About the American 250 Salute Cocktail
A bourbon, cherry, pineapple, and ginger beer cocktail created for America’s 250th anniversary.
The America 250 Salute Cocktail begins with bourbon, America’s native spirit and the ideal foundation for a drink commemorating the country’s 250th anniversary.
Tart cherry juice brings a deep red color and a bright fruit flavor without making the cocktail overly sweet. Pineapple juice adds a touch of tropical summer character, while fresh lemon keeps the drink sharp and refreshing. A small amount of maple syrup rounds everything out, and ginger beer provides the final burst of spice and carbonation.
The result is a drink that feels appropriate for a backyard barbecue but still has enough character to stand up as a real cocktail. It is refreshing, slightly smoky, tart, lightly sweet, and strong enough to remind everyone that fireworks and bourbon should be enjoyed in that order.
Skill Level: Easy
American 250 Salute Cocktail
Equipment
- Cocktail shaker or mason jar with secure lid
- Jigger or small measuring cup
- Cocktail strainer
- Rocks glass or stemless wine glass
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 ounces Bourbon
- 1 ounce Tart cherry juice
- 3/4 ounce Pineapple juice
- 1/2 ounce Fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Maple syrup
- 2 ounces Ginger beer
- 4-5 Fresh blueberries
- 1 Strawberry
Instructions
- Fill a cocktail shaker or mason jar halfway with ice.
- Add the bourbon, tart cherry juice, pineapple juice, fresh lemon juice, and maple syrup.
- Seal the shaker and shake vigorously for approximately 10 seconds.
- Fill a rocks glass or stemless wineglass with fresh ice.
- Strain the cocktail into the prepared glass.
- Top with ginger beer and stir gently to combine.
- Garnish with several blueberries and a strawberry slice or fresh cherry.
Notes
Why It Works
Bourbon provides warmth, vanilla, caramel, and oak, while the tart cherry juice cuts through that richness with enough acidity to keep the cocktail lively. Pineapple juice adds body and a little natural sweetness, but the relatively small amount prevents the drink from drifting into tropical fruit-punch territory. The lemon juice brightens the entire drink, and the maple syrup reinforces the bourbon’s deeper caramel notes. Ginger beer performs two jobs at once: it lightens the drink with carbonation while adding enough spice to prevent the fruit flavors from becoming soft or sugary. The colors also emerge naturally. The cherry creates the drink’s deep red base, while blueberries and the pale ginger foam provide the patriotic accents without resorting to artificial blue syrup or an elaborate layered presentation that collapses the moment someone touches the glass.Make It for a Crowd
To prepare approximately six cocktails, combine the following in a pitcher:
- 9 ounces bourbon
- 6 ounces tart cherry juice
- 4½ ounces pineapple juice
- 3 ounces fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
Stir thoroughly and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Pour approximately 3½ ounces of the mixture into each ice-filled glass, then top each serving with approximately 2 ounces of ginger beer. Garnish with blueberries and strawberry slices.
Do not add the ginger beer to the pitcher in advance or the carbonation will disappear before the first alien spacecraft reaches the atmosphere.
Movie Pairing: Independence Day (1996)
There may be more historically significant American films, but few deliver the pure Fourth of July experience quite like Independence Day.
It has fighter jets, landmarks exploding, Jeff Goldblum solving an intergalactic cybersecurity crisis, Will Smith punching an alien, and Bill Pullman delivering a presidential speech so effective it briefly makes invading a technologically superior extraterrestrial civilization seem manageable.
The America 250 Salute Cocktail has the same fundamental philosophy: bold, uncomplicated, slightly excessive, and designed to get the audience cheering.
Raise the glass during President Whitmore’s speech. Finish it before Cousin Eddie launches anything illegal from the driveway.
