sipping and social distancing
Sipping and Social Distancing!
Quarantine has taught us a lot of things: what, exactly, a sourdough starter is, turns out you can reach the end of Netflix, and cooking and cocktailing at home is actually pretty fun! (Now if we could just get someone to do our dishes).
As we look toward summer, and gatherings that will look a little different, here are some tips for creating festive cocktails for your guests with less contact!
1) Super-size it. Make a batch! We always recommend batching cocktails when having get-togethers, because it’s really no fun to be stuck mixing up drinks all night. Plus, a signature cocktail is so fun and impressive, and actually saves you from having to buy a million different spirits and mixers!
2) Can’t touch this. Pre-portion the drinks. In the age of no-contact, the last thing we want is everyone touching the same bottles over and over. Portion out your signature drinks in a cute little mason jar or other container, and then stack them in a cooler or ice bucket over ice. Tie a paper straw on each jar with some string or ribbon, and label the drinks. Catchy or themed drink names are always a hit!
3) Garnish games. We firmly believe that the garnish is a super important addition for your drinks! It’s kind of like the frosting on a cake! To keep things separate, utilize drink skewers to portion out garnishes like citrus wedges. Serve on a tray so guests can grab their individual garnishes. For trickier things like berries or cocktail cherries, serve a drink-sized portion in a little paper cup or other cute container.
4) Ice, ice, baby. Keep it cool. No one wants to touch the same ice scoop over and over, or, gasp, grab a handful of ice! This one is tricky, and admittedly not super environmentally-friendly. However, the best way to have a contact-free ice situation is to pre-portion the cubes into single-serve bags. If you want to be really fancy about it, make large ice cubes with a frozen berry inside, or freeze cubes of wine or citrus.
Here’s what we’ll be serving up at our next patio fiesta!
Summer Sangria
1 bottle white wine (something fruity like a Sauvignon Blanc is perfect)
¼ c. bourbon
2 oz orange liqueur (like Cointreau or triple sec)
8 tablespoons sugar (or to taste)
1 orange thinly sliced
2 peaches sliced
1 cup berries
1 lime thinly sliced
1 lemon thinly sliced
Combine all ingredients and let sit overnight if possible. (sangria is like a stew-it gets better after a little time!). Ladle into individual containers.
This recipe is super forgiving! Use the ingredients that you have on hand, mix it up to taste, and it will be perfect!