Cocktails on the Go.
Photo in Kara Newman’s, Road Soda..
Over Labor Day weekend, most of us will be united (for once!) in our mission to squeeze the last fun out of summer before its unofficial end on Tuesday. This may mean a barbecue or a long pool session or a trip to the beach or a picnic or a baseball game--really, anything outdoors under the final gasps of the summer sun. And if you’re like us, it definitely means adult beverages, especially cocktails.
Pros at cocktails on the go (its our raison d’etre, after all!), we’ve got some tips on how to bring the party--and cocktails--with you. But maybe our advice is unnecessary, given that you yourselves may have become pros now, too, having had to adapt to the reality of limited bar options during this summer of COVID-19.
Nevertheless, we’ll proceed with our tips.
An easy option for procuring cocktails for your outdoor Labor Day gathering is ordering takeout cocktails from your favorite watering hole. This approach is not only easy, but also vital, as many restaurants and bars are really struggling due to the ongoing restrictions on indoor dining. Many are not going to make it. In fact, a survey by the New York Restaurant Association grimly indicates that over 60 percent of restaurants in the state could close by year’s end. Supporting your local establishments can help those in your own state avoid this sad fate.
If your state or favorite spot doesn’t allow for takeaway drinks or if you have made a commitment to reducing all that waste associated with takeout, it will be up to you to make and bring the cocktails.
Here’s what I do. I certainly have had practice this summer!
Opt for premade cocktails: Since you really can’t bring your bar with you, the one that you’ve been building up during COVID-19, to the park or wherever to shake or stir cocktails to order, select a seasonal concoction or two to make at home and take with you. For recipe ideas, consult Kara Newman’s, Road Soda: Recipes and Techniques for Making Great Drinks Anywhere.” Another source for summer tipples is a New York Times article from 2011, “Summer Cocktails Made Simpler.” Every year, I return to these innovative and refreshing drinks.
Prebatch the cocktails at home: Now that you have selected a recipe or two, multiply the quantities by the number of people who will be sipping what you’ve created. For instance, if a spec calls for 2 oz of gin and you plan to serve your drink to five people, measure 10 oz of gin. This is what folks in the bar industry call prebatching. Just don’t mix in the garnish yet. Carry it separately, and wait to add it to each drink at the party. For tips on prebatching, check out another of Kara’s books, Cocktails for a Crowd: More Than 40 Recipes for Making Popular Drinks in Party-Pleasing Batches.
Ignore the cocktail shaker, but not the water: If your chosen drink is a shaken one, you don’t need to go through the trouble of shaking five (or more) portions. You can simply combine the ingredients in a pitcher or another vessel and give a good stir. What you do need to do is replicate the dilution created by shaking the ingredients with ice, as the ice not only chills the liquid but also desirably weakens it. Here’s an easy way to accomplish this, as explained by bartender Jason Asher in Kara’s book, Cocktails for a Crowd: “Count up all the ounces in the drink, and add 25 percent water.”
Keep things cold: Cocktail by definition should be icy. If they’re not, they are just a sad, desperate combination of lukewarm ingredients, not at all suitable for a festive party. You definitely don’t want that. What you do want to do is make sure your prebatched cocktail is icy cold. This means storing it in the fridge or even in the freeze before transporting it to your gathering. This also means securing ice for the party site to add to guests’ glasses.
Ensure the prebatched drink arrives safe and cold at the party: A pitcher or a punch bowl is a lovely way to serve cocktails for a crowd, but they are not so good for transportation if you want all portions of your drink to arrive without spilling. You’ll need something that’s sealed well and if possible, that keeps the drink cold. A big thermos works. Or a beer growler placed in a cooler. My party trick is to carry my drink in a 40 oz stainless steel flask. It makes quite the impression!
Drink from unbreakable, reusable cups: Broken glass is dangerous (summertime bare feet!), and plastic pollution harmful to the environment, so provide reusable cups or ask guests to bring their own. Same goes for straws.
Make a toast and enjoy!: These are certainly odd, worrying, and heartbreaking times, but there is still much to be thankful for, especially the friends and family with whom we are gathering at this final fling of summer. Make a toast and bid summer adieu.
Stay safe and healthy and enjoy these final days of summer!