Ask A Boston Expert: Best Cocktails To Serve For 4th Of July

He is a five-time International cocktail recipe winner, twenty year veteran of the bar industry and is sought after by lovers of the Boston bar scene all the way to the shores of Dublin, Ireland. Billy "Bottle Trix" Young shares some of his favorite fourth of July liquid creations and top-notch tips for the summer and holiday season.

Billy "Bottle Trix" Young is a 20-year veteran of the bar industry. His talent earned him the opportunity to tend bar in one of the most exotic locations on Earth, Costa Rica!  Winner of five international cocktail recipe competitions, including the Jameson Summer Drink Challenge, Billy Y. made his home behind the popular bars of Boston, serving clients and perfecting recipes at The Greatest Bar, The Top of The Hub, Scholars, The Rattlesnake and Society on High. In 2011, he was picked as one of Bostons Beloved Bartenders by the Improper Bostonian, featured in Boston's "Drink." Billy "Bottle Trix" Young could be found flipping bottles and creating cocktails being served to this very day at the Jameson bar of Doublin, Ireland,

"Don't complicate it. If you're serving drinks for your friends on the fourth of July, you want to use ingredients found around the house. You'll want to use summer time ingredients, such as lemons, lime, cucumber, and basil." Billy advised. "You're making drinks at home, you want to do it quickly so you can enjoy the drink with your friends, but you still want them to be fun." Ok we agree. "Go ahead, use fun ingredients that make your drink interesting." Billy shared a delicious recipe that tastes just like Italian Ice.

In a pint or tall glass combine two lemon wedges and sugar, muddled. Add one ounce of Jameson, one ounce of Vanilla Vodka; shake it and top with soda, tonic and Sprite.

"Another way to make drinks fun is to use cucumber and basil, both simple seasonal ingredients." Ones that represent summertime add some Gin and Tonic. "It's always a great idea to get fresh ingredients at a local farmer's market," Billy "Bottle Trix" Young confided. You'll find some of Boston's Best Farmer's Markets recently featured this year on CBS Local.

Take two slices of cucumber about a quarter inch thick, three Basil leaves, two lime wedges, one lemon wedge and muddle. Add one and a half ounces Hendrix Gin aone-halfalf ounce of St. Germain ( an elder flower liquor); shake it, top with tonic. For a virgin drink, just skip the Gin.and St. Germain. "This recipe has a very light and effervescent after glow, perfect on a hot day," said Billy.

Another fun idea is to make your drinks colorful and certainly American. "The colors are red, white and blue, representing the United States with the perfect fourth of July shot. It's a drink that will take you back in time, sparking childhood memories of the days of Rocket Pop and those summers spent chasing the Ice Cream truck," said Billy.

Ingredients: One ounce of Malibu Rum, add a little bit of sour mix; chill it. Pour into a shot glass, drop a little Grenadine Syrup which you'll see drop to the bottom. Float a little blue Curacao, (an orange flavor liquor). The result is the perfect adult version of an old favorite, just in time for summer.

Related: Make These 5 Cocktails With Just 4 Ingredients Each

"Another way to get into the summertime spirit is to go with something tropical. The American spirit is representative of hard work and to represent that, most bartenders would use a popular drink called the Pain Killer," Billy stated.

The drink includes:

Equal parts of Amaretto, Malibu Rum, Vanilla Vodka and one spoonful of Cream of Coconut. Shake it; pour it over fresh ice, add pineapple juice and orange juice.

It's "A very smooth drink that will take you away to a tropical island, on the beach with your friends or loved ones," Billy claimed. Reminiscent of the Costa Rican days, in fact.

"The Red, White and Blueberry Mojito, gives the host another opportunity to make a patriotic toast this holiday". Billy shared about this last Fourth of July drink.

For each individual drink: Start with two lime wedges, four mint leaves, five blueberries; muddle them. Add White Rum, or any clear Rum. Add simple syrup; shake it. Add soda water and top with a splash of cranberry juice. "Any time your doing a seasonal drink, you're going to want to use colors of the holiday. For summer, think light, think breezy and crisp, for Autumn you'd do more of a spice."

Related: Boston's Best Classic Cocktails