Four patriotic cocktail recipes for the Fourth of July

This weekend, we gather to watch spectacular 4th of July fireworks, chow down on barbecue and celebrate the 240th year of our nation. And whether you're heading East for Independence Day or sticking it out in the city, what's a birthday party without the alcohol? From boozy iced teas to swizzles that rep the red, white and blue, make America great drunk again with these festive summertime cocktail recipes from NYC bartenders. 

RECOMMENDED: Full guide to 4th of July in NYC

Photograph: Justin McCallum

1. Stars + Stripes

Created by Jane Elkins of Dream Baby

Ingredients:

¾ oz Domaine de Canton Ginger Liqueur
¾ oz Aperol
Schofferhofer Grapefruit Beer

Directions: 

Combine Domaine de Canton liqueur and Aperol in a mason jar or tall glass with ice. Top with grapefruit beer. Add 8-10 Blueberries or garnish with a slice of grapefruit.

Photograph: Ryan Gleason

2. Born in the LES

Created by Jamie Felber of Boulton & Watt

Ingredients:

2¼ oz Domaine de Canton Ginger Liqueur 
¾ oz simple syrup (optional: steep syrup in mint)
¼ oz blue curaçao
1 oz lime juice
Angostura and Peychaud's bitters

Directions: 

Add blue curaçao to an empty glass. Add crushed ice. Shake remaining ingredients in tin and pour slowly over the top of the crushed ice. Dash Angostura and Peychaud's bitters liberally over the top. Garnish with American paraphernalia and mint leaves.  

Photograph: Courtesy The Bennett

3. Strawberry Letter 

Created by Meaghan Dorman of The Bennett

Ingredients:

½ oz strawberry shrub (made with: strawberries, raspberry vinegar and sugar)
1 oz Aperol 
3 oz Vinho verde rosé
Club soda

Directions: 

Combine all ingredients in a wine glass over ice and stir. Garnish with strawberry slices. 

Photograph: Molly Tavoletti

4. New York to Lima

Created by Xavier Herit of Wallflower

Ingredients:

1½ oz pisco (preferably Macchu Pisco) 
¾ oz pineapple syrup
½ oz lime
½ oz pink vermouth
1 spray of clove tincture
10 dashes of Peychaud's bitters

Directions: 

Dry shake all ingredients besides bitters and pour into a pilsner glass full of crushed ice. Swizzle with a mixing stick and add Peychaud’s bitters over the top. Top off with an additional dome of crushed ice.