Plan a theme and gather your favorite people for a summer cocktail party with a variety of cool summer drinks to sip on and fun foods for the grill. Rent an outdoor venue or bring everyone to your home and enjoy a casual patio or pool style vibe. Let guests be interactive by making their own skewers with choices of meats, veggies, and other delicious ingredients then fire up the grill! Have the cocktails batched in dispensers ahead of time, provide a bin of ice and let guests add their garnishes and sparking mixers at the finish.
There are many cocktails to add to this Classic Summer Cocktail list, but these are a few that you can dress up with fun garnishes and that everyone will enjoy:
Cosmopolitan: Cranberry Juice, Gin, Orange Liquor, Lime Juice, Lemon Twist
Mojito: soda water, simple syrup, lime juice, mint, sugar cane, rum
Margarita: Sweet and Sour, Lemon, Lime Juice, Orange Juice, Tequila, Orange Liquor, salt
Sangria: White Wine, Oranges, green apples, limes, maraschino cherries,
Plan for multiple photo opportunities by setting up backdrops and adding fun and colorful props such as floats, Hawaiian lai’s, fun costume props, colorful lighting, and cute serving ware. It’s easy to make photo backdrops by using items that relate to the environment around you. If you are at a pool then make a fun backdrop with floats and pool noodles, add some crazy sunglasses and get in the pool with your summer cocktails. If you’re theme is Hawaiian just get some lai’s, sunglasses, drink umbrellas, get some fake (or real) palm trees and coconuts
Games can be fun for everyone and can be conversation starters for guests who don’t know each other. It can be difficult to decide what games to play at party because it depends on your audience who will enjoy them. Something everyone seems to enjoy are corn hole, giant Jenga, yard bowling, and even a collaborative art piece. Another entertaining was to get guests to interact is to play a game of Like and Dislike. Everyone writes down one thing they like and one thing they dislike on a piece of paper without writing their name on it. Then have everyone fold their papers and put them in a basket. Have each guest take one and try to figure out who it is that wrote it throughout the party. The object is to get conversation going so one rule of the game is not to ask outright whether someone likes or dislikes whats on the paper. Instead come up with creative ways to figure out the answer.
Cosmopolitan
Cosmopolitan: Cranberry Juice, Gin, Orange Liquor, Lime Juice, Lemon Twist
Mojito
Mojito: soda water, simple syrup, lime juice, mint, sugar cane, rum
Margarita
Margarita: Sweet and Sour, Lemon, Lime Juice, Orange Juice, Tequila, Orange Liquor, salt
Sangria
Sangria: White Wine, Oranges, green apples, limes, maraschino cherries