by Robert Giles

As the weather starts to warm up there will be more afternoons and evenings on the patio. You always want to make sure that you have drinks ready.

The easiest way to serve a crowd is to create batch cocktails. That way you aren’t spending your time behind the bar. Instead, you are enjoying the festivities along with your guests.

CWS Summer Shandy

Serves 4-6

• 2 – 12 oz. bottles of chilled Fever Tree Ginger Beer

• 3 – 11.2 oz. bottles of chilled Weihenstephaner Lager (or your favorite lager)

• 1 lemon, thinly sliced

• mint sprigs for garnish

DIRECTIONS

In a large pitcher, combine the lager with the ginger beer. Stir in most of the lemon slices and mint sprigs.

Fill 6 rocks glasses with ice. Add the remaining lemon slices to the glasses and pour in the shandy.

Garnish each drink with a mint sprig and serve.

Summer Sangria

Serves 10-12

• 2 – 750 ml bottles Tres Picos Garnacha

• ¾ cup Presidente Spanish Brandy

• ½ cup Grand Marnier

• 1 cup strained fresh orange juice

• 1 large orange, slice into wheels

• 1 lemon, sliced into wheels

• 1 quart strawberries, hulled and halved

• 1 – 750 ml San Pellegrino Water

DIRECTIONS

Combine everything except the San Pellegrino in a large pitcher and stir. Cover and refrigerate 12 -24 hours prior to serving

Mix the Sangria. Fill rocks glasses with ice. Pour about ½ – ¾ full. Add some of the fruit from the pitcher. Top off with San Pellegrino and enjoy.

Hot Summer Lemonade

Serves 4-6

• 5-6 lemons

• 2 cups lemon simple syrup (see recipe)

• 1 ½ cups Jack Daniels

• water

• ice

DIRECTIONS

Juice all lemons and set the fresh juice aside. If making lemon simple syrup, reserve one of the lemon peels.

In a 2-quart pitcher, combine lemon simple syrup, lemon juice and Jack Daniels. Fill pitcher with ice and top off with water – stir well to combine.

Serve in a rocks glass. Make sure each glass gets plenty of ice cubes from the pitcher.

If you need to make in advance, do not add the ice until just before serving.

LEMON SIMPLE SYRUP

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup sugar

 Cut up the rind of one lemon, place in a medium saucepan along with water and sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat. After the sugar is dissolve, turn off heat, strain and let cool.

Pimm's Cup Perfect Summertime

Serves 6-8

• 1 small cucumber, sliced thin

• 1 quart fresh strawberries, sliced thin

• 1 orange, sliced thin

• 1 lemon, sliced thin

• 1 green apple, sliced thin

• 2 cups (16 oz.) Pimm's No. 1 Cup

• 6 cups (48 oz.) 7-Up

• mint sprigs to garnish

DIRECTIONS

In a large pitcher, layer fruit slices. Add Pimm's and 7-Up. Stir gently to combine. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Use rocks or Collins glasses. Fill the glasses with ice. Pour the mix over the ice making sure to get fruit in each glass. Garnish with mint, and serve.

CWS Bloody Mary

Serves 6-8

• 3 cups tomato juice (fresh tomatoes recommended)
• 3 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 3 Tbsp. lime juice
• 1 Tbsp. horseradish, adjust to taste
• 1 ½ Tbsp. Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce
• ¼ tsp. garlic powder
• ¾ tsp. celery salt
• ¾ tsp. Tabasco sauce
• ½ tsp. coarse ground black pepper
• ⅓ cup olive brine
• Tito’s Vodka

DIRECTIONS

Blend together tomato juice, lemon juice, lime juice, horseradish, Lea & Perrins, garlic powder, olive juice and hot sauce and process until smooth. Pour into glass pitcher.

Add celery salt and black pepper; adjust to taste. Fill glasses with ice and add vodka – add about an ounce. Top off with your Bloody Mary mixture. Stir. Garnish.

Patio Punch

Serves 10-12

• 2 cups Tres Generaciones silver tequila
• 1 cup Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao orange liqueur
• ½ gallon orange sherbet
• 2 liters ginger ale
• 6 oz. frozen orange juice concentrate
• orange slices for garnish

DIRECTIONS

Place the orange sherbet and frozen orange juice concentrate in a large punch bowl and allow them to thaw for about 10 to 15 minutes.

Once it has thawed, stir in the ginger ale, tequila, and orange liqueur. When serving, garnish the glass with the orange slice.

Island Paradise

Serves 8-10

• 3 cups of Patron Silver Tequila
• 1 cup of Grand Marnier
• 4 cups of peach juice

DIRECTIONS

Combine all ingredients in a large pitcher and mix thoroughly. Let chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours prior to serving.

Serve in a chilled flute or large martini glass. Garnish with three maraschino cherries on skewer.

Yellow Submarine

Serves 8-10

• 3 cups Citadelle Gin
• 3 cups grapefruit juice
• 1 cup St. Germain
• 1 cup Agalima Sweet N Sour

DIRECTIONS

In a large pitcher, combine all ingredients and stir until combined. Serve in a well-chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a slice of grapefruit and sprig of rosemary (optional).

These recipes can give you a leg up on planning that next get together on the patio and may even spark a few more ideas.

All these recipes can go great with grilling while the master griller is cooking up great meals for everyone. If you need more ideas, or would like help upsizing your favorite cocktail to batch size, you can always ask any of our celebration experts. Cheers!

No one wants bugs ruining their afternoon outside, so here are some ideas for plants to use as a centerpiece to help keep them away.

Sweet Basil – With their fluffy and fragrant green leaves, this plant will not only give off a strong bug repelling scent, it will double as an attractive centerpiece as well. Pick up a few at your local nursery, put them in a pot or bowl and set them in the center of your table.

Marigolds – In a pot or planted in beds around outdoor entertaining areas, marigolds will repel mosquitoes and other insects. The active ingredient in many insect repellents is derived from these pretty little flowers.

Mint – Everyone should have some mint growing. It’s a great ingredient for many summer cocktails and desserts. Bonus: If you or a guest is bitten by a mosquito – pinch off a leaf, crush it up in your hand, and rub the oils on the bite. For most, it will begin to soothe immediately.

Sage/Rosemary – Are you having a fire or grilling on coals? Throw a few bunches of either herb on your fire or grill (once done grilling). The scented smoke will keep the pesky little bugs away from the party.