Best drink refreshments for a barbecue and/or bonfire?

[Coidzor]

My thoughts turn towards beverages and mixed drinks as the date approaches for my party this Friday.

I was wondering what you all might suggest in regards to what to offer as host.

Right now I'm thinking about making some pineappleade with the possibility of rum on the side alongside pitchers of sweet tea and lemonade and some soft drinks of course.

Mostly though, I found this book of recipes that had a chapter on beverages in it, which pleased me and got the cogs in my brain turning. Especially the watermelon cooler and horchata recipes. Though hibiscus iced tea looks... @_@ just wow.

Edit:
Soft drinks I haz:
Cherry 7-Up
Pepsi Cola. Diet and Non.
PURPLE DRANK (aka, Grape Soda)
Orange Drank (aka Orange Soda)
A&W Root Beer & generic root beer too, both diet and regular
Cherry RC cola (It's... kinda a southern thing. x.x)
Some variety of Hawaiian punch too. Is... uh... red...with citrus involved.


Soft drink I plan to acquire:
Coca-Cola(?)
Ginger Ale
Soda water
Sprite


But, yeah, right now it's BYOB, but since I was considering making some drinks anyway that could be good with a splash of rum or wodka, I became curious and as I said, cogs in the brain, a-turning.

Edit2: Plus, I did find some punch bowls and pitchers, so, like, actually have the ability to do something more interesting. Can't find my blender though, so I'll prolly run by goodwill for one and clean it out.

[Capt Spanner]

1 part Pimms, 9 parts lemonade, with strawberries, orange/lemon slices and mint leaves floating in the top.

[Dallas-Dakota]

Always have (preferably cool) water, if you're hosting and you're serving alcoholic drinks.

I don't know about over there, but here, Baco(Bacardi + cola) is a pretty popular mixed drink. I'd give more advice, but I'm not much of a mixed drink man.

[The Succubus]

Hmmmm.

From the choices listed, you have quite a wide selection of sweet drinks there - you need something with crisper taste to it. Plenty of ice can help in this regard and some good quality lemonade with ice is good way to cool off and clear your taste buds for something different.

The pineappleade sounds interesting. Also, if you go with Capt Spanner's suggestion and have a few mint leaves and some rum floating around, could make a pitcher of moijito (spell failure). Make sure you find a good recipe for it - one *without* coke in.

[Capt Spanner]

... could make a pitcher of moijito (spell failure).

Was that an arcane or divine spell?

I've just noticed you don't have any actual beer. Will you be providing is it "BYOB"?

[Iruka]

I second the water, some people don't like sweet drinks with their grilled stuff.
And make sure you can provide enough ice for the drinks, whatever they are.
You listed no beer, is that intentional?

The most are popular mixed drinks at partys I go to are usually Cuba Libre and Caipirinha.

[rakkoon]

Hmm, we usually put some bottles of wine on the table and call it a day.
Much faster than making mixed drinks :smallsmile:
Though if you're going for that, ice is essential.
Take a heap of ice blocks, put them in a bag and go nuts with a hammer.
Presto : crushed ice for everyone!

Also Mochito!

[Dallas-Dakota]

Well it was mainly because water is one of the few drinks that will lessen your thirst and give you much needed fluids, since the alcohol will dehydrate you.

[The Succubus]

Was that an arcane or divine spell?

I've just noticed you don't have any actual beer. Will you be providing is it "BYOB"?

Made properly, it's definitely a divine spell. :smallbiggrin:

[Doc Leech]

There is a noticeable lack of delicious, delicious vodka... this, sir, is a potential disaster! And don't forget that most divine of mixers, redbull (though that can get awful expensive in a hurry).

Also, even though I hardly ever drink beer, you can't have one of these shindigs without some Red Stripe! Tis the law, I believe.

[Coidzor]

^: Re: Vodka, I'm probably going to have a handle, maybe 2... It's about 15 people and I'm not quite sure who is going to actually be partaking as of now. I'm more of a "mixed drinks? Rum!" kind of thinker, but several peeps have a strange dislike for rum even in mixed drinks, so vodka's the least objectionable route anyway.
I second the water, some people don't like sweet drinks with their grilled stuff.
And make sure you can provide enough ice for the drinks, whatever they are.
You listed no beer, is that intentional?

Well, I'm going to have 3 freezers (1 full size, 2 as part of a refrigerator) so, ice is not going to be a problem. Water for purposes of hydration is also a non-issue unless they can't stand the taste of it from the tap or the filter.

I'm not a beer drinker at the moment, mostly because I need to get to work on sampling more so I can find what I like. So, basically I don't feel qualified to make a beer available, also, mostly the mixed drinks have caught my imagination.

Of course, for future reference, beers to consider for this sort of thing would be good intel as well.

Hmm, what else could I add to the lineup that wouldn't be sweet? Or ask one of my co-conspirators to bring since I am taking care of the food already anyway.

[The Succubus]

Although I can't stand the stuff due to traumatic childhood memories involving anything with the word "ginger", ginger ale could be a good call. It's not sweet and could go well with a barbeque, especially if you have some good sauces for the meat.

[IonDragon]

Punch, Doctor Something, and Coke.
The recipe is as follows:
1 Part Generic Pineapple Soda
1 Part Generic Doctor Pepper Soda
2 Parts Cheap Rum (Captains is the brand of choice)
Stir, and server over ice.

Superglucose will vouch for it. You take 3 things that are mildly to moderately gross alone, mix them together and what do you get? Pure, liquid, alcoholic AWESOME.

[Mauve Shirt]

My friend's favorite punch recipe:
1 part Smirnoff
2 parts Cranberry Juice
2 parts Peach Schnapps
3 parts Ginger Ale

I'd have some diet and non-diet sodas there for those who don't drink.

[Keld Denar]

Mr Coidzor, given that you are from Oregon, I'd highly suggest some Ninkasi from Eugene or some Rogue from Portland, IIRC. I've had the IPAs from both, and they are delicious. Granted, IPAs are kinda an aquired taste, so maybe they wouldn't be for everyone. Still, you can seldom go wrong with either a blonde or a hefe, especially for outdoor summer consumption.

Good luck in your quest for delicious libation!

EDIT: Alternatively, a batch of Pink Panty Droppers usually went well at my fraternity. Get a big cooler, 3 lbs of ice, a dirty 30 of Busch Lite, 2 fifths of barnetts lemon (substitute other cheap lemon flavored vodka is barnetts isn't available), and 3 cans of 100% juice pink lemonaide concentrate. It sounds gross (lemonaide and beer? wtf?) but its one of those mysterious mysteries like Gin + Tonic that when combined, becomes something greater than the sum of the parts. I have yet to meet a female who drinks who doesn't like the taste of Pink Panty Droppers...

[Flickerdart]

Vodka. If the fire doesn't catch, pour it over the firewood, it'll help.

Ice tea is a good idea, and make sure to have some bottled water because there's always that one person that only drinks water.

[IonDragon]

It sounds gross (lemonaide and beer? wtf?) but its one of those mysterious mysteries like Gin + Tonic that when combined, becomes something greater than the sum of the parts. No, I can see that. Ginger ale and lemonade is quite refreshing, though not especially pleasant IMO alone.

[purple gelatinous cube o' Doom]

It sounds gross (lemonaide and beer? wtf?)

And yet, that's what shandy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shandy#Shandy) is. I personally like it, and it's a nice refreshing summer drink.

As for your beer predicament. I highly suggest you get beer for your shindig, as odds are it will be a popular drink if available. As for you not knowing much about beer, we here on the playground could answer some questions you would have about the subject. Or, you could go down to your local liquor store, explain the situation to them, and I'm I'd be willing to bet that there's someone there that would be happy to help you out.

[SpiderMew]

Screw Pepsi, only get coke...

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y214/SpiderMew/OtherImages/coca-cola-x-ray.jpg
I love coke

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Carton of lime sherbert. Float in 1 thing ginger ale, 1 thing sprite, 1 pineapple juice.

Good stuff. Very refreshing.


I have yet to meet a female who drinks who doesn't like the taste of Pink Panty Droppers...
I don't drink, but there is just something incredible in that simple sentence :smallamused:

[Dr. Bath]

OH GAWD SPIDERMEW, jegus chris and now the polis are involved.

Anyway.

Pimms Pimms Pimms O'clock. It sure is delcious.

If you're looking for some tasty, refreshing beers at all: Tiger beer is really quite nice, if you can get your hands on it.

On the topic of rum; make sure it is at least pretty good rum. Even the sweetest mixer can't hide the foul taste of bad rum (malibu I'm looking at you)

[valadil]

I'm not a beer drinker at the moment, mostly because I need to get to work on sampling more so I can find what I like. So, basically I don't feel qualified to make a beer available, also, mostly the mixed drinks have caught my imagination.

Of course, for future reference, beers to consider for this sort of thing would be good intel as well.

I too highly suggest beer. I don't know why, but it's more BBQ friendly than hard liquor.

Sam Adams is your standard decent beer. Microbrews and whatnot will have more interesting stuff, but you can find Sam just about anywhere and beer snobs won't complain about it. Their Summer Ale is usually tasty (though last year's was better). I also really enjoyed their Blackberry Witbier, but I'm not sure if it's still around. It's got a bit of fruity sweetness to it, but not so much that it tastes like a soda.

Lately I've also been enjoying Sierra Nevada. Their hefeweizen is particularly tasty. It's somehow light and flavorful at the same time. Haven't tried too many other flavors yet though.

[Pocketa]

I only know nonalcoholic drinks.

Shirley Temple -

Grenadine and 7up, 7up is really the superior Shirley Temple soda, not Sprite. If grenadine is unavailable, the sauce from Maraschino cherries suffices, but grenadine is so much more delicious.

Traffic light -

Shot of raspberry syrup, orange juice, topped with a shot of lime syrup.

Arnold Palmer = Iced tea + lemonade.

I like mixing cranberry juice and ginger-ale, ginger-ale and orange juice is also delicious.

I'd definitely provide water, because people could also weaken the juices if necessary. Go for 100% juice, no sugar added. Sugar-added juice tastes weird, at least to me.

Speaking of which, where's my invitation, Coidzy? :p

[The Succubus]

OH GAWD SPIDERMEW, jegus chris and now the polis are involved.

Anyway.

Pimms Pimms Pimms O'clock. It sure is delcious.

If you're looking for some tasty, refreshing beers at all: Tiger beer is really quite nice, if you can get your hands on it.

On the topic of rum; make sure it is at least pretty good rum. Even the sweetest mixer can't hide the foul taste of bad rum (malibu I'm looking at you)

Malibu isn't a rum, neither is that foul poison known as Barcardi. I usually go with a dark rum like Navy's or Captain Morgan. Havana Club is nice but pricey.

[Jokasti]

Arnold Palmer.

[SpiderMew]

OH GAWD SPIDERMEW, jegus chris and now the polis are involved.



How does this involve ancient Greek city-states? (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polis)

[mangosta71]

I made some punch that went over very well here at work (non-alcoholic because 1) it's illegal to have alcohol on federal property and 2) I don't drink anyway):

1 gallon cranberry juice
2L ginger ale
1 pint pineapple sherbet
1 can frozen lemonade concentrate (I forget if it was a 12 or 16 oz can)

It's a little sweet, a little tart, a lot of delicious. A friend said she was going to take my recipe and add vodka, but I never heard back from her how that went.

If you don't mind mixing it up frequently during the party, or have a way of keeping a lot of it cool, Orange Julius has many forms and it's another good cold, sweet-but-not-too-sweet beverage.

[Mr. Mud]

Arnold Palmer = Iced tea + lemonade.

Well the original Arnold Palmer was beer and lemonade if memory suffices, however Arizona Iced Tea brand has some delicious things, if you can get your hands on some.

Mucho Mango is the best, IMO.

[TheThan]

For soda pop I would suggest a mixture of types of drink, for straight cola, Pepsi or coke is fine, just find out which one the majority of your guest’s perfers, as some places Coke is more popular than Pepsi, and vice versa. Also I would suggest rootbeer, some form of “uncola”, like sprite or seven up, it’s much lighter than regular cola and a bit refreshing. Mountain dew is popular amongst my group of friends so we always have a lot of that. everything else is as you see fit. Also I recommend some sun tea and some lemonade.

I’m not much of a boozer so I’m not really qualified to answer the question with regards to alcohol.

[Dr. Bath]

If you want some non-alcoholic refreshments, can't go wrong with Elderflower cordial. All hells cheap and super delicious. If dilute enough it will also clean the palate slightly for chowing down on meat.

[Coidzor]

Speaking of which, where's my invitation, Coidzy? :p

Well, I didn't think you'd be able to make it to the secret mountain hideout in time what with your coastal engagements.

Getting a lot of food for thought, thank you everyone. :smallbiggrin:

Also, I completely agree with you there, Vorpal Tribble.

[Mr. Mud]

Master Coid, you need to get a bowl of Take 5's. It's not your choice. You have to :smalltongue:.

[Coidzor]

Master Coid, you need to get a bowl of Take 5's. It's not your choice. You have to :smalltongue:.

Bah, where would I find snack-size take 5s to fill a bowl with? ...Because that would be awesome.

Otherwise I'd just eat them all before the party. :smalltongue: Well, maybe if you were coming I'd be able to resist nomming them long enough for others to have 'em. But that's mostly because you could probably take me apart as well as a black barr.

[Cespenar]

This one is a little tricky to make, but (:smalltongue:), prepare green tea, let it cool and mix it 50-50 with lemonade, add some fresh mint leaves, and of course, lots of ice. Good summer refresher.

[TooManyBadgers]

I'm pretty sure it's illegal to have a barbecue without beer.

Aren't both Deschutes and Rogue based in Oregon? I can't speak for the less widely-distributed Oregon breweries, but it's hard to go wrong with either of those.

[Coidzor]

I'm pretty sure it's illegal to have a barbecue without beer.

Aren't both Deschutes and Rogue based in Oregon? I can't speak for the less widely-distributed Oregon breweries, but it's hard to go wrong with either of those.

I know Rogue is, and I believe it's based in Newport, specifically. Just had some of their Dead Guy Ale last week, actually.

Thing is, I'm not actually technically so much in Oregon right now so much. It was a pleasant surprise to find Rogue in the local um... liquor uberstore, I guess would be how to refer to it.