With the Fourth of July just around the corner, Americans from coast to coast are preparing for the extended holiday weekend with two essentials: patriotism and a whole lot of alcohol.
We thought it might serve us all well if we combined the two! If you’re going to be drinking this Fourth of July (and if you don’t think you will be, you’re lying to yourself) then you might as well be drinking something that came right from good old ‘Merica.
So we took the liberty of compiling the ultimate patriotic alcohol shopping list, with All-American-made liquors, for whatever your poison might be.
WHITE WINE: Pine & Post, Washington
Located in the Cascade Mountains of Washington, this Seattle-area winery called Pine & Post makes some of the most acclaimed wine on the West coast… and let’s not forget that’s where California, the wine capital of America, is located. So that is seriously saying something.
Pine & Post boasts a particularly delicious Chardonnay, which has lovely aromas of peach, nectarine, baked apple, and pineapple. Have you ever heard of a crisp white wine more perfect for Fourth of July than that?
RED WINE: Iter, California
Voted the best red wine of 2015, Iter Cabernet is a medium-bodied wine that is bursting with summer flavors like blackberry, currants, black cherry, and cocoa. The winery, also named Iter, is located in Napa, California (like nobody saw that coming) and has been praised as one of the best in the country.
If you’re a red wine fan, don’t let this beer-drinkers holiday get you down — you can still be classy AF while celebrating America’s birthday.
WHISKEY: Stranahan’s, Colorado
Whiskey fans will love Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey, a cult-favorite out of Denver, Colorado. Their single malt is made in small batches using only Colorado grain and Rocky Mountain water, which fans say makes each batch just a little different than the last. This uniqueness has garnered Stranahan’s millions of fans nationwide, hopefully including you, after this weekend.
RUM: Thomas Tew, Rhode Island
Named after the pirate who discovered the infamous “Pirate Round” sailing route out of Atlantic ports like Rhode Island and Bermuda, Thomas Tew Rum is as legendary as its namesake. The Newport Distilling Company in Newport, Rhode Island was founded in 2006 and released its first Thomas Tew Single Barrel rum in 2008.
Since then, the black molasses rum has become extremely popular — fans love the tones of smokey oak, vanilla, and caramel in each sip. If you’re looking for some brash, all-American flavor to celebrate with this holiday weekend, you can’t go wrong with Thomas Tew.
VODKA: Rain, Illinois
A super-premium vodka, RAIN is made from corn grown on Fizzle Flat Farms in Yale, Illinois, smack dab in the middle of America’s Heartland. RAIN advocates love that Fizzle Flat is one of the few farms growing organic grain in the United States, and we think that’s pretty cool, too.
To achieve the best smoothness, RAIN undergoes a rigorous production process, including quadruple distillation. Translation: a few shots of this and you’ll have the whole barbecue chanting “U.S.A.! U.S.A.!”
PALE ALE: Hill Farmstead, Vermont
In Greensboro Bend, Vermont, there is a brewery called Hill Farmstead that has gotten a name for itself as one of the best breweries on the East coast. The little brewery may be off the beaten path, but it makes damn amazing beer.
As a part of the breweries’ Ancestral series, Hill Farmstead released a pale ale called Abner, named after the founder’s great grandfather. The pale ale was made from water drawn out of Abner’s own well at his old Vermont home. We would like to commend Abner and his water for making this stupendous pale.
STOUT: Founders KBS, Michigan
In Grand Rapids, Michigan, the release of Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout (or KBS) was literally a week-long celebration. This dark beer has been aged in oak bourbon barrels before being bottled and sold to fortunate Americans like yourself.
But the real magic happens when you take the name too literally. It is a holiday, after all. You could start at breakfast if you wanted to. No judgement here.
IPA: Tree House Brewing Company’s Julius, Massachusetts
The Tree House Brewing Company in Monson, MA is like the stuff of myths. It’s legendary IPA, Julius, will come and go so fast, you won’t even know what hit you. Thursday through Saturday, you have a chance to stand in line to buy a bottle of Julius yourself — but they only sell to the first 350 people. You read that right. 350 PEOPLE.
I have stood in this line before and it is brutal, but the refreshing tastes of passionfruit, mango, and citrus in this IPA were 100% worth it. It is by far the best IPA I’ve ever tasted. If you’re an East Coaster, a visit to Tree House is must.
Support American breweries, distilleries, and wineries this Fourth of July by choosing some of these top notch, American-made alcohols! Since you’re going to get drunk either way, you might as well do it patriotically, right?
