Beverages are an integral part of every gathering. We all have to hydrate! Sometimes food is spicey and you want to quench the fire, too! At casual gatherings it is certainly functional to put ready to drink cansand bottles of water, seltzers, beer and wine in tubs on a table or around the yard – that works and serves a purpose. But how about creating something that will spark some interest and appeal to our senses beyond the need to quench thirst? I recommend making some drinks and putting them in beverage dispensers as they are visually appealing, colorful and interesting as everyone will want to know, “what’s that?”
We have had great success making infused waters for parties as not only a refresher but an interesting non alcoholic alternative for guests. It is fun to make them with seasonally appropriate fruits, too such as blueberries, strawberries and watermelon, and incorporating summer herbs from your garden like basil, rosemary or mint. You could make a citrus one with lemons, limes oranges or grapefruit. And there is the ever- favorite Cool Cucumber can be mixed with mint or basil, too. Use what you have handy, and remember it is a nice balance to add an herb as it will completely change the outcome.
Now that we are moving to fall, Cider is a great beverage to add some fall spice and easy to serve in a dispenser either hot (warm) or cold. Refreshing and delicious either way.
Premade cocktails can also be served creatively appealing in a dispenser. The classic is Sangria which can be made with Red Wine for the Classic, but also Rose and White wine can also make delicious sangrias or spritzers to be refreshing, seasonally appropriate and visually appealing.Last year we made a sangria for a Halloween party and were able to float food safe eyeballs in the jug! There is prep involved, so be sure to budget some time to get the ingredients, prepare them- cut them, then assemble. Keep extra ingredients on hand to make refills, but once completed, it can stand alone until it needs to be refilled!
Many other traditional cocktails lend themselves to being premade and served in a dispenser allowing artistic license to be creative with the ingredients such as Margaritas, Cosmos, Fruit punches and variations of lemonade and iced tea combinations to suit your mood. Be creative and have some fun! Events by Marylee has a number of recipes on hand to inspire you.
The dispensers themselves can also add to the visual appeal. If you don’t have one, I bet a friend or neighbor does, or you can peruse the aisles at Home Goods or Marshalls, try Target or Walmart, too. Or the ever-present and reliable Amazon does not disappoint in helping you find just the right size or price point. I found this review of a number of popular options you can check out here from Food and Wine.
Of course, dispensers can be self-serve, but to really elevate your event, allow our team to offer some hospitality and service with a smile. You may have to do some calculations to figure out how to scale up recipes. If you are unsure, feel free to reach out to our team and we are happy to assist you. Events by Marylee has quantities lists to help you know how much to buy for your sized party, too, as well as other lists of helpful hints and list of items to have on hand to make your event organized and stress free.