Just Turned LegalCocktail recipe
Rating
Can you make this?
Add the ingredients you have at home to your My Bar and we'll show you what cocktails you can make. Start off by adding the ingredients you have for this cocktail using the plus icons.
Just Turned Legal sits firmly in the highball “party drink” lane: a tall, easygoing mix built on clean vodka and the unmistakable punch of sambuca. You won’t find a widely agreed origin story attached to it, but its name and format feel very much like modern bar culture—bold, sweet-leaning, and designed to go down smoothly while still making its presence known.
On the palate, sambuca brings a dense, aromatic sweetness that immediately defines the drink, while vodka keeps the base crisp and neutral so the anise character stays front and centre. A dash of lime juice cuts through with a quick flash of acidity, stopping the sweetness from feeling heavy. Orange juice adds soft, rounded fruitiness, and cranberry juice layers in a brighter, tangier edge that helps pull the whole mix into a more balanced, juicy finish.
Serve it long in a highball when you want something loud, fruity, and unapologetically sweet with a distinctive twist. It suits big nights, birthday energy, and anyone who likes their drinks easy to sip but far from subtle—especially if you’re already a fan of sambuca’s signature flavour.
Microbadges
Can you make this?
Add the ingredients you have at home to your My Bar and we'll show you what cocktails you can make. Start off by adding the ingredients you have for this cocktail using the plus icons.
Tags
Highball glass
Ingredients
Cocktail Colin says:
Vodka and sambuca lead with a clean, anise-heavy hit, while orange juice and cranberry juice soften the edges with bright, fruity sweetness; a dash of lime juice adds a quick snap that keeps the tall drink from feeling syrupy. It works because the citrus and cranberry tang dilute and balance sambuca’s intensity, making it best for party-drink fans who like bold licorice notes in an easy highball.
Method
How to make a Just Turned Legal
- Sambuca 60ml, Vodka 60ml, Lime juice Dash, Orange juice Top up, Cranberry juice Top up
-
- Add all the ingredients into a highball glass with ice
-
- Stir and serve
Power tips
Elevate the Just Turned Legal with these master mixologist tips
Upgrade to premium
And receive world class tips on how to raise your cocktails to the next level.
Find out more- Upgrade to premium to receive power tips from top bartenders around the world. Raise you mixology game.
- Read the tweaks that take this simple cocktail to the next level of greatness. Become the next best mixologist which people all talk about.
Your private tasting notes
Featured in
FAQ's
How does the alcohol content of Just Turned Legal compare to other typical cocktails?
The Just Turned Legal cocktail has an alcohol content of 9.36%, which places it on the lower side compared to many classic cocktails. For instance, a Margarita typically has an alcohol content of around 13%-15%, and a Manhattan can be around 30% alcohol by volume. Therefore, Just Turned Legal is relatively milder in terms of alcohol strength.
What is the best way to serve the Just Turned Legal cocktail?
The Just Turned Legal cocktail is best served cold in a highball glass. Since it is not shaken but stirred, you should stir the ingredients (Sambuca, Vodka, and Lime juice) with ice in the glass, and then top it up with orange juice and cranberry juice. A final gentle stir will ensure the ingredients are well-mixed before serving.
What garnishes work well with Just Turned Legal?
Since Just Turned Legal involves a mix of citrus and berry flavors, garnishing with a slice of orange or a lime wedge can complement its fruity profile. Additionally, a few cranberries on a skewer or floated on top can enhance the visual appeal and tie in with the cranberry juice used in the cocktail.
Can I substitute any ingredients in Just Turned Legal to fit my taste?
Yes, if you're looking to customize Just Turned Legal to your taste, consider substituting the Sambuca for a different flavored liqueur if you're not a fan of its anise flavor. For a sweeter variant, Amaretto could be a pleasant substitution. If you desire a less intense vodka flavor, consider using a flavored vodka that complements the citrus and berry notes of the cocktail.
What occasions are best suited for serving Just Turned Legal?
Given its name and playful combination of flavors, Just Turned Legal is well-suited for celebrations marking significant milestones, such as 21st birthday parties in the United States where the legal drinking age is 21. Its refreshing and fruity profile makes it a good choice for summer gatherings, outdoor barbecues, or casual social events where a lighter cocktail might be desired.
Upgrade your mixology
Become a member for free taking your cocktail making skills up to level 11. Or become a premium member to rise to cocktail greatness.
- Save your bar forever
- Access to our Cocktail Creator, allowing you to create your own wonderful concoctions.
- Access to Cocktail Colin; ask Cocktail Colin anything on an individual cocktail and he'll give you the answers you need.
- Create personalised cocktail menus for all your events, bars or parties
- Save cocktails to personalised 'Tried' and 'Want to try' lists
- Create and record tasting notes on cocktails
- Create lists of cocktails to share with friends and family
- A personalised MyBar URL, allowing you to share everything you can make with friends
- And much more ... (what to buy next, measurement choices, search personalisation...)
Have you tried our Wordpress Plugin?
Download our plugin and embed cocktail recipes directly onto your own site or blog.
Choose from our whole recipe database, or choose a specific cocktail made with a certain ingredient, and let us place a beautiful recipe on your own site.
Find out moreYou might also like
Indulge in this sweet, spiced coffee liqueur concoction.
Sambuca Coffee Frappe
Sambuca, Coffee liqueur
Try this intense mix of whiskey and sambuca
Anaconda Shooter
Whiskey, Sambuca
Experience this layered delight with a blazing twist
Flaming Lamborghini
Sambuca, Bailey's, Coffee liqueur, Blue curaçao
Relish this rich blend of Sambuca and coffee liqueur.
Black Prince
Sambuca, Cognac, Coffee liqueur, Sugar
Create a cocktail
Choose a theme and some ingredients, give us some description and we'll create an amazing cocktail for you.
Register as a Premium Make Me a Cocktail community member and get access to an even more powerful creator.
Start creatingBuild your bar
Tell us what you have at home and we’ll find a delicious cocktail for you to make right now.
Register as a Make Me a Cocktail community member and we’ll save your ingredients list so you can come back to it at any time.
Create My Bar
Cocktail Colin
Your cocktail expert
Hi! I'm Cocktail Colin
Ask me anything about this cocktail - how to make it, substitutions, variations, or any other questions!
Become a member to access Cocktail Colin
Become a member (for free) to pick Cocktail Colin's cocktail filled brain on everything on this cocktail, from substitutions, if you can use what you have, to serving suggestions and more.
Become a member
Comments