Red, White, And Blue Cocktail

A patriotic twist on summertime cocktails! These red, white, and blue cocktails are perfect for your summer gatherings–from Memorial Day to Labor Day, the 4th of July, and any barbecue or picnic in between! 

When it comes to gatherings and holidays, I always know what food to serve, but sometimes, deciding on the beverage is a different story! Everyone has their preferences and aversions, but I don’t want to be making tons of different drinks to meet everyone’s tastes.  

Thankfully, I’ve found that this red, white, and blue cocktail is always a crowd pleaser. In addition to its thematic appearance–making it the ideal 4th of July cocktail!–it has a taste that is well balanced between sweet and sour, punchy yet refreshing. 

Plus, if alcohol is off the menu, this patriotic drink can be easily adapted as a mocktail too! Just switch out the blue curacao for a couple of drops of vegan blue food coloring and ditch the vodka in favor of lemon-lime soda, sparkling cider, or ginger beer instead.

However you choose to enjoy it, don’t be surprised if you get a few people asking you for the recipe!

Red, White, and Blue Cocktail Ingredients

• Jicama – Also known as a yam bean or Mexican potato, jicama is a root vegetable with a crunchy texture and mild flavor, somewhat like a cross between an apple and a potato. It has a crisp white coloring that makes it just the perfect medium for cutting star shapes to make your patriotic cocktail! 
• Vodka – This drink is traditionally made with vodka, however, you can use whatever spirits you prefer–rum, tequila, or gin, or all work great as well! If using rum or tequila, I recommend using the white and silver versions of these spirits so that they don’t muddy the blue coloring. 
• Blue curacao – An orange-flavored liqueur with a brilliant blue hue that gives this cocktail its signature color! 
• Unfiltered apple juice – I like the more robust flavor that unfiltered apple juice gives to this mixed drink, but if you use regular apple juice, that’s just fine too. The addition of the juice helps to stretch the vodka and add sweetness.  
• Fresh lime juice – Using freshly squeezed lime juice makes a big difference in flavor here. You’ll need 1.5 oz of juice which is usually about 2 whole limes.
• Whole raspberries – If fresh berries are out of season or not available, frozen works too! Their texture will be a bit different but they will still offer the perfect red coloring and fruity flavor. 

How to Make Red, White, and Blue Cocktail

1. Prep the jicama. Wash the jicama under cool running water and use a sharp knife to cut off both ends. Place one of the flat sides on your cutting board. Starting at the top, use your knife to cut down the sides in long, sweeping cuts to remove the skin. Follow the contours of the vegetable as best you can. Once you have done so all around the jicama, flip it over and repeat this motion from the other end. Once peeled, cut the jicama into slices that are about ¼-inch thick. 
2. Cut the stars. Using a star shaped cookie cutter or stencil, punch star shapes out of the jicama slices. Set your stars aside while you prepare the rest of the drink. 
3. Mix the cocktail. In a pitcher or cocktail shaker, mix vodka, Blue Curacao, apple juice, and lime juice together.
4. Prepare glassware. Arrange layers of ice cubes, some raspberries, and a few jicama stars in a tall glass until it is full to the top. The layers of ice will help to keep all of the pieces of fruit from floating to the surface, giving your cocktail that red, white, and blue appearance. 
5. Make garnishes. Thread a few raspberries onto a toothpick or cocktail skewer and make a partial slit in one of the jicama stars where it will rest on the rim of the glass. 
6. Pour and finish. Pour the cocktail mixture over the ice, garnish with the berry skewer, and fix the sliced jicama star on the rim of the glass. Enjoy right away!

Chef Tips 

When prepping your jicama–if you need a visual, I have linked a video below which nicely demonstrates the method of peeling and slicing the jicama! Be sure to follow along only until the 1:00-minute mark though, as the slices of jicama are what we’re looking for in this recipe, not the matchstick cut as shown in the remainder of the video.

How to Store 

Refrigerating. Leftover red, white, and blue cocktail mixture can be stored in the fridge for up to a week in an airtight container. I recommend removing any jicama stars and raspberries before storing as they will soften and become unpleasant. Simply add fresh stars and berries when you want to serve the leftover cocktails again.  

Freezing. Bring your beverage to room temperature, then pour it into a freezer-safe container or an ice cube tray. If you use a tupperware container, make sure to leave enough space at the top for expansion as the liquid freezes! If you have used an ice cube tray, you can remove the cubes once they are frozen solid and transfer them into a freezer bag or other freezer-safe container. 

Thawing. When you’re ready to enjoy it, simply thaw it out and pour it into a glass of your choice. Or, if you have frozen your drink as cubes, toss them into a blender to make a slushie-style version of the drink.