Summer is reason enough to throw a celebration. But when the run of the mill backyard BBQ or dinner party gets old—head to Spec’s and breathe new life into your summer festivities with one of these ideas!
Tiki/Luau Party
Turn your backyard into a tropical oasis! Top the tropical cocktails with drink umbrellas, hang some paper party lanterns and set up a tiki bar to serve your guests refreshing drinks. Don’t forget the leis! Some menu ideas include Hawaiian pork with papaya and avocado salads, or coconut lime shrimp kabobs.
Serve your guests a creative luau cocktail like:
The Banana Hammock
Ingredients
- 1 oz Captain Morgan Loconut
- ½ oz Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum
- ½ oz banana liqueur
- ½ fresh banana, peeled
- Ground cinnamon for garnish
Directions
- Combine all ingredients except cinnamon in a blender. Add ice and blend until smooth.
- Serve in a tall glass and garnish with cinnamon.
Tea Party
A garden tea party is a classy way to gather your friends for a summer afternoon. Add some summer flowers in a table vase or two and sprinkle petals over the tablecloth for some extra elegance. Serve your teas with an assortment of scones and cookies.
S’mores/Camping Party
Recreate the fun of those childhood family camping trips! Turn your backyard into a campground with a few tents or tarps and refreshment tables. Set up a fire pit and let your guests roast marshmallows. S’mores aren’t just for kids, you know! These chocolatey, gooey marshmallow goodies can be enjoyed with any number of adult beverages that complement their flavor. S’mores pair well with a tawny Port, a Michigan raspberry wine, Chilean Cabernet, chocolate/coffee imperial stout or an Irish coffee.
Watermelon Keg Party
Watermelon is a quintessential summer fruit, and makes for a creative keg filled with your favorite fruit punch. You can find a watermelon keg tapping kit here. And tapping the melon itself isn’t as hard as it may seem.
Fondue Party
A fun way to class the party up. Start off with the melted cheese course. A traditional cheese fondue recipe combines Emmentaler and Gruyère cheeses for a rich, flavorful fondue. As an alternate, you could do a beer and cheese with mini dipped pretzel bites or pimento cheese dip with dipping bell peppers, celery or crunchy corn chips.
Next is the main course. Traditionally, this will be pieces of raw or par-cooked vegetables and sliced raw meats or seafood, all of which get cooked in either hot oil or a flavorful broth. A pot of sputtering hot oil on your dinner table can be a little intimidating so if you’re nervous at all, opt for a broth version instead. This lemongrass fondue broth is perfect for putting a Thai twist on your fondue main course.
Now for dessert—chocolate! It isn’t as simple as melted chocolate alone though, it requires a little more to prevent things from solidifying. Some chocolate fondue recipes add cream to the melted chocolate while others add evaporated milk to make things smooth and extra creamy.
Be sure you’re supplied with a high quality fondue set. We recommend this Swissmar Arosa Fondue Set.
Grown-Up Lemonade Stand
Set up a grown-up lemonade stand with some cold glass pitchers of adult lemonade. Throw in some fresh flowers and a hand painted sign, along with a bucket of ice-cold beer. Your guests will be lingering by it throughout the whole party!
Spiked Pink Lemonade Pitcher
Ingredients
- 12 oz vodka
- 6 cups club soda
- 2 cups cranberry juice
- 6 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp pink lemonade powdered drink mix
- 8 sweetener packets
- Lemon slices for garnish
Directions
- Stir all ingredients in a pitcher. Serve over ice and garnish with lemon slices.
Summer is in full swing, so go soak up some sun and be sure to stop by your nearest Spec’s for the suds!
