Art Of Whipping Up Colorful Cocktails At Home!

One of the most inventive ways to liven up a house party is to infuse lots of color in the cocktails and mocktails you serve your guests. With the right set of bar tools in your home bar, you'll be able to whip up colorful classic drinks, while also experimenting with some "color-changing" cocktails and other elements that add flair.

Here are five creative ways to bring the rainbow to your home bar. 

Choose From The Classics

There are tons of classic drinks, which come in a mix of vibrant colors.

It all depends on the theme and the mood you want to create. If you're having a themed party, you can choose matching or contrasting cocktail colors. 

Reds and maroons are great colors, especially if it's an evening party. Watermelon mojitos, margaritas, and sangria are great choices for this color palette. 

If you're throwing a brunch or afternoon soiree, yellow and blue are great colors to serve up with classics like a yellowbird cocktail, piña colada, or blue lagoon.

Cosmopolitans and pink lady cocktails are a great choice for a girls' night out. 

Play Around With "Color Changers" 

If you want to really impress your guests with your DIY bartending skills, experiment with color changers like the butterfly pea flower extract. This is a trendy exotic herb used in cocktails around the world and can be a fun addition to your bartending repertoire. 

When you first add the butterfly pea flower extract to the spirit, the cocktail changes to a shade of blue, then gradually turns purplish to pink, when it mixes with an acidic element like lemon juice.

The transition looks quite magical and is a real crowd-puller at parties.  

Throw In Some Fruit And Herbs  

Other fun elements that add a lot of colors are fruits. Even if you're just serving up beer in a mug, and throw in a large slice of sweet lime, it adds a zest of flavor and color. 

Other fruits that add color are watermelon, lemons, pomegranates, berries, peaches, strawberries, pineapples, cherries, oranges, and mangoes. 

If you've got a home garden, throw in some fresh mint, basil, cilantro, or rosemary, onto the drink and serve fresh! 

Pro Tips When Playing With Fruit

Make sure to squeeze the juice of the fruit into your drink and then garnish your cocktail. This adds a fruity punch to the drink. Don't toss away the peels and wedges, as these are great for garnishes too.

If you're experimenting with fruit for the first time, you can never go wrong with citrus - choose from oranges, lime, grapefruit, or lemons. Classic cocktails like Screwdriver, Caipirinha, and Margarita - all use citrus fruit. 

If you want to get more exotic, use kumquat, a fruit that's local to South East Asia! 

Garnish With Pretty Petals

Another element that adds a real flash of color is flowers!

Yes, garnishing drinks with some lavender flowers, or other kinds of edible petals adds a beautiful flavor and an aesthetic appeal to your homemade cocktail.

Throw In Some Colorful Ice Cubes!

Another really fun way to add color to drinks is with funky colored ice cubes! When freezing the ice, add the color to the water and then place it in the freezer. You can choose from several different food coloring options or a rainbow palette. Drop these into cocktails that lack color to make the drink shine! 

To take it up a notch, you can also add fruit pieces into the water before freezing!

Serve the drinks in funky salsa cocktail glasses (which also make great gifts). If you're on a budget, go the DIY way and simply upcycle used glass jars into cocktail glasses. 

Just keep pushing your imagination and getting creative to get your bartending game on!