Entertaining

11 Stiff Drinks for Patriotic Working Stiffs

Drop a plate of these Jello Shots off at the Labor Day picnic table and prepare for guests to salute. The proud red, white and blue don’t so much wave as they do jiggle, but as they’re packed with two berry flavors, condensed milk and plenty of vodka, you won’t hear us complaining.

The Rusty Nail is burdened with both an unappetizing name and a key ingredient that has fallen out of favor with the cocktailing crowd (Drambuie, a honeyed scotch-based liqueur). But it is actually a great cocktail, especially after a hearty dinner. Sweet toothers can pour an easy 1:1 ratio of blended scotch to Drambuie for a classic iteration of the cocktail, but if you prefer your scotchtails scotchier, scale down the liqueur to taste. Simply pour both ingredients into a rocks glass, add ice, stir and try to ignore the fact that the color of your drink resembles a sharp, tetanus-inducing, rusty piece of metal.

Instead of gloppy, rocky, liquid sidewalk, this type of Cement Mixer produces a creamy-citrusy shot. Made with Baileys Irish Cream and fresh lime juice, it’s better than drinking actual cement—but not much. Save this shooter for late into the Labor Day party when a curdled mouthful of cocktail sounds like a good idea.

Labor Day is about taking it easy on this government mandated day of rest, so don’t spend the whole party mixing individual cocktails. Instead, throw together this star-studded, big batched drink and kick up your heels for the rest of the afternoon. It’s not being lazy; it’s working smart.