June Is the perfect time for a BBQ, its fully summer but it’s not quite to the holy humidity, Batman point of the summer. And what better reason to throw a fun backyard soiree than to celebrate the men in your life for Father’s Day. And often the best parties are thrown for and by one of their own, a dad yourself? Throw a blowout honoring your buddies. Like all parties, a little bit of attention to detail will morph the party from status quo to fantastic. Enter Luther Tanley, owner of Lumenate, a Brentwood based outdoor lightening company that aims to “brighten peoples’ businesses, homes and lives” and Mavien, a smart home solution company. A man who knows how to set an ambiance with occasion lighting and the perfect sound and entertainment set-up helps us plan the perfect Backyard BBQ.
First things first, set the party up for success with ambiance and mood. While most Father’s Day activities include the kids, make this the one activity that the kids have a sitter. Starting the party late afternoon allows for day to turn to night and the party to morph. Start by serving batch cocktails and beer with relatively easy-to-handle appetizers that don’t require a plate while the main attraction, any meat of the hosts choice, smoke on The Big Green Egg. Center the party around the pool or ensure you’ve got your outdoor area with ample comfortable seating. Lounging and laughing is good for a while but don’t forget the games. This is the perfect time to break out your custom cornhole boards and don’t forget to borrow a few sets to get the competitive juices started. Got a group of guys more into golf? Most bounce house rental companies also rent out putting greens and other adult oriented games for a few hours.
As the day slips into evening and the temps are a bit cooler. Move to offering a good bourbon as the drink option when the main food event ready to hop off the smoker and onto some heavy-duty plates along with 2-3 really solid sides. Don’t forget to change your music to fit the mood and edit the lighting. Luther likes to keep the party atmosphere alive by having music as a layer to the party. Once evening hits, change the music to the fit the mood of upbeat but not dance party, think “Havana” “Seniorita” by Camila Cabello. You can’t go wrong with good drinks, delicious food and a great sounding play list.
WHISKEY SOURS
The menu should be reflective of your guests’ taste and how you want them to feel. While a signature cocktail may seem a little bit like a wedding, don’t underestimate the power of having large batches of cold drinks mixed up while also stocking the cooler with craft IPAs. Whiskey Sours are easy to whip up, and it doesn’t hurt they are a long-standing Southern tradition.
INGREDIENTS:
- 12 ounces, or 1 large can, Limeade concentrate; retain can as measuring unit.
- 6 ournces, or 1.5 cans, of bourbon
- 1 to 2 12-ounce beers, or 1 to 2 cans; light beers, lagers or ales work best
- Maraschino cherries, orange, lemon or lime slices to garnish
DIRECTIONS:
Combine Limeade, whiskey and 1 beer. Stir. Sample cocktail. Add part or all of second beer to taste. The more beer you add, the less sweet the sours will be. Whiskey quantity can be reduced to 12 to 14 ounces (1 to 1.25 cans) depending on preference. Stir final combined cocktail and serve over ice with garnish. Keep remainder refrigerated or cold.
Whiskey Sours by the batch; makes 6, served in highball glasses.
Recipe courtesy of Dean Weiland
