3-Ingredient Patriotic Punch

You'll only need 3 ingredients to make this kid-friendly and festive red, white, and blue-layered Patriotic Punch for the 4th of July!

There's all kinds of treats to make to celebrate the 4th of July, but here's a fun drink recipe to try that even the kids can enjoy! Made with only 3 ingredients, this layered Patriotic Punch is easy to make, and looks so festive for the big day. This kid-friendly, layered drink makes a statement at 4th of July and Memorial Day parties, and is so simple to make.

To make this festive layered beverage, you only need 3 simple pre-chilled ingredients! The secret to layered drinks like this is all about the sugar content. The drink with the highest sugar content is more dense, so it will sink to the bottom. It's best to use some kind of sugar-free drink for the top, like lemonade. When poured slowly, the different drinks will stay separated! Another secret? Use plenty of ice!

Red Drink: Red drinks are pretty easy to find, and most work well for this recipe because of their higher sugar content. For example, drinks like cranberry juice, strawberry/cherry-flavored sodas, and Hawaiian Punch are perfect! Red is usually best for the bottom layer because they usually tend to have the highest sugar content of the three drink layers.
Blue Drink: For the blue drink, be sure to check the label. You want it to have sugar, but lower than the red layer and more sugar than the top layer, which will have little to zero sugar. A great option is blue Gatorade. If you can find blue Hawaiian punch, that could work as well.
Clear Drink: This layer needs the least amount of sugar. Sugar-free lemonades, white Gatorade, or any clear diet soda will work great!

Add a generous amount of ice to the cup. Pour cranberry juice until the glass is ⅓ full. Again, this can be any red beverage: cranberry (or other red berry) juice, fruit punch (like Hawaiian Punch), red sodas, and so much more!

*Be sure to check the nutrition labels on each drink before pouring to make sure that you pour them in from highest sugar content to lowest.

Another trick to building layers in this drink is to pour slowly. Place a spoon into the cup, and slowly pour the blue Gatorade layer on top of it until you have an even amount of blue drink as the red. The cup should be ⅔ full.

Instead of the spoon method, you can pour the drink down the side of the glass or over the top of an ice cube.

Lastly, slowly pour the lemonade over the spoon until the glass is full. Again, you can pour it down the side or over an ice cube. Just be sure to pour slowly so that the layers don't blend together.

Now the red, white, and blue 3-Ingredient Patriotic Punch is ready to be enjoyed! The layering is mainly meant for presentation, so when you're ready to drink up, use a straw to mix it all together. The drink is best when served immediately after assembling.