Red Stag Lemonade Cocktail

By
Colleen Graham
Photo of Colleen Graham
Colleen Graham
Freelance writer and cocktail book author Colleen Graham is a seasoned mixologist who loves sharing her knowledge of spirits and passion for preparing drinks.
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Updated on 12/23/21
Jim Beam's Red Stag Lemonade Cocktail

The Spruce / S&C Design Studios

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 10 mins
Serving: 1 serving
Yield: 1 cocktail

The Red Stag lemonade is a fun whiskey-based punch that you can make for yourself or for any number of party guests. It's sweet, refreshing, and filled with delicious cherry and strawberry flavors, plus it's very easy to make.

Created by Mixologist Bobby "G" Gleason, this recipe is designed to show off Red Stag, Jim Beam's cherry-flavored bourbon. It does a nice job of that and the whiskey is a perfect pairing for Strawberry Pucker (though you can use any strawberry liqueur). Once you add lemonade, then give it a little sparkle from soda, it becomes a crisp spiked lemonade that will cool down you and anyone you share it with on a hot summer day.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 ounces cherry bourbon whiskey

  • 1/2 ounce strawberry liqueur

  • 4 ounces lemonade

  • 2 ounces lemon-lime soda, or club soda

  • Lemon slice, for garnish

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. In a highball glass filled with ice, build the ingredients in order, finishing up with your choice of soda.

  3. Stir well.

  4. Garnish with a lemon slice. Serve and enjoy.

Tips

  • Fresh-squeezed lemonade will create the best-tasting Red Stag lemonade. It's easy to make—all you need is lemon juice, sugar, and water—and you can customize the sweet and sour to suit your taste. When using it specifically for this recipe, you might want to back off the sugar a bit because the strawberry liqueur will add a good deal of sweetness.
  • If you really want to DIY your lemonade, you can also make a cherry-infused bourbon with any whiskey you choose. The strawberry liqueur is easy as well by using other homemade liqueur recipes for inspiration (try either of these limoncello or peach liqueur recipes).
  • Whether for a party or just to have a ready-to-drink lemonade on hand, this is a great recipe to make ahead of time. Stir together the liquors and lemonade in a pitcher, add thin lemon wheels, and place in the refrigerator until well chilled. Pour over ice in tall glasses, leaving room for the soda.

Recipe Variations

  • To make this for a crowd, simply increase the ingredients while keeping the proportions in the recipe. For instance, for 10 tall drinks, you'll need 15 ounces (1 3/4 cups) whiskey, 5 ounces strawberry liqueur, 40 ounces (5 cups) lemonade, and 20 ounces (2 1/2 cups) soda. If you're going more of the party punch route, the average serving is just 4 ounces, so that will serve twice as many guests.
  • If you prefer, switch the strawberry out for another fruity liqueur. Raspberry, blackberry, crème de cassis, mango, and pomegranate are all great options.

How Strong Is a Red Stag Lemonade?

The lemonade and soda make up most of the volume in this tall drink, so it's a surprisingly light whiskey cocktail. When made according to the recipe, the Red Stag lemonade has an alcohol content of about 8 percent ABV (16 proof). That's lighter than a glass of wine.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
232 Calories
0g Fat
28g Carbs
0g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories 232
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 13mg 1%
Total Carbohydrate 28g 10%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 26g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 9mg 43%
Calcium 8mg 1%
Iron 0mg 2%
Potassium 35mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)