Refreshing 4th of July Drinks

Take advantage of the summer fruit season and mix up berry inspired drinks for your 4th of July get-together. Enjoy these twists on All-American drink recipes to take the edge off of the heat:  Refreshing Berry Lemonade and Sparkling Cherry Berry Cocktail

Berry Lemonade

Ingredients
8 cups cold water
2 cups sugar
3 lemon peel strips
1 cup raspberries
1 cup blackberries
3 cups fresh lemon juice
Ice cubes
Club soda

Directions: Heat 4 cups of water, sugar, and lemon peels in a saucepan to boiling, stirring occasionally. Cover and boil 3 for minutes. Remove saucepan from heat. Add berries to a food processor and  pulse them until pureed. Pour the mixture into a sieve over a large bowl and press the berries with the back of spoon to remove seeds. Throw away the seeds.

Remove the lemon peel from syrup and then stir the syrup into the berry puree with lemon juice and 4 cups of water. Pour the mixture into a large pitcher. Cover and refrigerate until cold, about 3 hours or longer. Serve over ice with a splash of club soda. Garnish with berries and lemon slices. Serves 13.

Sparkling Cherry Berry Cocktail

Ingredients
1 liter ginger ale, chilled
3 twelve-ounce bags cherries, frozen
1 pound fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
3 cups grape juice, chilled
1 1/2 cups vodka
1/4 cup Cointreau
Ice

Directions
Combine the ginger ale, cherries, strawberries, grape juice, vodka and Cointreau in a punch bowl. Stir. Serve over ice.

About the Author

Carla Snuggs

Carla received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Family and Consumer science with an emphasis in Child Development. She also holds a Master of Library and Information Science degree, specializing in public librarianship and youth services.