Time for a Summer Cocktail Party!
Get the party started with our favorite cocktails, appetizers & cocktail party playlists!
According to our sources, the heat is rising and the dog days of summer are upon us. So it’s time to ring up your best Judy and throw a good old-fashioned Summer Cocktail Party!
Here are some cocktail party playlists, unique cocktails and scrumptious appetizers to dazzle your guests!
R&R’s Cocktail Party Playlist #1: Summer Cocktail Hour
Retro Space Age Exotica. The perfect Tiki bar soundtrack for lounging around the pool.
Cocktail #1: Ryan Wildstar’s “The Bouzo” (Ouzo, Blood Orange Juice, Black Currant Juice & Brown Sugar Simple Syrup)
1/2 cup of ouzo
2 freshly-squeezed blood oranges
2 ounces of black currant juice
1 tbsp of brown sugar simple syrup
A splash of grapefruit juice
Lemon wedge garnish
This recipe serves two people (or one very thirsty person). You can fill a shaker full of ice and mix all of the ingredients in the shaker and serve it up in a martini glass. Or you can fill a highball glass with ice and layer the ingredients one by one, finishing the mixture off with a quick stir of a bar spoon and a splash of grapefruit juice.
Appetizer #1: Chifteluțe de Ciuperci (Romanian Fried Mushroom Balls)
For a great recipe, watch the video below!
R&R’s Cocktail Party Playlist #2: Piano Cocktails
Cool Piano Jazz & Smoky Torch Songs. The perfect soundtrack for highballs on the veranda with the sophisticated set.
Cocktail #2: Ryan Wildstar’s “Old Bitter Nuts” (Walnut Raki & Rosso Bitters)
3 ounces of walnut Raki (or any walnut brandy or whiskey)
San Benedetto Rosso Bitters (or any red, sparkling non-alcoholic bitters)
Orange peel garnish
Sugar-rimmed tumbler with ice
This recipe is for one cocktail and couldn’t be easier to make. Sugar the rim of a tumbler and fill it with ice. Pour three ounces of walnut raki over the ice, top with San Benedetto Rosso Bitters, stir and serve with an orange peel garnish. Voilà!
Appetizer #2: Rumaki (A Classic Tiki Hors d’oeuvre!)
Click here for a great recipe!
R&R’s Cocktail Party Playlist #3: Suddenly Last Summer
Eclectic Mix of 70s/80s Rock & Pop. The perfect soundtrack of hot summer-themed songs to help survive the next heatwave.
Cocktail #3: Refreshing Tsipouro Cocktail (Tsipouro, Fresh Cucumber & Lime Juice)
Click here for the recipe!
Appetizer #3: Ryan Wildstar’s Homemade Tzatziki (Greek Yogurt, Cucumber & Garlic Dip)
Click here for Ryan Wildstar’s recipe!
R&R’s Cocktail Party Playlist #4: Le Queen
Queer Dance Club Hits from the Turn-of-the-Millennium. The perfect soundtrack to turn your cocktail party into a dance party! (Fog machine optional.)
Need More Cocktail Ideas? Check out our bookshelf of recommended cocktail books at The Epicurean Vagabonds Bookshop at Bookshop.org!
