Top 10 Drinks for a Garden Party (Including Non-Alcoholic)
2023 may not have seen the best of summers, but there have still been plenty of opportunities to get out and enjoy the sunshine. And at the time of writing, there’s still plenty of summer left to fit in a few garden parties and barbecues!
Make your next garden party more special by providing more for your guests to drink than a few cold lagers and a cheap prosecco from the supermarket. We like to remember the drinks we enjoyed on summer holidays in hot and exotic foreign climes, so here are some of the favourites we’ve brought back from our travels together with a couple of quintessential English drinks to try as well.
And whatever you do, you mustn’t forget the kids and non-drinkers, so we’ve suggested a few interesting non-alcoholic drinks for you to try, too!
Top 5 drinks for a garden party (alcoholic)
1. Sangria – a cold sangria can bring back memories of holidays spent at a Spanish resort. Best mixed in a jug in advance, it’s made with red wine, a variety of chopped fruit (oranges, lemons and apples are most commonly used, but feel free to use whatever you have to hand!) and a touch of brandy or dark rum to add an extra kick.
2. Piña Colada – this ever-popular drink actually originated in Puerto Rico, but its perfect combination of white rum, coconut and pineapple means that it’s the ideal tipple for anywhere in the Caribbean (or even an English garden!). Incidentally, there’s a non-alcoholic version as well – known as a Virgin Piña Colada – that misses out the rum and is – almost – as delicious.
3. Mojito – another favourite originally from the Caribbean that is perfect for a sunny summer’s day spent outside with friends and family. It’s so refreshing that its fame and popularity have spread far and wide from its Havana roots. You can make it by combining white rum, sugar, lime juice, soda water and mint, then finish off by garnishing it with mint leaves and lime wedges.
4. Pimm’s – you don’t get more English than a Pimm’s, which is one of only two staple drinks (the other being champagne) provided at some of the summer’s biggest outdoor events, including Wimbledon, the Henley Regatta and the Chelsea Flower Show. Best served with lemonade and fresh chopped fruit (e.g. apple, strawberry, lemon), cucumber and mint.
5. English Garden cocktail – what else would you serve at an English garden party other than an English Garden cocktail? Mix gin, elderflower cordial, apple juice and a squeeze of lemon for a thirst-quenching garden party drink that’s sure to be popular with your guests.
Top 5 drinks for a garden party (non-alcoholic)
1. Long Island iced tea – a traditional Long Island iced tea contains vodka, gin, rum, tequila and triple sec…but no actual tea! This delicious alcohol-free version combines English Breakfast tea with cider vinegar, ginger beer, lemon and mint and is guaranteed to make the younger members of the party feel ever so grown up!
2. Shirley Temple – the story goes that when Shirley Temple was at the peak of her fame as a child star in Hollywood, waiters at a posh restaurant made her a special cocktail so that she could feel as fancy as the grownups. It’s a simple but delicious combination of grenadine, lime juice and ginger ale, with a garnish of maraschino cherries.
3. Peach melba smoothie – this will go down well with kids of all ages on a summer’s day. Throw a tin of peach halves and some frozen raspberries into a blender with some orange juice and fresh custard and just whizz it all together. And yes, it really does taste as good as it sounds!
4. Carrot lemonade – if you want to give the kids something tasty and (comparatively) healthy, this variation on a summer favourite is a great choice. Grate some carrot and mix it in a bowl with orange juice, lemon juice and sugar. Leave to steep in the fridge for an hour, then sieve the mixture to remove the pulp, pour the liquid into your glass and top with sparkling water and ice. Yummy!
5. Spicy grapefruit ginger fruit – just because it’s alcohol-free, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s one for the kids! This spicy but tasty mocktail mixes grapefruit juice, lime juice, spicy ginger beer, fresh mint and some fresh jalapenos to give it a proper kick!
Apart from a great selection of drinks, no summer garden party is complete without a barbecue. We’re leading suppliers of BBQ fuel and BBQ charcoal for customers across the country, providing the perfect fuel for the perfect outdoor celebration or gathering.
And if you want to make your garden an even more welcoming place for your party, we also supply top-quality railway sleepers, compost and wood chip mulch that together can help turn your landscape into a truly special space.
Get in touch with the team at KG Smith & Son to find out more or order your BBQ fuel and garden and landscaping products online now.