I don’t know about you, but I love creating food and drinks that fit a specific theme, holiday, or color scheme! And the Fourth of July checks all three boxes!
I go all out for pretty much any occasion (like that one time I went to a tiki bar wearing a Hawaiian print shirt and a lei only to be repeatedly mistaken for a server). Whether you are observing the Fourth this year or not, you can still enjoy a delicious cocktail…or 5 🙂
Blue Spirulina: A Healthy Alternative to Food Coloring?
Artificial food coloring messes with your hormones. As they regulate your physiology and body, your hormones literally dominate how you feel, act, and respond to your environment. Ingesting artificial food dyes has been linked to various behavioral problems, cancers, hyperactivity in children, and even sleep disturbance! (1).
For these reasons, I always try to find a natural alternative to artificial food coloring whether that be matcha, beet powder, or for today’s recipes, blue spirulina powder! My favorite color in the world is blue (probably because I love the ocean so much!), so anytime blue is an option, I’m all in.
Blue spirulina powder is full of antioxidants, it’s anti-inflammatory, it’s a source of protein, and it may also help with digestion. Plus, it’s so pretty! 😀
I know you’re probably wondering about the taste…well, blue spirulina has only a mild sweetness without being too vegetal or fishy, unlike regular spirulina.
Organic Produce: Is it Worth the Price?
Whenever I talk about food I inevitably hear the question, “is organic produce worth the price?”
Yes it is, so shut up.
Just kidding! (sort of) 😛
Whenever Jeff and I go shopping, we try to ensure that most, if not all, of our food (whether produce or packaged goods) is organic & non-GMO. There are some weeks, however, where one of us is a little tight on money and we have to make some compromises. That’s where the “Dirty Dozen” comes in handy!
The Dirty Dozen is a list compiled by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) that is updated annually with the “dirtiest” produce. In this case, dirty means produce that’s full of pesticides.
Unfortunately, strawberries are consistently high on the list, if not the number one dirty food, so when you’re purchasing ingredients for these drinks, make sure that you only purchase organic berries.
A little trick that I use to get around the high cost of fresh organic berries is to purchase frozen organic berries and then just thaw them out before use.
Now that you’re properly prepared, on to the recipes! 🙂
The Recipes
Besides my Cherry Blossom Martini, these are some of the most amazing, mouth-wateringly delicious cocktails that I’ve ever created! I hope you enjoy them, too! 🙂
Each of these drinks have some added sweetener, however, you can adjust the level of sweetness to suit your taste. Personally, I don’t enjoy super sweet drinks so these recipes trend on the milder side of sweetness. 🙂
Red, White, and Blueberry Mojito
I know it’s cliché, but I had to name at least one drink a “Red, White, and Blue-” something or other! This mojito is so incredibly delicious and is perfect for a hot day at a BBQ or relaxing by the pool.
(Just be sure to use organic berries since berries, particularly strawberries, tend to end up at the top of the EWG’s Dirty Dozen list every year!)
Print
Red, White, and Blueberry Mojito {Gluten-Free & Vegan}
- Prep Time: ~2 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 mojito 1x
- Category: Mixed Drinks, Cocktails
- Method: Built
Ingredients
- ⅛ – ¼ cup organic strawberries, diced
- ⅛ – ¼ cup organic blueberries
- 10 organic mint leaves
- ½ medium organic lime, juiced
- 1 tsp. organic cane sugar
- 1 ½ oz. white rum
- Ice
- Topo Chico (or other club soda)
Instructions
- Muddle the strawberries, blueberries, mint leaves, lime juice, and sugar in the bottom of a tall glass.
- Add in the rum and stir to combine.
- Fill your glass with ice and then top with Topo Chico. Stir to combine and then top with mint leaves and berries!
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Bluemonade Mocktail
Blue spirulina gives this Bluemonade it’s dazzlingly blue color! You can experiment how much blue spirulina you would like to include to create different shades of blue. The blue spirulina has a very mild taste, so don’t worry about it tasting fishy or vegetal! 🙂
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Bluemonade Mocktail {Gluten-Free & Vegan}
- Prep Time: 1 minute
- Cook Time: 3 minutes
- Total Time: 4 minutes
- Yield: 2–12 ounce bluemonades 1x
- Category: Mixed drinks, Cocktails
- Method: Mixed
Description
Blue spirulina gives this Bluemonade it’s dazzlingly blue color! You can experiment how much blue spirulina you would like to include to create different shades of blue. The blue spirulina has a very mild taste, so don’t worry about it tasting fishy or vegetal! 🙂
Ingredients
- 2–3 cups room temperature filtered water*
- 1 organic lemon, juiced
- ½ tsp. organic raw apple cider vinegar
- 1–2 tsp. organic maple syrup (or agave nectar)
- ¼ tsp. organic blue spirulina powder**
- Ice
- 1 oz. Tito’s vodka (optional)
Instructions
- Add the water, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, blue spirulina powder and optional vodka to a mason jar.
- Whisk together until the ingredients are well combined.
- Add in ice cubes.
- Stir occasionally as the blue spirulina settles to the bottom.
Notes
* Your water has to be room temperature or else your spirulina will clump!
** If your body doesn’t tolerate blue spirulina, butterfly pea flower tea is also a great alternative, however, it looks more purple-y than blue when it mixes with citrus 🙂
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Strawberry Sparkler
This cocktail is so simple, but so amazing! The Strawberry Sparkler perfectly compliments an evening lighting sparklers and running amok with friends and family. The bubbles from the Prosecco mimic the twinkling lights of sparklers! 🙂
(You’re probably sick of hearing it, but I just want to make sure that you use organic berries since berries, particularly strawberries, tend to end up at the top of the EWG’s Dirty Dozen list every year!)
Print
Strawberry Sparkler {Gluten-Free & Vegan}
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20-25 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4–6 flutes 1x
- Category: Mixed drinks, Cocktails
- Method: Built
Description
This cocktail is so simple, but so amazing! The Strawberry Sparkler perfectly compliments an evening lighting sparklers and running amok with friends and family. The bubbles from the Prosecco mimic the twinkling lights of sparklers! 🙂
Instructions
- Pour the strawberry simple syrup into a coupe glass or champagne flute.
- Top with Prosecco and enjoy!
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Show Me Your 4th of July Cocktails!
How did your cocktail-making go? Did you enjoy one of these cocktails, all of these cocktails, or did you feel inspired to create your own? Also, do you have any 4th of July traditions? Let me know in the comments below! 🙂
And be sure to tag me on Instagram @amara_andrew to show me how you celebrate the 4th of July!
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