Fourth of July Mocktail

This year fourth of July falls on a Wednesday. The last time this happened was 2012. I remember being excited for the day off, and on the eve of the holiday, I drank five glasses of wine—or a whole bottle alongside my partner while we ate a nice dinner and watched a movie. I woke up the next morning, well no, I woke up the next afternoon, feeling horrible. I could feel the heavy wine tannins encircling my head, like my brain was being squeezed by fishnets. I spent the day doing nothing—so much for my exciting day off. When it was time for fireworks, I meandered one block outside my house to watch for twenty minutes or so. I was pretty sad about how the day turned out. What a memorable holiday.

This year, I will not be nursing a hangover on a rare day off work. While celebrating with my friends, I will not be preoccupied with where my next drink is or keeping track of how many I’ve had to pace myself. By firework time, I will not be exhausted and out of it from day drinking in the sun.

I will spend the holiday present, grateful and elated to be with loved ones.

For a festive and patriotic drink, here is an easy red, white, and blue mocktail.

Recipe:

Handful blueberries

¾ cup cherry juice

½ cup sparkling water

Blueberries, cherries, and cubed pears for garnish

Muddle half the blueberries in a glass. Pour in cherry juice and fill with ice. Top with sparking water and add the remaining blueberries. Garnish with a skewer of cherries, blueberries, and cubed pears.