12 Political Cocktails: Vote for Your Favorite (2020)

This is no longer just about delicious alcoholic drinks. This is about freedom and democracy… Actually, it might just be about delicious alcoholic drinks.

In the spirit of quite possibly the most important election of all time, we thought we’d have some fun. Times are tough, so we thought we’d relieve some of the tension by reminding us that we can laugh at ourselves. Take this post lightly, and don’t get too caught up in the nonsense.

Here’s a list of (potentially) political cocktails that we feel would be most associated with each of their respective parties.  Let’s see if we hit the nail on the head with our list.

Red Side

We are starting things off our list of political cocktails with some drinks that are perfect for the members of the GOP.

1. The Chilled Amarula

“Seeing the elephant” was the expression used during the civil war to mean experiencing combat. The elephant went on to become the symbol for the republican party. We think you’ll be seeing the elephant when you hold up your bottle of Amarula.

Ingredients

• Amarula
• Vanilla Icecream
• Chocolate sauce
• Crushed ice
• Whipped cream
• Crushed cookies are optional
• Wafer straw is optional

Directions 

1. Pour chocolate sauce on one plate and crushed cookies on another. Rim your glass with the chocolate sauce first, and then rim your glass with the crushed cookies. You now have a deliciously sweet rim.
2. Crush ice in a blender. Don’t over crush, you still want small ice blocks and not small shards of ice.
3. Add about 2 oz. of Amarula to your blender.
4. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream to your blender.
5. Blend ingredients again. The contents should have a light brown color.
6. Add chocolate sauce in a circular motion around the inside of your glass.
7. Pour your contents from your blender into your glasses.
8. Top it off with some whipped cream.
9. Garnish with the wafer straw. Enjoy.

2. The Old Fashioned

As republicans cherish a return to traditional values, we thought it appropriate to add one of the oldest cocktails to this list. After a couple of these, you’ll be reminiscing about simpler times… whenever those were.  

Ingredients 

• Any bourbon or rye whiskey
• Sugar cube
• Angostura bitters
• 1 lemon and 1 orange

Directions

1. Put a sugar cube at the bottom of your glass.
2. Aim two dashes of your bitters onto the sugar cube in your glass.
3. Use your muddler to smash the sugar cube at the bottom of your glass. 
4. Use your jigger to add 2 oz of whiskey to your glass.
5. Add one big ice cube to your glass.
6. Use your stirring spoon and stir until the sugar is dissolved.
7. Slice a peel off your lemon and spritz it over the glass and then rim the glass with the peel, and then throw the peel in the glass to add an extra citrus taste.
8. Follow step 7 but with an orange as well.
9. Enjoy your old fashion.

3.  There Will Be Rum

A republican would say less government intervention in business in the spirit of America. Daniel Plainview could be said to be the embodiment of capitalism as he gains his fortune from the ground up, mining oil and gaining his wealth during the oil boom.

Ingredients

• 1 ½ ounce coconut rum
• 1 ½ ounce grapefruit juice
• 1 dash of grenadine
• 1 cup of champagne
• Ice

Directions

1. Add ice to your cocktail shaker.
2. Add grenadine, grapefruit juice, coconut rum, and champagne to your shaker.
3. Shake thoroughly.
4. Add ice to the champagne glass.
5. Strain into the glass.
6. Garnish with a strawberry.

4. Apple Pie Cinnamon Cocktail

Come on, what dessert is more traditionally American than apple pie. Naturally, an Apple pie cocktail would go hand in hand with a very “traditional” party. Making it a political cocktail in our book. Would you not agree?

Ingredients

• Vanilla vodka
• Fireball whiskey
• Whiskey
• Apple cider
• Sugar (preferably brown sugar)
• A stick of cinnamon
• Honey
• Apple slice for garnish

Directions

1. On a plate, pour honey, and on another plate, mix sugar and cinnamon.
2. Rim your glass first on the honey and then on the plate of sugar and cinnamon.
3. Mix the vanilla vodka, the rum, the grapefruit juice, the grenadine, and the champagne in your cocktail shaker.
4. Shake for 30 seconds.
5. Pour contents into glasses

5. The Mint Julep

The Mint Julep is associated with the American South and the cuisine of the southern United States in general, the Kentucky Derby in particular. So break out that Kentucky bourbon.

Ingredients

• 5 oz simple syrup
• 2 dashes of angostura bitters
• Mint leaves
• 3 oz of any bourbon of your choice
• Swizzle stick
• Straw

Directions: 

1. Pour simple syrup into a cocktail shaker.
2. Add about ten mint leaves (a little bit less or more is okay).
3. Muddle contents inside the cup.
4. Add bourbon to cup.
5. Add bitters to cup.
6. Fill breaker ¾ to full with crushed ice.
7. Swizzle it.
8. Top it up with some more ice.
9. Add a bouquet of several sprigs of mint (remember to slap mint to release flavors).
10. Add straw.

6. The Americano

Ingredients

• 1 ½ oz of Campari
• 1 ½ oz of sweet vermouth
• Soda water
• Orange

Directions

1. Fill a highball glass with ice.
2. Add Campari to your glass.
3. Add sweet vermouth to your glass.
4. Top it off with soda.
5. Stir with stirring spoon.
6. Add a twist of orange.

Blue Side

Now, let’s get the elephants out of the room.

1. New York Sour

Let’s be honest here when we picture New York, we are not thinking up-state New York. We are thinking of New York City, and it doesn’t get much bluer than New York City. This New York Sour cocktail is the perfect drink for a true blue New Yorker.

Ingredients

• 2oz Bourbon of your choice
• .25oz Red wine (corkscrew in case you need one to open your wine bottle)
• .75oz simple syrup
• .75oz Lemon Juice 

Directions

1. Add your simple syrup, lemon juice, bourbon, and 1 egg white to your cocktail shaker.
2. Do a dry shake for 30 seconds. 
3. Put a large ice cube in your shaker and shake again for 30 secs.
4. Use your Hawthorne strainer and fine strainer when pouring your contents into your glass.
5. Top it off with some red wine
6. Enjoy your cocktail.

2. The Democrat

I mean I think this ones pretty on the nose.

Ingredients

• Bourbon (or rye or blended whiskey) of your choice
• Peach liqueur
• Lemon juice
• Honey syrup

Directions

1. Fill your highball glass to the top with crushed ice
2. Add 2 oz of whiskey to the glass
3. Add .50 oz of peach liqueur to your glass
4. Add .75 oz of lemon juice to your glass
5. Add .50 oz of honey syrup to your glass
6. Mix with stirring spoon
7. Top off with some more crushed ice
8. Garnish with a lemon slice and a sprig of mint
9. Add a straw and drink up

3. The Donkey Show

Andrew Jackson opponents called him a “jackass”, and he took it in stride as he made it the symbol for his political party and won the presidency.

Ingredients

• ½ inch thick slice of fresh ginger root, peeled
• 1 oz Rum such as treaty oak
• 1 oz domaine de canton ginger liqueur
• ½ oz freshly squeezed lime juice
• ½ oz simple syrup
• Ginger ale
• Garnish
• Lime slice

Directions

1. Muddle the ginger root in a cocktail shaker.
2. Add rum, ginger liqueur, lime juice, and simple syrup to your cocktail shaker
3. Fill with ice and shake for 15 seconds.
4. Strain into a pint glass filled with ice 
5. Top with ginger ale
6. Garnish with a lime slice and serve with a straw

4. The Bernie Paloma

Feel the burn(ie Sanders) as you sip on this delicious cocktail. This wonderful recipe was developed by Washington bartender Miguel Marcelino Herrara. 

Ingredients

• ½ ounce of Vermont maple syrup
• ½ ounce fresh lime juice
• 2 oz fresh grapefruit juice
• 2oz silver tequila

Direction

1. Add ingredients to cocktail shaker
2. Shake for 15 seconds
3. Serve in glass with ice

5. Frozen Rainbow Margaritas

As democrats stand firmly with equal rights and opportunities for the LGBTQ+ community, we found this delicious multicolored cocktail that everyone can enjoy.

Ingredients

• ½ cup of tequila
• ¼ cup of fried butterfly pea flowers
• Green layer: 1 ½ oz tequila, 1 oz lime juice, ½ oz agave syrup, ½ cup chopped avocado, 1 cup crushed ice.
• Yellow layer: 1 ½ oz tequila, 1 oz lime juice, ½ oz agave syrup, ½ cup pineapple chunks, 1 cup crushed ice. Red layer 1/1/2 oz tequila, 2 oz lime juice, ½ cup of chopped strawberries, 1 cup crushed ice.
• Blue layer: 1 ½ oz butterfly pea flower-infused tequila, 1 oz agave syrup, 1 cup crushed ice, 12 lime slices for garnish

Directions

1. To prepare butterfly pea infused tequila: combine ½ cup tequila and dried butterfly pea flowers in a lidded jar; cover tightly and shake to combine. Let steep at room temperature until the color turns a deep blue, about 30 min. Strain through a fine mesh sieve; discard the flowers and reserve the tequila. (you’ll have more blue tequila than you need for these potentially political cocktails; refrigerate any extra for up to 1 week.)
2. To prepare the green layer: add 1 ½ oz of tequila, 1 oz lime juice, ½ ounce agave, avocado and 1 cup ice to a blender. Blend on high until smooth. Divide between four highball glasses
3. Quickly rinse the blender and make the yellow layer: Add 1 ½ oz tequila, 1 oz lime juice, ½ oz agave, pineapple, and 1 cup ice to the blender. Blend on high until smooth. Divide between the glasses.
4. Quickly rinse the blender and make a red layer: Add 1 ½ oz tequila, 2 oz lime juice, strawberries, and 1 cup ice to the blender. Blend on high until smooth. Divide between glasses.
5. Quickly rinse the blender and make the blue layer: add 1 ½ oz of the reserved blue tequila, agave, and ice to the blender. Blend on high until smooth. Divide between glasses
6. Garnish each drink with a lime slice (optional) and serve with straws
7. Enjoy your hard work.

*dairy free, egg free, gluten free, vegetarian, vegan, nut free, soy free

If you are trying to make this drink, but find the directions hard to follow. Check out the original post of the rainbow margarita here. Hopfully this will irone out some of the confusion.

6. Aquafaba Gin Fizz

Some may not be too keen on trying a cocktail with chickpea in the mix, but progressive thinkers that are open-minded enough to try this Gin Fizz will surely not be disappointed.

Ingredients

• 1/ ½ oz gin, 2 tablespoons of lime juice
• 1 tablespoon canned no-salt-added chickpea liquid (aquafaba)
• 1 tablespoon simple syrup (see tip)
• 1 cup of ice
• 2 tablespoons chilled club soda
• 1 lime wedge for garnish

Directions

1. Combine gin, lime juice, chickpea liquid, and simple syrup in your cocktail shaker. 
2. Shake for about 45 seconds. 
3. Fill the glass with ice and top with club soda.
4. Garnish with a lime wedge.

If you’d like some help creating this delicious vegan ingredient, take a look at the video from The Green Creator.

Conclusion

So, do you agree with our list of political cocktails? What cocktails do you think should have been included? Hopefully, we didn’t start a civil war over some simple syrup. Remember, this list is not to be taken too seriously.

Remember that while everyone has different perspectives, one thing we can all do together is share a couple of laughs over a cocktail. Have fun, be kind, and enjoy.

Do you have a political cocktail you like to see on this list? Let us know in the comments. We would love to hear it. If you liked this post, click here to check out our blog, where you will find tons of recipes, just like this one. Thanks for reading, and as always, stay safe, stay home, get hammered.