Simple Mix & Match Garden Cocktail Party Bar

This bar idea is one of my favorite entertaining ideas yet and a great way to kick off a party!

We follow our basic cocktail mixing formula (only 3 ingredients and pours!) which also allows a guest, without bartending experience, to whip up drinks behind the bar!

This also works when creating a mocktail too. Have non-alcoholic spirits available to use instead of vodka or gin.

Why You’ll Love a Mix & Match Bar

It encourages people to be social immediately, mixing drinks to kick off a fabulous party! Exciting, right?! With a little prepping, you’re on your way to the best garden cocktail bar ever!

How to Create a Mix & Match Cocktail Bar

There are 3 main ingredients to creating the cocktails: A spirit, sweetener, and citrus juice.

• A spirit

• Sweetener

• Citrus juice.

Citrus Juice

Provide 3 to 4 options of different options of citrus juice. Think grapefruit, lime, lemon, or orange. Juice them fresh, pour them into pretty bottles, and add in some slices to garnish to let guests know what juice it is! Then refrigerate until ready.

Simple Syrup

Simple syrup is what sweetens the cocktail. Make at least 3-4 varieties of simple syrup to give options. This is also where the garden part comes in since herbs make some of the best simple syrup flavors around.

Check out our Simple Syrup Guide to learn how to make the best simple syrups!

Use ingredients like lavender, rosemary, mint, sage, and cilantro. Furthermore, you can also make simple syrups using jalapeño peppers to give a spicy option or maybe a really potent ginger simple syrup.

There are SO many options, but make sure you have at least 3-4 choices available for guests.

How do you make Simple Syrup?

Check out our Simple Syrup Guide to learn how to make the best simple syrups! Basically, the “simple” formula or simple syrup is equal parts water and organic cane sugar. Melt it and then add in the herbs to infuse for a few hours.

Quick tip! Leave the herbs in the simple syrup bottles to enhance the look and let people know what flavor each syrup is.

You can find the gold bottles here. I use them all the time. They’re great for citrus juice and simple syrups, and they’re only $5.99!

Spirits

Clear spirits work best for this garden bar. Spirits like gin, vodka and Blanco tequila are great options. A clear spirit is one you can see through.

Simple Garden Cocktail Recipe & Formula

Now for the fun part… creating your own cocktail creation! Tell your guests to choose citrus, then a simple syrup and a spirit. They will have the freedom to create their own flavors!

Basic Cocktail Formula

1 – ounce citrus

1 – ounce simple syrup

2 – ounces of spirit

Directions

• Add all of the ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice.

• Shake for at least 30 seconds, which is an important part of diluting the ingredients,

• Then, strain over ice and garnish.

You can download our Mix & Match Cocktail Guide here!

Supplies for a Mix & Match Garden Cocktail Bar

Cocktail shakers

Jigger

Ice

Clear bottles for syrups and citrus juice

Marble bowls for garnishes

Cocktail glasses

Club soda if anyone needs to add a dash

You could provide bitters as well if you want to really mix things up!

Garden Cocktail Flavor Combinations

People absolutely love coming up with different flavor combinations!! And it creates a relaxed and fun environment.

Here are a few concoctions that we loved:

• Lemon juice + sage simple syrup + vodka

• Lime juice + rosemary simple syrup + tequila

• Lemon juice + lavender simple syrup + gin