The Knockturnal’s 4th of July Cocktail And Spirit Roundup

Let’s get Red, White, and Boozy

It’s 4^th of July weekend and there is nothing better than celebrating a long weekend than with a delicious cocktail.  This year, we have a ton of recipes to share from brands we have loved in the past as well as some new brands that are new to the market.

The first cocktail we have for you is from DeLeón Tequila.  DeLeón Tequila is owned by business mogul and music icon Sean Combs and is a spirit we have recently gotten to try.  With DeLeón you can make a fresh and sweet cocktail called the DeLeón Prickly Pear Paloma.

DeLeón Prickly Pear Paloma

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ oz DeLeón Reposado Tequila
• ¾ oz Agave Nectar Syrup
• 1 oz Prickly Pear Puree
• 1 oz Freshly Squeezed Grapefruit Juice
• ½ oz Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice
• Splash of Sparkling Water

Instructions: Add DeLeon Tequila Reposado, agave syrup, prickly pear, grapefruit, lime and ice into a shaker. Shake and strain into the ice-filled rimmed glass. Top with sparkling water. Garnish with sea salt and a grapefruit peel.

The next drink up is from one of our favorite vodka brands, Belvedere.  The drink is called the Pineapple Fizz and it is both refreshing and easy to make.

Pineapple Fizz Cocktail

Ingredients:

• 1.5 oz Belvedere Vodka
• .5 oz Fresh Lime Juice
• .2 oz Pineapple Juice
• Top with Hella Bitters & Soda

Instructions: Place all ingredients, except Hella Bitters and Soda, into a shaker and shake with ice. Strain into Collins glass and top with Bitters & Soda.

And for those that love Belvedere but want a more floral tasting drink, Belvedere has crafted a beautiful and delicious cocktails called the Sunset Rose Cocktail

Sunset Rose Cocktail

Ingredients:

• 3 oz Whispering Angel
• 1.5 oz Belvedere Vodka
• .5 oz Lime Juice
• .25 oz Honey Water
• 3 Blackberries
• Garnish with Mint Sprig

Instructions: Place Blackberries into a shaker and muddle. Add remaining ingredients into the shaker except for the Rosé. Shake with ice and strain into rocks glass over fresh ice. Top with Rosé and garnish with Mint.

Our next cocktail to be featured comes from Kástra Elión, a lovely Greek vodka that we have gotten to try and enjoy.  The drink is called Aphrodite’s Delight and is a beautiful drink that has a lot of floral and botanical notes that fit the summer vibes perfectly.

Aphrodite’s Delight

Ingredients:

• 2.25 oz Kástra Elión
• .50 oz Mancino Sakura Vermouth
• .50 oz Lillet blanc
• .25 oz Salers Gentian
• Pinch Maldon Salt

Instructions: Stirred and served on a big rock. Butterfly pea & mountain Greek tea tincture. Garnish with Viola flower.

Next up is a pear cosmo drink prepared by Fresh Victor. An easy to make drink that is both fruity and has a bit of a kick to it.

Cactus Pear Cosmo

Ingredients:

• 3oz Fresh Victor Cactus Pear & Pomegranate
• 1.5oz vodka
• .5oz Cointreau
• Lime wedge

Instructions: Add all liquid ingredients to a cocktail shaker full of ice, shake well and strain.

And if you have been paying attention, you must have noticed that Espresso Martinis are making a huge comeback.  And there is no better way to impress people than with a homemade espresso martini.

Hazelnut Espresso Martini

Ingredients:

• 0.5 parts Frangelico
• 1.5 part SKYY Vodka
• 1.5 parts Cold Brew Concentrate or Espresso*
• 0.25 parts Simple Syrup (1:1)

Instructions: Combine all ingredients in a shaker tin with fresh ice, shake vigorously until chilled. Strain into a chilled coupe or martini glass, & garnish with (3) whole coffee beans.

But, if you’re not a martini person, we have a new and interesting recipe that incorporates cold brew and tequila together.

Cold Brew Repo

Ingredients:

• 1.5 oz of Mezcal Amarás Espadín Reposado
• 1 oz of Lemon Oleo Saccharum
• 10 Fresh Mint Leaves
• 1 oz of Cold brew coffee
• Instructions:

Add all ingredients to a shaker. Shake vigorously with ice for 15 seconds. Fine strain into a rocks or highball glass filled with ice.  Garnish with two fresh mint leaves.

The next drink is from Betty Buzz, a brand that sells delicious flavored soda that pairs well with any spirit and is the perfect addition to any cocktail.  The Meyer Lemon Spritz is perfect during a warm summer day hanging out with friends outdoor.

MEYER LEMON SPRITZ 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 Bottle Betty Buzz Meyer Lemon Club Soda
• 1.5 oz Vodka
• Mint Leaves
• Lemon Wheel or Twist

Instructions: Bring it all together in a wine glass over ice. Stir gently and garnish.

And on the topic of drinks that are perfect additions to cocktails, we have two cocktails that go perfectly with Evolution

Zest for Life (A Citrus Twist on a classic Moscow Mule)

Ingredients:

• 2oz Vodka
• 1oz Ginger Beer
• 3oz Citrus Ginger Zest
• Candied Ginger for Garnish

Instructions: Combine vodka and Citrus Ginger Zest in a rocks glass filled with crushed ice. Top with Ginger beer and stir. Garnish with candied ginger. 

Tropical Sunrise

Ingredients

• 2oz Tequila
• 2oz Evolution Fresh Tropical Passion
• .5oz Lemon Juice
• 2 dashes of Orange bitters
• Orange slice and pineapple leaf for garnish

Instructions: Pour tequila, Evolution Fresh Tropical Passion, and Lemon Juice into a shaker. Fill with ice and shake well to incorporate. Strain over crushed ice into a Double Old Fashioned glass. Add dashes of bitters on top. Garnish with an orange slice and a pineapple leaf.

If you are a whiskey drinker, Glenmorangie has the perfect summer cocktail for you.  The X by Glenmorangie is an expression specifically created to be used in cocktails.  Not only is the whiskey smooth but it tastes amazing in a cocktail.

Glenmorangie X Blackcurrant

Ingredients:

• 2 oz X by Glenmorangie
• 1 oz Lemon Juice
• ½ oz Blackcurrant Cordial
• ⅓ oz Agave Syrup

Instructions: Fill highball glass with crushed ice. Add X by Glenmorangie, lemon juice and agave syrup. Stir, then top with blackcurrant cordial. Garnish with a lemon wheel and a blackberry.

And if you are more of a stiff whiskey fan, we have some amazing cocktails from Macallan that taste incredible.

Garden of Legacy

Ingredients

• 40ml The Macallan Double Cask 12 Years Old
• 30ml  Pink Grapefruit juice
• 10ml Sugar syrup
• Pinch of sea salt
• Top up with soda or tonic and garnish with a pink grapefruit wedge

Instructions: Combine all ingredients in a tall glass, and add ice. Top up with soda or tonic. Garnish with a pink grapefruit wedge.

The Macallan Sour

The Macallan Double Cask 15 Years Old provides a complex base of subtle butterscotch, apple and sweet spice, paired with an aromatic Sherry float.​ A short tumbler or Old Fashioned is the traditional glass to use (also known as a lowball). You can serve your cocktail neat or over ice.

Ingredients

• The Macallan Double Cask 15 Years Old
• 20ml lemon juice
• 10ml brown sugar syrup
• Egg white
• Oloroso sherry float

Instructions:  Shake all ingredients, except sherry, into an ice filled shaker. Strain into glass over ice. Using a bar spoon, slowly layer the sherry over the top of the cocktail.

And from Ardbeg we have a simple and easy-to-make cocktail that is bright, minty, and has a smooth finish.

An Oa Mint Monster

Ingredients:

• 1.5 oz ARDBEG AN OA
• .75 oz FRESH LIME JUICE
• .5 oz SUGAR SYRUP
• 8 FRESH MINT LEAVES

Instructions: Shake all ingredients over cubed ice and double strain into a glass. Garnish with a mint leaf.

And summertime is a time for tequila and Volcan Tequila has the perfect drink to make called the La Valoma.

LA VALOMA

Ingredients:

• 2 oz Volcan Blanco Tequila
• ¾ oz Fresh Lime Juice
• 1.5 oz Fresh Grapefruit Juice
• ¾ Oz Agave Syrup
• A pinch of salt
• Instructions: Combine Volcan Blanco, fresh lime and grapefruit juice, salt and agave syrup in a shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously and strain over ice in a highball glass. Top with soda water and garnish with a grapefruit wedge.

And on the topic of tequila, Patrón has set the standard for tequila and whether you are taking a shot or creating a tequila cocktail, Patrón is the perfect base for it.  And fortunately, Patrón has created a few cocktail recipes that are fun, delicious, and will definitely be a hit.

PATRÓN Perfect Paloma

 Ingredients:

• 1.5 oz    Patrón Reposado
• 3 oz        Fresh grapefruit juice
• .5 oz       Agave syrup (1:1)
• .5 oz       Fresh-squeezed lime juice
• 1 oz        Sparkling water
• Sugar and salt for rimming
• Grapefruit wedge for garnish

Instructions: Combine all ingredients except sparkling water in a shaker tin and shake with ice to chill. Strain onto fresh ice in a sugar and salt rimmed collins glass. Top with sparkling water and garnish with a grapefruit wedge.

PATRÓN Añejo Highball

Ingredients: 

• 1.5 oz    Patrón Añejo
• 5 oz        Club soda
• Orange twist

Instructions:  Fill a highball or collins glass with ice, the clearest and coldest available.  Add Patrón Añejo and club soda, stir gently from the bottom up. Garnish with an expressed peel of orange.

PATRÓN Reposado and Soda

Ingredients:

• 2 oz        Patrón Reposado
• 3 oz        Soda
• Lime wedge for garnish

Instructions: Combine ingredients in an ice-filled highball glass and stir. Garnish with a lime wedge.

And if you are a fan of Tequila Cazadores, we have two delicious cocktails to try out.

Blood Orange Margarita

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ oz. Tequila CAZADORES Blanco or Reposado
• 1 oz. agave nectar or simple syrup
• ¾ oz. Fresh lime juice
• ¾ oz. Perfect Puree Blood Orange concentrate

Instructions: In a blender combine all the ingredients with a full scoop of ice, blend and serve in a 12 oz. glass. Garnish with a slice of orange, Manny Salt rim.

*Manny’s Salt: Salt flavored with guajillo and pasilla chili peppers, hibiscus, sugar and lime.

Mangoneada

Ingredients:

• 1 ½  oz. Tequila CAZADORES Blanco
• 1 oz. Mango Juice or Puree
• 1 oz. Lime Juice
• ½ oz. Agave Nectar

Instructions: In a cocktail shaker, combine all ingredients with ice, shake and serve over ice in a rocks glass with a Tajin and chamoy rim.

One of our favorite types of tequila is a great mezcal.  The smokiness from the mezcal plays perfectly with citrus and fruit which makes it one of the best bases for fun summer cocktails.

Pineapple Sour

Ingredients:

• 2 oz Mezcal Amarás Verde
• 1.5 oz Fresh Pineapple Juice
• 1 oz Lemon Juice
• 0.25 oz Agave Syrup
• 1 Egg White

Instructions: Add all ingredients into a shaker with no ice. Dry shake. Add ice and shake again. Double strain into a martini glass. Garnish with 3 drops of Peychaud’s Bitters, draw a line with a toothpick to create hearts. Finish with Pineapple leaf.

Smokey Maria

Ingredients:

• 2 oz Mezcal Amarás Verde
• 0.5 oz Fresh Lime Juice

Instructions: Fill with Dimitri’s Habanero Bloody Mary Mix (or your house-made mix). Add all ingredients to a tall glass with a bacon salt rim. Garnish with lime wheel, grilled pineapple, slice of serrano pepper and mint sprig.

And if you’re looking for fun margarita recipes, look no further.

Grand Margarita

Ingredients:

• 1 part Grand Marnier® Cordon Rouge
• 1 part Tequila
• .5 part Fresh Lime Juice
• Ice cubes
• Lime Garnish

Instructions: Fill a wide, shallow dish with 2-3 mm of fine salt. Cut a lime in half at the width and rub around half of the rim of a margarita glass. Cut a thin, crosswise slice from one of the lime halves for garnish. Holding glass upside down, dip wet half delicately into the salt. Shake Grand Marnier, tequila and lime juice with ice in a cocktail shaker. Strain into glass and apply lime garnish to the rim.

Fresh Agave Margarita

Ingredients:

• 3oz Fresh Victor Mexican Lime & Agave
• 1.5-2oz blanco or reposado tequila, or mezcal
• Lime Wedge (optional garnish)
• Salt (optional rim)

Instructions: Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker full of ice, shake well, and strain over freshice in a short glass or up into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a lime wedge (Salted rim optional–use fine grain salt and only apply salt to the outside rim, avoiding salt inside the glass as this will keep your drink from becoming too salty).  In a glass full of ice, add all ingredients, plus 2-3 ounces of water (for dilution), stir gently, garnish and serve.

*Non-Alcoholic Version: 4oz of Fresh Victor Mexican Lime & Agave 1 Oz water or sparkling water

Summer Margarita

Ingredients:

• 1.5 oz Mezcal Amarás Espadín
• 0.75 Fresh Lime Juice
• 0.5 oz Blackberry/Jalapeno Syrup
• 3 Blackberries

Instructions:

Add the berries in a tall glass and muddle and fill the glass with crushed ice. In a shaker, add the mezcal, syrup and juice. Shake vigorously and double strain into the tall glass over ice. Garnish with lime wheels against the inside of the tall glass, berries and a slice of jalapeño. Edible flower is optional.

We have a new offering from Prospero Tequila called The Rita Rita and it is a wonderfully fruity and bright tequila drink that will leave you feeling refreshed.

The Rita Rita

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. Próspero Blanco Tequila
• 1.25 oz fresh strawberries, pureed
• 1 bar spoon balsamic vinegar
• .5 oz. orange liqueur
• .75 oz lime juice
• 1 oz. wildflower honey
• 3-4 leaves fresh basil

Instructions: Pour Próspero Blanco Tequila, strawberry puree, balsamic vinegar, orange liqueur, lime juice and honey into a shaker with ice. Shake vigorously. Strain into a margarita glass and garnish with fresh basil leaves.

And if you are looking to try a new tequila brand, we highly recommend Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s tequila, Teremana Tequila.  People Magazine has recently declared that his signature cocktail, the Mana Spritz using Teremana Tequila, is the drink of the summer.

Mana Spritz

Ingredients:

• 2 oz Teremana Blanco
• 2 oz Lemonade
• .25 tsp Grenadine
• 2 oz Soda Water

Instructions: Combine Teremana Blanco, lemonade, and soda water in a highball glass with cube ice. Top with grenadine.

And when in doubt, make a Pisco Sour

Pisco Sour

Ingredients:

• 2 oz Fresh Victor Mexican Lime & Agave
• 2 oz pisco

Instructions: Add ingredients to a cocktail shaker full of ice, shake well and strain into a cocktail glass with ice. Garnish with drops of Angostura bitters

An Aperol Spritz is now a summer classic but not many people know how to make a good Aperol Spritz.  Luckily, we have a great recipe that highlights the flavors of Aperol.

The ‘3-2-1’ Aperol Spritz 

Ingredients:

• Ice cubes
• Aperol
• Cinzano Prosecco
• Soda Water (served from siphon or chilled bottle)
• Slice of orange

Instructions: In a stemmed balloon glass full of ice, combine 3 parts Cinzano Prosecco followed by 2 parts Aperol. Add 1 part or a splash of soda water, stir gently if needed and garnish with an orange slice. The result should be a uniform, perfect orange color.

And for the gin lovers out there, we have a special cocktail from NOLET’s that is perfect for this summer.

NOLET’S Berry Independent Punch

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups NOLET’S Silver Gin
• 1/2 cup Chambord Liqueur
• 1/2 cup Maraschino Cherry Liqueur
• 2 1/2 cups Lemonade
• 1/4-1/2 cup Simple Syrup
• 1 cup Blackberries or Blueberries
• 1 cup Strawberries
• 1 cup Raspberries

Instructions: Puree fruit in a blender and strain out solids or juice fresh berries in a juicer. Mix berry juice with NOLET’S Silver Gin, Chambord, and Maraschino Liqueur with lemonade in a large pitcher or punch bowl.  Taste for sweetness and adjust with simple syrup as needed. Add ice to the mixture, and serve over ice with fruit or floral garnish in a rocks glass.

Cocktail making is a craft on its own and because of that, using fresh seasonal ingredients can make a huge difference in how a drink tastes.  Barr Hill recognizes that and has created a cocktail that highlights seasonal ingredients and creating a cocktail called the Timber Rattlesnake.  This drink took inspiration from an original cocktail from the Savoy Hotel in London called the Rattlesnake Cocktail and uses seasonal honey to take it to the next level.

Timber Rattlesnake

Ingredients:

• 2 oz Tom Cat Gin
• 1 oz Fresh lemon juice
• .75 oz Honey syrup
• 1 bar spoon Absinthe
• 1 Egg white
• Angostura bitters, garnish
• 2 sprays Absinthe, garnish

Instructions: Dry shake; shake with ice. Double strain into a coupe. Garnish with Angostura bitters and Absinthe.

And for the Campari lovers, we have two easy to make cocktails that only have a few ingredients and take a minute to make.

Campari Soda

Ingredients:

• 1 part Campari
• 3 parts Soda Water
• Orange garnish

Instructions: Build over ice in a highball glass. Garnish with an orange peel.

The Americano

Ingredients:

• 1 part Campari
• 1 part Cinzano 1757 Rosso Vermouth di Torino
• Splash of soda water

Instructions: Pour the ingredients directly in an old-fashioned glass filled with ice-cubes, add a splash of soda water and garnish with an orange slice and lemon peel.

For those who like a bit of bubbles in their cocktails, The Last Dance is the cocktail to make.

The Last Dance

Ingredients:

• 3 oz Brut sparkling wine
• 1.5 oz Fresh Victor Cactus Pear & Pomegranate
• 1.5 oz brandy
• Pomegranate arils

Instructions: In a champagne flute, add the brandy and Fresh Victor first, then slowly top with the sparkling wine. Garnish with a few pomegranate arils on top.

And what is more of a summer drink than a wonderful sparkling Rosé?  Vera Wang, the iconic designer, has been working on a line of sparkling wine called PARTY by Vera Wang.  Specializing in the variations of prosecco, Vera Wang has recently launched an extension of the PARTY Prosecco line with PARTY Prosecco Rosé.  This sparkling Rosé is light, crisp, and delicious.  Retailing at only $25, this Rosé should be at the top of everyone’s grocery list.  You can purchase your own bottle of PARTY at VeraWangParty.com.

And if you are looking for some canned cocktails to try, we have a few recommendations for you.

• CANTEEN Watermelon Vodka Soda

Made with some of the Earth’s purest water and containing only 99 calories and no sugar, carbs, fat, or sodium, CANTEEN Watermelon Vodka Soda is crisp and delicately sweet with a touch of ripe, juicy watermelon.

• The Finnish Long Drink Traditional Citrus

An incredibly delicious alcoholic beverage native to Finland, The Finnish Long Drink’s Traditional Citrus is made with real liquor, natural grapefruit, and juniper berries.

• Tequila Cazadores RTDs

Nationally available flavors: Margarita, Spicy Margarita and Paloma

NEW Ranch Water flavor available in Texas, California, Illinois, Arizona and Washington

Made with award-winning 100% Agave Tequila Cazadores Blanco, gluten-free, no artificial flavors, and 5.9% ABV

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Ready for a summer glow-up?  Vitaminwater and Lil Nas X just dropped the latest video for their ‘Nourish Every You’ campaign. This installment focuses on vitaminwater ‘shine’ – infused with biotin and vitamin b to help support normal hair and skin health

See HERE the latest spot where Lil Nas X sparkles bright with the help of Vitaminwater shine. Listen carefully- the spot features previously unreleased music from Lil Nas X with the single, ‘Give Me One Chance’.

Upcoming Event Alert:

Seltzerland, the one-of-a-kind, fun-filled festival celebrating all things hard seltzer, will return to NYC this summer.

Attendees will be invited to sample from over 100 unique hard seltzers at Pier 36 (299 South St) on the Lower East Side on Saturday, August 6th. Hard seltzer fans in attendance will be able to sip from over 100 flavors of hard seltzer from the best brands in the land including Mike’s Hard Lemonade Seltzer, Vizzy, Topo Chico Hard Seltzer, BuzzBallz, the nationally acclaimed Happy Dad and REFRSHR, the newest release from White Claw.

There are two ways to experience Seltzerland, with General Admission tickets beginning at and VIP tickets starting at $59, which include early event access, a full can of hard seltzer, a specialty cocktail, and a commemorative tasting cup. For tickets or more information, visit https://www.seltzerland.com/