Red, White and Blue, Wahoo!
Happy impending three-day weekend as well for those of you who get Monday off. It's also Canada Day today, so what better way to celebrate our northern neighbors (well, northeastern anyway) than to start off the weekend with some fun new cocktail recipes?

Also, tonight's First Tap features Yonder Mountain String Band, and it's going to be a jam session to end all jam sessions, party people. Be there or, as one of my adorable readers once said, "be a geometric shape." Not the most original, I know, but still....get your tickets at www.beartooththeatre.net.

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The LiberTea
Lemonade, check. Iced tea, check. Wild Turkey? Heck yes.
Side note: Did you knpw that Bourbon is officially "America's Native Spirit?"

Ingredients:
4 cups water
4 cups lemonade
4 black tea bags
1 cup fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup Wild Turkey Bourbon
1 1/2 cups American Honey

Preparation:
In a large saucepan, boil 2 cups water. Remove from heat; add 4 teabags of black tea. Steep 8 minutes; discard teabags. Add 2 cups cold water and lemonade; transfer to pitcher and chill. Add fresh basil leaves. Using a wooden spoon, crush basil until fragrant. Stir in Wild Turkey Bourbon and American Honey. Serve over ice.

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Broad Stripes and Bright Stars
A twist on the "red, white and blue" cocktail muddling with a sexy kick of absinthe to round it out. Also, I am in love with ginger beer. Try it. Seriously.

Ingredients:
1/4 oz Lucid Absinthe
1 oz Blueberry Vodka
1/4 oz Simple Syrup
Splash of Lemon Juice
Drizzle of Raspberry Liqueur
Ginger beer
Fresh Blueberries

Preparation:
Muddle fresh blueberries and add syrup, Lucid, juice and vodka. Add ice and shake and pour into highball glass. Drizzle Liqueur and top with Ginger Beer. Garnish with one sugar cube.

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Find more recipes, tips and tidbits at cocktails.about.com.