This is, in my opinion, the perfect 4th of July cocktail! The Red, White and Blue cocktail is a layered vodka drink that tastes just as good as it looks. With a refreshing raspberry and lemon flavor, it's perfect for a summertime cookout!
Besides for the 4th of July, this is a great drink for any occasion where you might want a red, white and blue theme. It's a fun drink, and pretty easy to make, too!
Looking for more colorful cocktails? Try out the tasty Blue Gin & Tonic, the delicious Blueberry Lemon Drop Martini or this layered pink and purple Gin and Aperol Cocktail.
How do the layers work in this drink?
In order to make a great layered cocktail, you have to know a little bit about density! Yep, we're talking physics (but made simple :))
In general, a liquid that has a lot of sugar dissolved in it (like syrup) will get more dense (heavier) the more sugar that is in it.
Also, alcohol is less dense (lighter) than water or juice.
So, the top layer of our drink has all the alcohol! The middle layer is lemonade, and the bottom layer has all the syrup.
Ingredients
To make the drink, you'll need just six ingredients -- three for the bottom layer, one for the middle, and two for the top.
The red layer has raspberry syrup, pomegranate juice and lemon juice.
The white layer is made of sparkling lemonade. I used San Pellegrino Limonata.
The blue layer is a mix of vodka with a little bit of Blue Curaçao liqueur. The liqueur has an orange flavor, but you won't really taste it since we're just using a tiny amount.
Optional: I also sprinkled some edible glitter on top of the drink, which gives it a little extra sparkle!
Substitutions
Don't have one of the ingredients? Try these substitutions:
- Vodka - if you don't have vodka, this drink would also be great with white rum, tequila blanco or gin.
- Blue Curacao - if you don't have this liqueur, try using one drop of blue food coloring in the vodka layer.
- Sparkling lemonade - you can use a clear soda like Sprite if you don't have this. To make it more white, just mix it with some extra lemon juice before adding it to the glass.
- Raspberry syrup - you can use grenadine syrup (I like Liber & Co Grenadine syrup) in place of raspberry syrup if you don't have it.
- Pomegranate juice - you can also use cherry juice or cranberry juice, or even watermelon juice!
Equipment
Since this drink is made in the serving glass, you only need a few extra bar tools. A long bar spoon will come in handy, plus a jigger. You'll also need a separate glass to mix the blue layer.
For the serving glass, a large highball or Collins glass works great so you can see all the layers. I used this 16 ounce ribbed highball glass.
Note: Check out my fave, A Bar Above, if you need some new bar tools! You can get 10% off using my discount code, LKDrinks.
Instructions
Add the lemon juice and raspberry syrup to your cocktail serving glass. Try to pour it directly into the middle of the glass to avoid splashing the sides.
Add in the pomegranate juice (again trying not to splash the sides) and then gently mix the red layer with a long spoon.
Fill your glass with ice. You can use regular ice, or crush the ice first if you prefer. Try to add the ice in carefully so it doesn't splash the red to the top of the glass.
Once the ice is all in, pour the sparkling lemonade slowly into the glass. It should form a white-colored layer on top of the red layer.
Then, in a separate mixing glass, add your vodka and Blue Curacao. Mix them together.
Carefully pour the blue mixture onto the top of your cocktail. It should float on top pretty easily since it is mostly alcohol!
For a finishing touch, if you have some edible glitter, sprinkle some on top for an extra touch of sparkle.
Hint: If you can, chill all of your ingredients beforehand so the ice doesn't melt too quickly while you're making your layers.
What does it look like when it's mixed together?
Although this drink looks cool when it's layered, it tastes better after you mix it all up! I mixed this one so you can see the color after it's all stirred together.
Since there is just a touch of blue in the top layer, it ends up being mostly red! The more blue you add, the closer it gets to kind of a dark purple or even black color.
Cheers and happy sipping!
📖 Recipe
Red, White and Blue Cocktail
Equipment
- Mixing glass
- Citrus juicer (if using fresh lemon)
- Knife and cutting board (if using fresh lemon)
Ingredients
Red layer (bottom)
- ½ ounce lemon juice
- ¾ ounce raspberry syrup (link to my homemade recipe, but you can use store bought too)
- 1 ounce pomegranate juice
White layer (middle)
- 4 ounces sparkling lemonade
Blue layer (top)
- 1½ ounces vodka
- 1 bar spoon Blue Curaçao
Optional
- 1 pinch edible glitter
Instructions
- Carefully pour the lemon juice, raspberry syrup and pomegranate juice into your serving glass. (Try not to get it on the edges of the glass.)
- Use a long bar spoon to mix it all together. This will be the red layer of the drink.
- Fill the glass with ice.
- Add in the sparkling lemonade, pouring slowly so it won't mix with the red layer.
- In a separate mixing glass, add the vodka and Blue Curacao and stir them together with a clean spoon.
- Pour the blue mixture onto the top of the lemonade layer, going slowly so the layers won't mix.
- Optionally, sprinkle some edible glitter over top of the drink, and serve!
Notes
- If you don't have raspberry syrup, you can use grenadine or another red-colored syrup. The syrup is the main flavor in the drink, so use what you like best!
- If you don't have Blue Curacao, just mix a single drop of blue food coloring in with the vodka.
- You can use Sprite instead of the sparkling lemonade, but mix it with some extra lemon juice before adding it to give it more of a white color (instead of clear).
Kimberly says
This is my favorite July 4th cocktail 🙂 Let me know if you have any questions about this recipe!