{"id":28596,"date":"2023-07-28T16:39:51","date_gmt":"2023-07-28T16:39:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2023\/07\/28\/steal-this-summer-cocktail-party-menu\/"},"modified":"2023-07-28T16:39:51","modified_gmt":"2023-07-28T16:39:51","slug":"steal-this-summer-cocktail-party-menu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2023\/07\/28\/steal-this-summer-cocktail-party-menu\/","title":{"rendered":"Steal This Summer Cocktail Party Menu"},"content":{"rendered":"


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This summer, we introduced around 250 new styles of glassware<\/a> to our Shop<\/a>. (Maybe you\u2019ve introduced some to your home, too?) With such gorgeous vessels for cocktails coming through our brand-new Brooklyn HQ, we decided to break in the space and have some fun while capturing these glasses in action. So, naturally, we invited a few of our local Food52 community members over for a cocktail party and photoshoot.<\/p>\n

The event was a chance for us to meet some of our Food52ers in real life, give them a tour of our 21,000-square-foot space in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, and of course, take pictures of our guests trying out our newest coupes, highballs, and tumblers. \u201cThat human element adds so much,\u201d said our Art Director Molly FitzSimons. \u201cIt brings a shot to life, literally.\u201d<\/p>\n

The shoot also gave us a good excuse to sample cocktails made by our newest resident cocktail expert, Harper Fendler<\/a>, who flew in from Maine for the event. Food52 Founder Amanda Hesser even stopped by during her latest episode of Amanda\u2019s Founder Files<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n

Using Harper\u2019s pro tips, plus our playlist, recipes, and glassware recommendations, we invite you to steal some of these ideas for your next cocktail party<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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\n From left, Amanda Hesser, Bridgett Lindsey, Duncan Fitzpatrick, Harper Fendler, and Elizabeth Lande. <\/span><\/p>\n

Photo by Mark Weinberg<\/span>
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First, it\u2019s all about setting the right vibe for your cocktail party. Our Studio Assistant Elvin Abril curated a perfect playlist<\/a> heavy on \u201970s and \u201980s classics that you\u2019re welcome to use as your own. Once the playlist is queued up, you\u2019re ready to begin!<\/p>\n

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\n From left, the Bourbon Strawberry Spritz, The Last Word, Blackberry Mint Sparkler, and Queens Park Swizzle.<\/span><\/p>\n

Photo by Mark Weinberg<\/span>
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Harper selected four drinks\u2014two that he developed, plus two classic cocktails. Here is how he paired them with our glassware:<\/p>\n

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Photo by Mark Weinberg<\/span>
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Our Senior Food Stylist Anna Billingskog assembled a beautiful cheese board<\/a> and prepared a summery menu of small bites including:<\/p>\n

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Photo by Mark Weinberg<\/span>
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The Ice Breaker<\/strong><\/h5>\n

To crush ice for a cocktail like the swizzle, Harper recommends wrapping cubes in a kitchen towel, not a plastic bag that can break. Then go to town and smack the ice with a rolling pin, reserving a little ice to pile on top like a snow cone. Don\u2019t worry if you\u2019re too busy hosting your party to pulverize ice for every drink\u2014this is an easy-to-explain chore that you can hand off to a guest who is eager to help.<\/p>\n

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Don’t Over Muddle<\/strong><\/h5>\n

You\u2019ve likely sipped many cocktails with herbaceous bits of mint or basil floating in them, but that kind of aggressive muddling isn\u2019t necessary (or even appealing). For Harper\u2019s blackberry mint sparkler, you just shake the basil and mint with the ice to express those flavors\u2014no muddling required. You can also release an herb\u2019s fragrance just by slapping the leaves against your hand. (Slapping and rubbing the leaves between your palms will only spread the essence in your hands, not the drink.) To coax the notes of mint into the Queens Park swizzle, he places the leaves in the base of the glass together with the simple syrup and lightly taps them with a muddler rather than pounding them to pieces. Harper reached for the French rolling pin that happened to be on hand after crushing the ice, but you can use a normal muddler at home!<\/p>\n

Stations, Please<\/strong><\/h5>\n

If you\u2019re going to serve multiple drinks, create stations for each one. Also, make the assembly easy by batching drinks ahead of time and setting out garnishes for guests to DIY. That way not everyone is crowding over the same spot, and, said Harper, \u201cit keeps you from being the designated drink maker.\u201d<\/p>\n

Say hello to our first community members to visit our new home in the Brooklyn Navy Yard:<\/p>\n

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Elizabeth Lande<\/a>, Food52 community member since 2018<\/strong><\/p>\n

What do you do?<\/strong> My passion is acting, but I do real estate.<\/p>\n

Your favorite cocktail or mocktail:<\/strong> I think a really good margarita<\/a> goes a long way.<\/p>\n

Your favorite drink from the shoot:<\/strong> The Last Word<\/a>. It was really unusual and complex and it had ingredients I\u2019d never had before. And it didn\u2019t look difficult to make.<\/p>\n

The best tip that you learned from Harper:<\/strong> Not to be worried about being daring with your drinks. He\u2019s not afraid to mix things up a bit. I learned to have more fun with it and be creative.<\/p>\n

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\n The playful Zafferano Perle glasses Elizabeth loved.<\/span><\/p>\n

Photo by Mark Weinberg<\/span>
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Your favorite snack from the shoot:<\/strong> That\u2019s easy: the furikake Chex mix<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Your favorite glassware from the event<\/strong>: The first one [the Estelle Sunday Collection Lowball]<\/a>. I thought that was really beautiful. Then someone handed me a really fun blue glass with white spots on it [the Zafferano Perle Tumbler]<\/a>. I thought this would be great to have in your house in many different colors. It was colorful and didn\u2019t take itself too seriously.<\/p>\n

Your favorite Food52 purchase:<\/strong> The bread basket that I love [The Guzzini Recycled Tierra Bread Box]<\/a>, the one with the wood top. It\u2019s so beautiful and well designed and useful. The lid is a cutting board when you flip it over.<\/p>\n

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Bridgett Lindsey<\/a>, Food52 community member since 2015 (though she began reading Food52 in 2010)<\/strong><\/p>\n

What do you do?<\/strong> My passions are food and travel, and if I could have a job where I combined the two, I would. I work for a communications and marketing agency.<\/p>\n

Your favorite cocktail:<\/strong> Caipirinha<\/a>, my all-time favorite cocktail.<\/p>\n

Your favorite cocktail from the shoot:<\/strong> I\u2019m torn between the mocktail<\/a> and the Last Word<\/a>\u2014it was surprisingly refreshing and so flavorful.<\/p>\n

Best tip that you learned from Harper:<\/strong> The muddling. I\u2019ve been doing it wrong all this time. You don\u2019t have to smash it. I learned so much in such a short period of time, how you release the flavors of things in a certain way.<\/p>\n

Your favorite snack:<\/strong> The Chex mix.<\/p>\n

Your favorite glassware:<\/strong> The mocktail glassware<\/a>. I love the scalloped edge. The Shop<\/a> is so well curated, but it\u2019s curated to be functional. I\u2019m always finding something new and it never seems out of reach or too precious. (See all of Bridgett\u2019s favorite glassware from the shoot.)<\/a><\/p>\n

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Duncan Fitzpatrick<\/a>, Food52 community member since 2021<\/strong><\/p>\n

What do you do?<\/strong> I am a food stylist and chef. My passion is food. Cooking it, serving it to loved ones and friends, and last but not least, eating it.<\/p>\n

Favorite cocktail:<\/strong> A Negroni<\/a>. Any kind, type, or variation. I love them all!<\/p>\n

Favorite cocktail from the shoot:<\/strong> Bourbon Strawberry Spritz<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Best tip that you learned from Harper:<\/strong> Muddling mint into the syrup first before adding the rest of the cocktail ingredients. That way the flavor infuses with the whole drink.<\/p>\n

Favorite snack:<\/strong> I LOVED the Chex mix!<\/p>\n

Favorite glass:<\/strong> The coupe<\/a>\u2014they always elevate a cocktail.<\/p>\n

Your favorite Food52 recipes:<\/strong> During the pandemic it was the no-knead sourdough bread<\/a>. But nowadays, I\u2019m a sucker for the Rao\u2019s Meatballs<\/a> recipe and my wife loves the simple brine for pork chops<\/a>\u2014we have it almost every week.<\/p>\n

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\nWhich of these cocktails do you think you’ll be making? Let us know below!<\/em>
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