TIP OF THE DAY: Bloody Mary Drink Bar & Snacks Bar
 Here’s how we’d customize a spicy Bloody Mary. Photo courtesy Arch Rock Fish Restaurant | San Diego. |
This has been a week of food bar suggestions for entertaining:
FOOD BAR IDEAS: BLOODY MARY BAR You have to think twice about a “mix your own” cocktail bar. Guests tend to over-pour, using too much liquor with resulting tipsiness, mess and expense. You have to “limit the exposure.” Instead, pre-mix the drinks in three versions: regular, spicy and virgin. Pre-rim the glasses with seasoned salt (see photo). The guests get to customize their garnishes. The most versatile cocktail to do this with is the Bloody Mary. |
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Garnish with: Provide condiments for those who want to amp up the cracked pepper, horseradish, hot sauce and/or Worcestershire sauce. A lemonade bar can appeal to kids and adults—especially when adults have the opportunity to add a shot to their drinks. In contrast to our earlier advice about letting people “mix their own,” this is a controlled situation where, at the end of the bar, people can add an optional shot. (Be sure to provide shot glasses for portion control.) Lemonade isn’t just for summer: Lemons are plentiful year-round, and lemonade fits in wherever cold drinks are served. Provide pitchers of both sweetened and unsweetened lemonade, so those who prefer noncaloric or low-glycemic sweeteners can sweeten their own. Or, you can make all of the lemonade unsweetened, and provide different syrups (with pumps!): simple syrup and two fruit-flavored syrups. |
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While lemonade is more versatile for customizing, an iced tea bar can work just as well. Provide pitchers of brewed, unsweetened black, green, herbal and flavored iced teas with your choice of fixings from the Lemonade Bar menu, above. |
 Customized peach lemonade. Photo courtesy Stasty.com. |
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Yes, do include lemonade for those Arnold Palmers! How about some snacks with those drinks? Create a customize-your-own-snack bar. |
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