40 Easy 4th of July Cocktails That’ll Steal the (Fireworks) Show

• Time Commitment: 25 minutes
• Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients

Champagne is très chic, but any sparkling white wine (like prosecco or cava) will work fine. Drop a few blueberries into each glass to make it even more festive.

• Time Commitment: 5 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, less than 500 calories

If there are any beer nerds at the barbecue, spirits alone aren’t gonna cut it. Enter the beer margarita, a surprisingly refreshing combo of tequila, lime juice and a brewski. "Use any pilsner-style beer you like; just don’t skip the lime wedge garnish," says recipe developer Erin McDowell.

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, make ahead

You shouldn’t miss out on your own cookout because you’re busy playing bartender. "Basically the grown-up version of a juice box, my custom blends—made of tea, fruit juice and vodka—are poured into little plastic bags, then frozen until ready to serve," writes McDowell. Now, choose your fighter: raspberry-lime or lemonade iced tea?

• Time Commitment: 6 hours
• Why I Love It: special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients

Does it get more American than sipping homemade lemonade on the 4th of July? I think not. Even better, this take calls for spiking it with vodka or gin and serving it in hulled-out lemons. "We make the lemonade from scratch, but you can use the store-bought stuff if you’re already in vacation mode," writes McDowell.

• Time Commitment: 3 hours
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy, <10 ingredients

Everything is better on a stick, even wine. That’s why I fell in love with this three-ingredient ice pop that gets its vibrant color from fresh summer raspberries.

• Time Commitment: 10 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy, <30 minutes

Brandy and sparkling white wine make this flag-inspired sipper possible. Tip: Use a cookie cutter to punch apple slices into stars for a patriotic finishing touch.

• Time Commitment: 20 minutes
• Why I Love It: special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser, <30 minutes

A proper way to spend the 4th? Red, white and a little buzzed. This blended beauty should do the trick with layers of strawberry, blueberry and coconut margarita.

• Time Commitment: 20 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy, less than 500 calories

When it comes to floats, my philosophy is go big or go home. So, vanilla ice cream in my marg fits the bill, not to mention the decorative, over-the-top fruit skewers.

• Time Commitment: 5 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, special occasion–worthy, beginner-friendly

The blender is your BFF when it comes to frozen cocktails. Give three types of berries and fresh orange juice a whirl for this one.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, kid-friendly, make ahead

Bust out your barbecue skills for happy hour. The fruit is charred on the grill before reaching the pitcher, bringing out more of its natural sweetness. This 4th of July cocktail is virgin, but I give you permission to add vodka for the adults.

• Time Commitment: 5 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients

Citrus and tequila team up with sweet muddled blackberries for a vibrant sipper. Bonus points for coating the glass rims with red, white and blue sprinkles.

• Time Commitment: 5 minutes
• Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, <30 minutes

Two of summer’s favorite fruits in one glass. The best part? It works with basically any silver liquor you have (while vodka, gin or rum would work well here, I'm partial to tequila). I'll take mine with a salted rim, please.

• Time Commitment: 5 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients, low sugar

This spiked lemonade is guaranteed to be a picnic favorite. How does the vodka-laced bev get its blush color, you ask? Fresh strawberry-watermelon purée.

• Time Commitment: 2 hours and 15 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, make ahead

Serving a crowd? Whip out your biggest punch bowl or drink dispenser for your fanciest 4th of July cocktail yet. P.S.: The blackberries are strained, so you get all of their sweet flavor without a single seed.

• Time Commitment: 5 minutes
• Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients, <30 minutes

Fresh mint and simple syrup make for a drink that’s equal parts herbaceous and sweet. To make your own simple syrup, boil a cup of water on the stove and stir in a cup of sugar until dissolved.

• Time Commitment: 5 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy, <10 ingredients, <30 minutes

If you have four ingredients and five minutes, your new favorite bubbly drink is within reach. The secret is bottled peach nectar.

• Time Commitment: 6 hours
• Why I Love It: special occasion–worthy, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly

Strawberry and blueberry ice cubes will be a fun surprise for the kids. You’ll love the homemade vanilla bean simple syrup. Create an adults-only version of the mocktail with a dash of rum or vodka.

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes
• Why I Love It: special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser, less than 500 calories

These are so much cuter than what you concocted in your dorm room all those years ago. You’ll get three layers of flavor (hello, tart cherry, coconut and lemon) in every bite.

• Time Commitment: 5 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, <30 minutes

Okay, these are less red, white and blue and more pretty in pink. But garnish 'em with a few blueberries and the fruit will totally complement the drink’s reddish hue.

• Time Commitment: 25 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly

The season’s signature drink just leveled up. Think fresh-squeezed lemons and the easiest blueberry simple syrup ever. Pass the vodka (or keep it virgin for the kids).

• Time Commitment: 5 minutes
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, <30 minutes, kid-friendly

The U.S.A.’s colors shine bright in this combo of pomegranate soda, blueberries and ice cream. Add a dash of vodka and you’re in business.

• Time Commitment: 5 minutes
• Why I Love It: special occasion–worthy, <30 minutes, <10 ingredients

Despite its Bahamas-blue color, blue curaçao actually tastes like citrus. Add extra cherries for a festive finish. (A cocktail umbrella couldn't hurt, either.)

• Time Commitment: 10 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <30 minutes, special occasion–worthy

I'm a sucker for thematic garnishes, especially when they’re made from juicy nectarines. This 4th of July cocktail is loaded with tequila, fresh basil and St. Germain (that’s elderflower liqueur).

• Time Commitment: 20 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, special occasion–worthy, less than 500 calories

Honey, pineapple juice and dried hibiscus flowers make one fancy drink you’ll keep in your recipe collection for good. Garnish with blueberries and cherries, or coat the glass rim with blue sugar sprinkles.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 5 minutes
• Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients, less than 500 calories

Fresh fruit. Sugar. Lemon-lime soda. A bottle of rosé. Well, that was easy. Nightcap on the patio, anyone?

• Time Commitment: 5 minutes
• Why I Love It: less than 500 calories, <30 minutes, special occasion–worthy

Do you have whiskey lovers coming to the barbecue? Consider them covered. Swap out sugar for honey to get a grit-free sip every time.

• Time Commitment: 5 minutes
• Why I Love It: special occasion–worthy, <30 minutes, beginner-friendly

A classic 4th of July cocktail with a fruity, sophisticated twist. I'm toasting to America's birthday right before dessert.

• Time Commitment: 10 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly

A bramble is an old-school British cocktail made with dry gin, lemon, simple syrup and blackberry liqueur. This one gets spiked with ginger soda, too.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 15 minutes
• Why I Love It: kid-friendly, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly

The homemade, three-ingredient cherry syrup is a real game-changer. Add a splash of coconut rum or vanilla vodka for a grown-up spin.

• Time Commitment: 4 hours and 50 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, make ahead

Bet you never thought you’d be up for drinking Everclear again, huh? This summery sipper is a far cry from the jungle juice you had in college. Think fresh peaches, two fruit juices, peach schnapps and cinnamon.

• Time Commitment: 10 minutes
• Why I Love It: special occasion–worthy, <10 ingredients, <30 minutes

Believe it or not, this seasonal gem only takes ten minutes to whip up. You can pull it off even faster if you blend and strain the watermelon juice ahead of the big day. (And in case you need help, here's how to cut a watermelon…)

• Time Commitment: 45 minutes
• Why I Love It: special occasion–worthy, make ahead, beginner-friendly

Bubbly is *always* invited to the barbecue. Once you make the three-ingredient strawberry simple syrup, most of your work is done. (Oh, and here's how to open a Champagne bottle without injury, BTW.)

• Time Commitment: 20 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <30 minutes, <10 ingredients

Who knew moscato got along so well with mango, pineapple and strawberries? Use frozen fruit instead of fresh to get the perfect frosty consistency without diluting the 4th of July cocktails.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy, kid-friendly

This seasonal star, made with fresh cherry syrup, is technically alcohol-free, but I'm betting it'd pair beautifully with everything from bourbon to vodka to spiced rum.

• Time Commitment: 20 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <30 minutes, less than 500 calories

Refreshing rosé wine + earthy tequila + bright lime + bubbly kombucha = an easy home run. Go ham with the pitted cherries and fresh blueberries to up the red-white-and-blue ante.

• Time Commitment: 5 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients

What’s muddled and herbaceous and magenta all over? These refreshing and elegant sippers are what. (If you can’t get ahold of Meyer lemons, use the regular kind.)

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: special occasion–worthy, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly

Whatever you do, don’t drink it with a straw. It’s so tasty, you just might gulp it down in one sip by accident.

• Time Commitment: 5 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, special occasion–worthy, beginner-friendly

Go ahead, make a few drinks at once if your blender is big enough. (If it’s not, then it’s every partygoer for themself.)

• Time Commitment: 5 minutes
• Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients, <30 minutes

Sure, there’s the electric-pink grenadine and sweet citrus soda, but a kiddie beverage this is not. The secret? Vodka, of course (cheers to that).

• Time Commitment: 3 hours and 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: special occasion–worthy, <10 ingredients, make ahead

Make them a few days in advance and pat yourself on the back. You’re one step closer to a fun and fancy Fourth of July party.