfect for a party.

13. Jal Jeera: Refreshing Indian Spiced Lemonade 

This herbaceous “jal jeera,” or an Indian summer drink best described as spiced lemonade, can be made in just 2 minutes. Every single sip of this chilled drink will take your taste buds on a joy ride. The unique flavor of this lemonade comes from the combo of two fresh herbs — coriander and mint, and spices like roasted cumin powder, dry mango powder, ground black pepper, and black salt. In the Northern part of India, you can get this drink at street kiosks during the summer.

14. Watermelon Cherry Cooler 

Summer is upon us, and staying hydrated is at the top of the list. Sometimes we need to drink something special, but at the same time, we look for healthy beverages, with no added sugar, lots of health benefits, and on top of that, look beautiful and tempting. It’s not that difficult to find drinks to meet our expectations, but sometimes those gorgeous drinks carry too many calories, and so, we present for your enjoyment,  this Watermelon Cherry Cooler.

15. Papaya Coladas 

Extra thick, ice-cold and creamy, this papaya twist on pina colada is a refreshing, vitamin-packed drink. Enjoy this Papaya Colada as a morning smoothie or pour in some rum for a tropical party cocktail.

Learn How to Cook Plant-Based Meals at Home

Reducing your meat intake and incorporating more plant-based foods into your diet is known to Support various health benefits, including reducing chronic inflammation, improving heart health, enhancing mental well-being, achieving fitness goals, meeting nutritional needs, managing allergies, and promoting gut health, among others. Dairy consumption also has been linked to many health problems, including acne, hormonal imbalance, cancer,  prostate cancer, and has many side effects.

For those of you interested in eating more plant-based, we highly recommend grabbing our favorite plant-based cookbooks and downloading the Food Monster App — with over 20,000 delicious recipes, it is the largest plant-based recipe resource to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals, and get healthy! And, while you are at it, we encourage you to also learn about the environmental and health benefits of a plant-based diet.

Here are some great resources to get you started:

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