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Home » Recipes » Beverages

Published: Jun 27, 2021 · Modified: Jun 21, 2022 by Amanda McGrory-Dixon

Cherry Firecracker Cocktail (4th of July)

Jump to Recipe

Let’s make it an extra festive 4th of July celebration with this shimmery Cherry Firecracker cocktail! Made with freshly muddled cherries, a cinnamon simple syrup and ginger beer topping for a firecracker kick, this patriotic cocktail is sure to be a summer party favorite.

A Cherry Firecracker cocktail on patriotic fabric with cherries and flowers around it.
Jump to:
  • Why You Need to Make This Recipe
  • Ingredients
  • Step-by-Step Instructions
  • Recipe FAQs
  • Expert Tips
  • Perfect Pairing
  • Need More 4th of July Recipes?
  • 📖 Recipe

Why You Need to Make This Recipe

Is it even the 4th of July without a head-turning signature cocktail? Not in my world. You need this patriotic cherry cocktail at your celebration.

  • Sets a festive mood. That color! Those firecracker sparkles! This 4th of July cocktail is full of patriotic vibes that will add a fun touch to your backyard party. Talk about an Instagrammable drink.
  • Make the most of summer cherry season. Thanks to freshly muddled cherries, every sip is loaded with real fruit flavor, making it the perfect summer cocktail.
  • As refreshing as it gets. With the crisp rum, bright citrus and bubbly finish, this cocktail is the perfect sipper for a hot day on the patio.

Related: For more cherry cocktails, try my cherry vodka sour, cherry bourbon smash and cherry Kentucky mule.

Ingredients

The Cherry Firecracker ingredients with black and white labels on a white wooden board.

Now a couple ingredient notes. For this cocktail, I went with light rum rather than dark rum. Light rum brings a nice brightness to the drink to balance the cinnamon simple syrup, which I thought would be nice on a hot 4th of July day.

That said, I bet dark rum would also be delicious, so if you happen to use dark rum, please let me know how it turns out! A common practice in tiki drinks is to use equal parts light and dark rum, so that’s another option.

This ingredient list also calls for Luxardo cherry liqueur instead of simple cherry liqueur. During the distilling process, Luxardo cherry liqueur includes the leaves, pits, stems and even skins of marasca cherries. All these elements gives the liqueur almond notes, which I find delicious and I bet you will too.

And then there’s the cinnamon simple syrup. This is a mixture of water, sugar and cinnamon, and I’ll walk you through how to make it. While you can buy cinnamon simple syrup, it’s so easy to make that I prefer to make my own, and that way, I can control what goes into the mixture.

Oh, and we can’t forget those firecracker shimmers. I picked up this 100 percent edible glitter from Sugar Mama Shimmer. This line comes in a variety of pretty colors and adds no taste or texture — just beautiful sparkles!

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Let's begin with our cinnamon simple syrup. To make this spiced sweetener, we bring water, sugar and several cinnamon sticks to a boil in a small saucepan (photo 1). Once it boils, we let it continue to boil for a couple minutes, and then we turn the heat off and let it steep.

Bringing the cinnamon simple syrup to a boil in a small saucepan.

I recommend letting the syrup steep for at least a few hours, but it's even better if you let it steep overnight. Although this does take a little planning, it makes for easy entertaining since you don't have to worry about it the day of your party when you're already busy.

Step 2: With our syrup prepared, we can start on our cocktail. We grab a handful of cherries and add them to a cocktail shaker with our cinnamon simple syrup (photo 2) and muddle until they break down like so (photo 3).

Muddling the cherries in a cocktail shaker until they break down.

Step 3: Now we add in our rum, Luxardo cherry liqueur, lime juice, edible glitter and a handful of ice (photo 4). We put on the cocktail shaker top and give it a good shake (photo 5). Once our drink is nice and chilled, we strain it into ice-filled cocktail glasses and top with ginger beer (photo 6).

Showing the process of adding the ingredients to the cocktail shaker and then topping with ginger beer to make the drink.

All that's left is to toast to the holiday, sip and enjoy.

A close-up shot of the firecracker cocktail with a plate of cherries in the background.

For more summer cocktails that are perfect for your patriotic party, make sure you also try my Dirty Shirley cocktail, cherry margarita and tequila lemonade!

Recipe FAQs

How do I pit cherries?

I highly recommend using a cherry pitter tool. It's quick, easy and creates less mess.

However, if you don't have a cherry pitter tool, you can use a chopstick to push out the pit from the cherry. Or you can simply cut the cherry in half and remove the pit.

Does it matter if I use sweet or tart cherries?

I used sweet cherries, but feel free to substitute tart cherries if you prefer. It really comes down to personal preference and what's available in your store. Both will produce delicious results.

Are fresh cherries in stores now?

If you’re making this cherry cocktail for the 4th of July, the answer is yes! Fresh cherries are available May through September, though they become scarce in that final month. If you stumble upon this recipe another time of year or for some reason can’t find fresh cherries, you can substitute frozen cherries — just let them thaw before muddling.

Expert Tips

  • Want to make this Cherry Firecracker cocktail pitcher style? Check the notes section of the recipe card. I included proportions and directions.
  • If you don’t have a muddler, you can use a larger wooden spoon. That said, with cherries, I do find an actual muddler is a bit easier to break down the fruit.
  • When picking limes, make sure you get the ones that aren’t hard. We want a little give when we gently squeeze the lime to ensure they’re nice and juicy.
  • Before juicing the lime, I like to firmly roll it on the countertop a few times to get the juice flowing.
  • A little bit goes a long way with the glitter. But if you want to show off this pretty drink on Instagram, you might want to add a touch more to make sure the camera catches the sparkles.

Perfect Pairing

We need an equally festive drink to go along with our 4th of July cocktail, and I happen to have two recipes that are perfect: blueberry-strawberry shortcakes and 4th of July poke cake. Not only are these red, white and blue desserts but they also feature plenty of fresh berries that pair wonderfully with our cherries.

For a fun patriotic cocktail, I hope you try this Cherry Firecracker cocktail. It's sure to put a fun spin on your 4th of July celebration.

Cheers!

Looking down at the cocktail with cherries and flowers to the side.

Need More 4th of July Recipes?

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  • A bowl of herbed roasted potato salad with a serving spoon.
    Herbed Roasted Potato Salad

If you love this recipe, please leave a comment with a five-star rating — or simply hit the five-star button in the recipe card. Don't forget to sign up for my newsletter, and you can follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and TikTok.

📖 Recipe

A Cherry Firecracker cocktail on patriotic fabric with cherries and flowers around it.

Cherry Firecracker Cocktail

Let’s make it an extra festive 4th of July celebration with this shimmery Cherry Firecracker cocktail! Made with freshly muddled cherries and a cinnamon simple syrup and ginger beer topping for a firecracker kick, this patriotic cocktail is sure to be a summer party favorite.
5 from 45 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Beverages
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 1 drink
Calories: 310kcal
Author: Amanda McGrory-Dixon

Equipment

  • Small saucepan
  • Cherry pitter
  • Cocktail shaker
  • Muddler
  • Jigger or small measuring cup
  • Citrus juicer

Ingredients

Cinnamon Simple Syrup

  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 4-6 cinnamon sticks

Cherry Firecracker Cocktail

  • ¼ cup fresh cherries pitted
  • 1 ounce cinnamon simple syrup
  • 2 ounces white rum
  • 1 ounce Luxardo cherry liqueur
  • 1 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice about 1 lime
  • Pinch of edible glitter recommend Sugar Mama Shimmer
  • Ice
  • Splash of ginger beer
  • Additional fresh cherries for garnish, optional

Instructions

Cinnamon Simple Syrup

  • In a small saucepan, add the water, sugar and cinnamon sticks over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring occassionally to dissolve the sugar. Once it boils, allow to continue boiling for a minute or two.
  • Turn off the heat. Allow the mixture to steep for at least a couple hours, preferably overnight. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. This syrup should last for a few weeks if stored properly.

Cherry Firecracker Cocktail

  • Add cherries and cinnamon simple syrup to a cocktail shaker. Muddle until the cherries break down and release their juice.
  • Pour in the rum, Luxardo cherry liqueur and lime juice. Add a pinch of edible glitter and a handful of ice. Put the cocktail shaker top on and shake vigorously for 15-30 seconds.
  • Strain into an ice-filled glass. Top with a splash of ginger beer and gently stir to combine. If desired, garnish with fresh cherries. Enjoy!

Notes

  • To make this pitcher style for 12 servings, here are the measurements: 3 cups fresh cherries, 1 ½ cups cinnamon simple syrup, 3 cups white rum, 1 ½ cups Luxardo cherry liqueur, 1 ½ cups lime juice (about 12 limes), edible glitter as needed and 1 ½ cups ginger beer. You can muddle the cherries right in the pitcher, or if you'd rather not have fresh cherries bits, muddle in a mixing bowl and then strain through a fine-mesh sieve. Simply mix together all the ingredients and add the ginger beer right before serving. 
  • If you don’t have a muddler, you can use a larger wooden spoon. That said, with cherries, I do find an actual muddler is a bit easier to break down the fruit when it comes to cherries.
  • When picking lime, make sure you get the ones that aren’t hard. We want a little give when we gently squeeze the lime to ensure they’re nice and juicy.
  • Before juicing the lime, I like to firmly roll it on the countertop a few times to get the juice flowing.
  • A little bit goes a long way with the glitter. But if you want to show off this pretty drink on Instagram, you might want to add a touch more to make sure the camera catches the sparkles.
  • Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1drink | Calories: 310kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 18mg | Potassium: 129mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 35g | Vitamin A: 36IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @BurrataandBubbles or tag #burratandbubbles!

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Tara says

      July 05, 2021 at 12:44 pm

      5 stars
      Such a wonderful drink to celebrate! Those flavors sound amazing with the homemade cinnamon syrup and I love the color.

      Reply
      • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

        July 06, 2021 at 3:40 pm

        Thanks! The color really makes it perfect for the 4th, especially with the shimmer.

        Reply
    2. Michaela says

      July 05, 2021 at 12:38 pm

      5 stars
      You had me cherry and ginger beer. Sounds absolutely fabulous!

      Reply
      • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

        July 06, 2021 at 3:35 pm

        Thank you! It was a hit for us.

        Reply
    3. Michelle says

      July 05, 2021 at 12:26 pm

      5 stars
      This was such a fun cocktail to make! Love the addition of fresh cherries!

      Reply
      • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

        July 06, 2021 at 3:35 pm

        They really add the best flavor!

        Reply
    4. Irina says

      July 05, 2021 at 12:21 pm

      5 stars
      Well, I am ashamed to tell you that I made your cocktail in the morning... Well, as soon I found your recipe, I could not wait... It is the BEST!

      Reply
      • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

        July 06, 2021 at 3:34 pm

        Awww, thank you!

        Reply
    5. Lindsay says

      July 05, 2021 at 12:12 pm

      5 stars
      This is so good! The cherries with the ginger is a great combination.

      Reply
      • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

        July 06, 2021 at 3:34 pm

        Thank you so much, Lindsay! I'm happy you loved it.

        Reply
    6. Jere Cassidy says

      July 03, 2021 at 3:41 pm

      5 stars
      That cinnamon simple syrup sounds amazing and has so many uses. And, this is just the perfect cocktail for a July 4th celebration.

      Reply
      • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

        July 06, 2021 at 3:33 pm

        It really is so good!

        Reply
    7. Toni says

      July 03, 2021 at 9:23 am

      5 stars
      This is so perfect and amazing! I love how festive it is!

      Reply
      • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

        July 06, 2021 at 3:28 pm

        Thanks, Toni!

        Reply
    8. Katie Youngs says

      July 03, 2021 at 6:49 am

      5 stars
      Such a festive cocktail! The cinnamon simple syrup sounds delicious.

      Reply
      • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

        July 06, 2021 at 3:28 pm

        It's a delight!

        Reply
    9. Chef Dennis says

      July 02, 2021 at 10:23 pm

      5 stars
      This cocktail looks so festive! Love the taste and the color.

      Reply
      • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

        July 06, 2021 at 3:28 pm

        Thanks, Dennis! It was so perfect for our celebration this year.

        Reply
    10. Amy Roskelley says

      July 02, 2021 at 11:23 am

      5 stars
      So patriotic!! thanks for the drink!

      Reply
      • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

        July 02, 2021 at 3:28 pm

        You're welcome! Happy 4th of July!

        Reply
    11. Alexa says

      July 02, 2021 at 7:17 am

      5 stars
      Love how good this cocktail is! Such a great drink. Thanks for the recipe!

      Reply
      • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

        July 02, 2021 at 3:28 pm

        You're very welcome!

        Reply
    12. Liz says

      July 02, 2021 at 7:03 am

      5 stars
      The cherries in this are the perfect touch. Soooooo very delicious.

      Reply
      • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

        July 02, 2021 at 3:28 pm

        Fresh cherries in cocktails are so good, right?!

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Amanda, a Denver-based lady who believes life is best spent with comforting meals, tasty beverages and good company. When I'm not playing in the kitchen, I'm probably exploring new breweries with my husband, Matt, or obsessing over my adorable dog, Baylor.

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