BBQ & cocktails - catering for 30

loudmouth

I am having a bit of a do August bank holiday, It too had started off as a bbq and make your own cocktail. I have now changed it to make it simpler and do a huge vat of chilli and lasagne, (with veggie options) loads of french sticks and cheese, with a couple of gateau s from cash and carry. Inspired by something I found on this forum on what people do with empty jars, I am going to make the cocktails the morning of do and then people can help themselves. Just trying to save and scroung empty drink size jars.

Chuchi

Ahh more great ideas! Thanks so much guys!! It is actually a hen party and people are paying into a kitty. I'm just trying to get as much as I can for our money. Hadn't even thought about hulling the strawbs.. eton mess sounds like a good alternative and should be cheaper. The mary berry cake sounds interesting.. will have to google the recipe

So with the booze it keeps crossing my mind to do a bring your own. im envisaging perhaps splitting people into groups of 4 and challenging them to make the best cocktail.. perhaps 2 or 3 litres per team. That way I wont have to buy too much since I would ask them to bring their ingrediants.. but then we may just end up with loads of random stuff. Considering just making up the pitchers of 3 different types of cocktails.. nice simple ones that can be made up easily during the evening. Agree my quants are too low.. it's now just deciding what will be enough. I wasnt planning on supplying any wine - i hope this isnt considered rude - i guess i could always say bring your own wine if thats what you want to drink.

nuatha

Chuchi wrote: »

Considering just making up the pitchers of 3 different types of cocktails.. nice simple ones that can be made up easily during the evening. Agree my quants are too low.. it's now just deciding what will be enough. I wasnt planning on supplying any wine - i hope this isnt considered rude - i guess i could always say bring your own wine if thats what you want to drink.

Some simple cocktail recipes that would work for pitchers
Pimms
1 part Pimm's
3 parts Lemonade
Pour over slices of Apple, Lemon, Orange and Cucumber and ice cubes

70cl bottle Pimms to 2litres of lemonade
(2x 2litre jugs to serve)

Tequila Sunrise
1 part Tequila
3 parts Orange Juice

75cl Tequila to 2 litres of Orange juice
(2x 2litre jugs to serve)
Add a dash of Grenadine syrup as you serve (don't stir, this gives the red blush at the bottom of the glass)

Sex on the Beach
1 part Vodka
1 part Peach Schnapps
3 Parts Cranberry Juice
3 Parts Orange Juice

70cl Vodka, 70cl Peach Schnapps, 2 Litres Cranberry Juice, 2 litres Orange Juice.
(3x 2litre jugs to serve)
Serve over ice.

Bellini
1 part Peach Schnapps
1 part Sparkling White Wine
70cl Peach Schnapps, 75cl White Wine
(1x 2litre jugs to serve)
A dash of grenadine deepens the colour.

These are "long drink" style cocktails so the money would go further. Aldi do a decent Peach Schnapps and I'm told their Pimm's a like is good (Austins IIRC, can't stand the stuff myself - or Pimm's either)
Quantities given are so that standard bottles/cartons work, which makes it easier to mix.

If you use standard wine glasses, these are 150ml, one of each of the above recipes would fill 50 of those glasses, (so 8 jugs wouldn't do 2 drinks per person). If you use larger glasses, etc.
General assumption for an evening do is that guests will consume 2 drinks in the first hour and 3 per 2 hours thereafter.
If you guests have been drinking during picnic and throughout afternoon then consumption is likely to be lower.

HTH

mum2one

Drinks wise I would go for the pre-mixed cocktails bottles
(Iceland, Home Bargains, - off top head), £1.80 bottle some do 3 for £5.
Theres 4 different flavours...
Mojoito,
On the beach
Can't remember the other 2

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Get some jugs and pour these into, - add ice cubes

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spare bottle - grab some ice-boxes, cool bags and put them in there.

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Non alcohol cocktail...

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Food.

Beef Burgers, Sausages, Onions - have tubs of lettuce, toms, etc and the bottle of sauces

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xx

Anne_Marie_2

What about serving sangria, which I find always goes down well?
My fav recipe is
200 mls of orange liqueur
200 mls banana liqueur
200 mls brandy
1 bottle of red wine
Fruit in season chopped

Mix all together and leave for 24 hours, then add

1 litre of fizzy lemon (not the clear stuff)
1 litre of fizzy orange
ice cubes

Savannah02K

Like the idea of splitting the guests into teams and asking them to bring ingredients for pitcher of one specific cocktail recipe, but why not take it bit further and say they have to dress in the style of the country cocktail originates from? If you were really mean you could also say they have to do a song and dance from that country ........... few cocktails in that would be a hoot. Especially if you were filming it (evil grin).