A Juneteenth "Cocktale", The Red Order No. 3

Do It for the Cocktail Culture and cocktail creator Jake Lara came together to craft this refreshing summertime sip inspired by Juneteenth.

A mixture of the month June and the number 19, Juneteenth marks the day when the last of America’s slaves learned of their freedom. Despite Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 abolishing slavery, the Confederate States of the American South had kept Blacks in the dark and enslaved, evading the national executive order.

It wasn’t until June 19th, 1865, that Union General Gordon Granger arrived in Texas to announce General Order Number 3 declaring the Civil War was officially over and that all of America’s slaves had been freed. The Red Order No. 3 pays homage to this declaration and monumental moment in American history.

INSPIRATION Originating in Texas, Juneteenth was instituted as a way for Blacks to gather and uplift one another despite the oppression they continued to experience throughout all aspects of society. INGREDIENT Our spiked lemonade “Cocktale” pays tribute to their resilience. Instead of being soured, America’s Blacks took life’s lemons and turned them into lemonade by instating this holiday.

INSPIRATION Despite the tremendous impact of Juneteenth, this Black Independence Day has historically received little attention in American culture. That was until June 17, 2021 when President Joseph Biden signed Juneteenth into law as a federal holiday. INGREDIENT The Red Order No. 3 is crafted with bourbon, America’s Native Spirit. In the spirit of Juneteenth, we want to promote a more inclusive concept of patriotism by recommending the use of Black-owned bourbon or whiskey brands like Brough Brothers Bourbon, Majesty Bourbon, or Guidance Whiskey when crafting the drink.

INSPIRATION Celebrated in various forms, the consistent theme throughout all Juneteenth events is an abundance of red-hued foods like red velvet cake, red soda, and red lemonade to honor the lives lost and the blood spilled during slavery. It is rooted in African crops like hibiscus and kola nut that were brought over with the enslaved through the middle passage as cultural emblems. INGREDIENT Honoring this legacy, we incorporated Black-owned brand AVEC Drinks’ carbonated hibiscus and pomegranate mixer into the Red Order No. 3 cocktail.

This sparkling “red lemonade”-inspired cocktail pays homage to the tradition of Juneteenth, and is the perfect drink to kick off the summer. Cheers to Black history with this historically significant yet simply crafted Juneteenth cocktail!