A Hostess's Guide to Summer Cocktails Must Haves

Making my fresh ice cream last week really has me gearing up for summer. Part of the joy of summer is that it calls for a less serious look at life. Summer to me is about color, joy, and celebration. It also means cocktails on your back deck, porch, roof, or really any spot that it is socially acceptable to be both outside and with a cocktail in hand. That being said, I wanted to give you a guide to the hostess MUSTS for some truly unforgettable summer nights [and days].

1) All great cocktails deserve a great glass

Gold has been hot for a while now, but with it being one of the major spring/summer trends, why stop at only incorporating it into your clothing? Gold is not only hot, but also classic. These glasses by West Elm are adorable, classic, playful, and perfect for serving up fantastic cocktails. Gold embellished glasses by West Elm

2) And great ice

Man, do I pretty much love everything kitschy. When I saw these on Anthropologie I couldn't help dreaming of cocktails with umbrellas and laying by the pool. Pineapples are quintessential for summertime dreams of cabanas and islands. You don't have to get shipwrecked to enjoy the fun served up by this pineapple shaped ice. Pineapple ice cubes by Anthropologie

3) Served  in an adorable ice bucket

Show off your fancy ice in this lucite bucket! Or just normal ice. This lucite bucket allows you to show off your pineapple ice, other shaped ice, or even your flavored ice. Popping with color on its own, this is a great way to upgrade from the basic bucket to something more lively and luvvly! Lucite ice bucket by Furbish Studio P.S. I luvvvv this one so much, I might have to order it or figure out how to DIY it!

4) Or bottled up

I feel I've read the phrase "bottled cocktails" a million times when looking through cocktail trends. Bottled cocktails are a way for packed bars to quickly distribute delicious drinks to their patrons. In the same way, this is a way to keep you out of spending all of your time making cocktails and more time with your guest. I've seen in the last few years some people making pre-made cocktails in mason jars and serving them at events, and I think that's right in line with this trend. If you want to take it a notch up from mason jars, I did find a pretty great DIY guide for bottling your own cocktails. Whether you use a bottle or a mason jar, people will love the novelty of having a pre-made cocktail, especially if you bring it to them. Walk into the next event you go to with 24 bottles of your own signature cocktail and I promise you'll be the hero of the event.   Now that you have the aesthetics, here's a guide for some cocktail making musts

1) Get Fresh

Fresh herbs are ALWAYS good for cocktails. Now that you might have some growing in your own garden, why not figure out how to incorporate them into cocktails? This book has come to be the definitive guide for many bartenders, and a must for learning to experiment with different herbs. As a bonus, getting familiar with herbs in cocktails will also help you get familiar with how to flavor with them in the kitchen. Drunken Botanist 

2) Get Smokey

BBQs and campfires are the ish of summertime. For better or worse, we will all be smelling like smoke for many of our summer days. Why let the smoke stop there? Get on board with this smokey cocktail trend with this Smoked Simple Syrup. There are many ways to make a smokey taste, this one is probably just the easiest.

3) Get Creative

There is no limit to what flavors are out there for cocktails. Hellooo there's a bar solely dedicated to pizza flavored cocktails (!!!). As you begin to experiment with your own, a good bitters set is necessary. I love the flavors found in this one, but there are many other bitters sets out there to try. Flavored Bitters Set Luvv it ladies! Can't wait to see what summertime brings us all! Cheers! Happy Eats My Sweets,