There are several ingredients you can use to make red cocktails. Cranberry juice, strawberries, red wine, sweet vermouth, pomegranate juice, tomato juice, and grenadine can all produce red-colored mixed drinks, and you'll find these ingredients and others in a number of tasty light red to bright red cocktails and red-colored shots.
Red Evergreen
This cocktail takes a little prep; you need to make some rosemary simple syrup first, but it gives the red mixed drink a delicious herbal flavor that makes the few minutes of extra effort worthwhile. The recipe makes one cocktail.
Rosemary Simple Syrup
Heat one cup each of water and sugar with three rosemary sprigs on medium-high heat until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil and remove from the heat. Steep for 30 minutes, remove the rosemary and cool the syrup completely. You can refrigerate for up to two weeks or freeze leftover syrup in a tightly sealed container for up to one year. If you wish to make the drink redder, you can also add a few drops of red food coloring to the syrup before you store it.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces cranberry juice
- ¾ ounce lime juice
- 1½ ounces London dry gin
- ¾ ounce rosemary simple syrup
- Ice
- 4 ounces soda water
- Rosemary sprig and cranberries for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, cranberry juice, lime juice, gin, and rosemary simple syrup.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into a collins glass over fresh ice.
- Top off with soda water.
- Garnish with a sprig of rosemary and fresh cranberries.
Cosmopolitan
Perhaps thanks to Sex and the City, this pink-red girls' night out drink is one of the most popular cocktails of the 21st century. You can order the red mixed drink at a bar or make your own.
Ingredients
- 1½ ounces citron vodka
- ¾ ounce orange liqueur
- ½ ounce cranberry juice
- ½ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- Ice
- Lemon wedge for garnish
Instructions
- Chill a martini glass or coupe.
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, citron vodka, orange liqueur, cranberry juice, and lime juice.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into chilled glass.
- Garnish with lemon wedge.
Hurricane
Straight from New Orleans, the hurricane cocktail contains the reddest drink ingredient available short of adding food coloring: grenadine. Grenadine gives it a light red tint to enhance the tropical flavors of the red alcoholic drink.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces light rum
- 1½ ounces dark rum
- 1 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 ounce freshly squeezed orange juice
- ¾ ounce passion fruit juice
- ½ ounce simple syrup
- ¼ ounce grenadine
- Orange wedge and cherry for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, light rum, dark rum, lime juice, orange juice, passion fruit juice, simple syrup, and grenadine.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into hurricane or highball glass over fresh ice.
- Garnish with orange wedge and cherry.
Ruby Red-tini
The rubytini is a semi-sweet martini with a lovely red color with a nice sweet and sour flavor.
Ingredients
- 1 ounce ruby grapefruit juice
- ¾ ounce lime juice
- ¾ ounce grenadine
- 1½ ounces London dry gin
- Twist of lime for garnish
Instructions
- Chill a cocktail glass.
- In a cocktail shaker, combine the grapefruit juice, lime juice, grenadine, and gin.
- Add ice and shake.
- Strain into the chilled cocktail glass.
- Garnish with the twist.
Strawberry Daiquiri
The strawberry daiquiri is the perfect sweet, berry-flavored red summer cocktail, whether you like it blended or on the rocks, boozy or virgin. It's also a great drink to order at the bar or when you're having dinner at a restaurant.
Ingredients
- 1½ ounces light rum
- ¾ ounce strawberry schnapps
- ¾ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- Ice
- Strawberry for garnish
Instructions
- Chill a martini glass or coupe.
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, light rum, strawberry schnapps, and lime juice.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into chilled glass.
- Garnish with strawberry.
Pom Berry Deep Red Cocktail
This delicious cocktail features the flavors of pomegranate and dark berries, along with a hint of acid from lime juice. It makes one cocktail.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces pomegranate juice
- ¾ ounce lime juice
- ¾ ounce Chambord
- 2 dashes of cardamom bitters
- 1½ ounces vodka
- Ice
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, combine the pomegranate juice, lime juice, Chambord, bitters, and vodka.
- Add ice and shake.
- Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice.
French Martini
The French martini is a tasty French cocktail with Chambord and Champagne. The Chambord, a raspberry-flavored liqueur, imparts a deep purplish-red color to the drink.
Ingredients
- 1½ ounces vodka
- 1 ounce pineapple juice
- ¼ ounce Chambord
- Ice
- Champagne to top off
- Lemon twist for garnish
Instructions
- Chill a martini glass or coupe.
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, vodka, pineapple juice, and Chambord.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into chilled glass.
- Top off with Champagne.
- Garnish with lemon twist.
Red Hot Alcoholic Shot
If you love apples and cinnamon, then you'll love this red-tinted shot. This recipe results in two shots; who you share it with is up to you.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces Fireball whisky
- 2 ounces Crown Royal apple whisky
- 1 bar spoon grenadine
- Ice
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, combine the Fireball, Crown Royal, and grenadine.
- Add the ice and shake.
- Strain into two shot glasses.
Mulled Wine
Lovers of warm red alcoholic drinks, don't despair. There's a red winter cocktail for you, as well. Try mulled wine, which is a mixture of red wine and mulling spices you drink hot. It has a deep, rich red color.
Ingredients
- 750mL merlot or cabernet
- 6 ounces brandy
- 3 ounces orange liqueur
- 8 whole cloves
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- 2 star anise
- 1 orange, sliced
- Orange slice, cinnamon stick, and star anise for garnish
Instructions
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, add wine, brandy, orange liqueur, cloves, cinnamon sticks, star anise, and orange slices.
- Stir to mix.
- Allow to heat through, but not come to a simmer.
- Reduce heat to the lowest possible setting, warming for approximately fifteen minutes to one hour.
- Strain out spices.
- Serve in cocktail mugs.
- Garnish with orange slice, cinnamon stick, and star anise.
Bloody Mary
Not all red mixed drinks need to be sweet and fruity. In fact, the savory Bloody Mary is a red alcoholic brunch favorite and a delicious tomato-based cocktail.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces cucumber vodka or bacon vodka
- 4 ounces tomato juice
- ½ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ¼ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- ¼ ounce horseradish
- 2-3 dashes Worcestershire sauce
- Ice
- Olives, lime wedge, celery stalk, and asparagus stem for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, cucumber vodka, tomato juice, lemon juice, lime juice, horseradish, and Worcestershire sauce.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into highball glass over fresh ice.
- Garnish with olives, lime wedge, celery stalk, and asparagus stem.
Red Wine Sangria
Made with red wine, the traditional Spanish wine punch, sangria is fruity and flavorful, and it's also a bright red cocktail. Enjoy this refreshing summer alcohol drink when the heat is at it's worst.
Ingredients
- 750mL pinot noir or merlot
- ¾ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- ½ cup brandy
- ¼ cup orange liqueur
- Ice
- Lemon slice for garnish
Instructions
- In a large pitcher, add ice, pinot noir, orange juice, brandy, and orange liqueur.
- Stir to mix.
- Serve in wine glasses over fresh ice.
- Garnish with lemon slice.
Rosso Vodka Martini
Rosso is the Italian word for red, and it tells you the color of this vodka martini. Rather than using a dry Vermouth, this martini calls for sweet Italian vermouth, which is a bright red hue.
Ingredients
- 3 ounces vodka
- 1 ounce Italian sweet Vermouth
- 2 dashes Angostura bitters
- Ice
- Orange peel
Instructions
- Chill a martini glass.
- In a mixing glass, add the vodka, vermouth, bitters, and ice. Stir.
- Strain into the chilled glass.
- Hold the orange peel over the glass, skin side down, and squeeze to release the citrus oil into the cocktail. Drop in the orange peel, skin-side up, for garnish.
Negroni
Made with Campari and sweet vermouth, the Negroni takes on the deep red-orange hue of a sunset, and it's also pleasantly sweet and bitter.
Ingredients
- 1 ounce gin
- 1 ounce Campari
- 1 ounce sweet vermouth
- Ice
- Orange twist for garnish
Instructions
- In a mixing glass, add ice, gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth.
- Stir rapidly to chill.
- Strain into rocks glass over fresh ice.
- Garnish with orange twist.
Manhattan
The Manhattan is amber-red. The addition of sweet vermouth to whiskey creates this beautiful red tint.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces rye whiskey
- 1 ounce sweet Vermouth
- 2 dashes Angostura bitters
- Ice
- Bourbon cherry for garnish
Instructions
- Chill a cocktail glass.
- In a mixing glass, combine the whiskey, vermouth, and bitters.
- Add ice and stir.
- Strain into the chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with the cherry.
Fruity Red Margaritas
Whether your pleasure is watermelon, pomegranate, or classic strawberry, these fruity red tequila drinks are icy and delicious.
Ingredients
- Lime wedge and salt for rim
- 1½ ounces silver tequila
- ¾ ounce watermelon, pomegranate, or strawberry schnapps
- ¾ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- ½ ounce orange liqueur
- ½ ounce agave
- Ice
- Fruit or lime wheel for garnish
Instructions
- To prepare rim, rub the rim of the rocks glass with the lime wedge.
- With the salt on a saucer, dip either half or the entire rim of the glass in the salt to coat.
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, silver tequila, schnapps, lime juice, orange liqueur, and agave.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into prepared glass.
- Garnish with fruit or lime wheel.
More Red Cocktails
You can find plenty of other cocktails with a lovely red hue along with the original red cocktails above.
- Cocktails made with the berry liqueur Chambord tend to have a deep red hue.
- Drinks made with grenadine and gin have a bright red color, as do beverages made with grenadine and rum.
- Show your patriotic spirit with firecracker cocktails. Some are red, and others are red, white, and blue.
- Want a red drink to feed a crowd? Wine and vodka punch is just the ticket.
- If you love Jolly Rancher candies' sweet, sour, fruity flavor, then try the red watermelon Jolly Rancher cocktail.
- A tequila sunrise combines red and orange in a beautifully layered drink.
Many Shades of Red Mixed Drinks
Using red ingredients from watermelon to berries and everything in between yields beautiful red alcoholic drinks. Whether you're drinking cinnamon or cherry cocktails or another fruity concoction, use your imagination and find tasty red cocktails for every occasion.
