Memorial Day Weekend is a big food holiday, with burgers, hot dogs and macaroni salad aplenty. But after planning out your menu, don’t forget about the beverages.
For some easy tips on what both hosts and guests should have on hand to drink, we turned to Anthony Caporale, director of beverage studies for the Institute of Culinary Education at Brookfield Place. (Red-, white- and blue-striped paper straws optional.)
FOR THE HOST
The host should have a few spirits and basic mixers, Caporale advises.
Whiskey
“For Memorial Day, I always like to have American whiskey — so bourbon, rye and just general American whiskey, things like Jack Daniel’s or newer American whiskeys that have come out,” says Caporale, pointing to Tuthilltown Spirits Distillery’s whiskeys and High West Distillery’s Bourye, a bourbon-rye whiskey blend. “There are a lot of fun things happening in the American whiskey space, if you want to venture outside the traditional bourbon or rye.”
Gin
To offset a dark spirit, Caporale likes gin, which can be mixed with lemonade or soft drinks like Sprite or ginger ale, he recommends. “It’s very versatile.”
Iced tea
“Iced tea is a great mixer as well as a standalone — it serves two purposes,” Caporale says.
Lemonade
Similarly, lemonade is a great mixer and standalone beverage. “If you get a bottle of bourbon, nice fresh iced tea and lemonade, you can make six or seven drinks by changing how you combine them,” Caporale says, from bourbon and sweet tea to bourbon, iced tea and lemonade for a boozy spin on an Arnold Palmer.
FOR THE GUEST
With the host providing the bases, guests can bring ingredients that can help them put their own spin on drinks. “Pretty much anyone can put on a blindfold and put these things together in a glass and end up with a beautiful drink,” Caporale says.
Herbs
“I encourage guests to bring herbs and spices — even here in New York, it’s very hip to have a little gardening space somewhere,” Caporale says. Have some mint growing on your counter, for instance? Bring that for the beverages, he suggests.
Seasonal produce
Whether from your own garden or the farmer’s market, guests can bring seasonal berries and fruits to also add to drinks. “Peaches, apricots, nectarines, plums, strawberries — all these things work really well if you slice them up and put them in a pitcher of iced tea or lemonade; you can muddle them a little bit to get the flavors out more quickly,” Caporale says. “Cucumbers are another fun one, it works really nicely if you do some gin with some lemonade and fresh cucumber slices — it’s a wonderful drink and very easy to make.” Strawberries, iced tea and bourbon is also “incredible,” he adds.
Honey
“Local honey is another great thing I like to bring to parties,” Caporale says. “It adds a great flavor, rather than just using Domino sugar to sweeten iced tea and lemonade.” Put a bow on it and put it in a bag and you’re set, he adds.
