Create a Mix & Match Garden Cocktail Party Bar that gives your guests plenty of choices and allows them to be creative mixologists!
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 we 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!
Flowers
To decorate the garden bar, add some beautiful flowers to the table! We used tin vases for the flowers to create a rustic, charming garden look.
Cocktail Garnishes
Making a cocktail aesthetically pretty is important too! Have garnishes available and fun garden sticks to add to each cocktail. Here are some ideas for cocktail garnishes:
Sliced citrus
Fresh herbs
Garden sticks – Buy the wooden garden markers on Amazon.
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
More fun Spring and Summer Entertaining Ideas You’ll Love!
Make your Own Spritzer Bar for Brunch
How to Throw a Last-Minute Birthday Party
Host a Beautiful Outdoor Movie Night
We hope you’re inspired to make your Mix & Match Garden Cocktail party! Let us know what you think in the comments, and please share your photos with us on social @sugarandcharm!
You can also FOLLOW US on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, and PINTEREST to see more delicious recipes, cocktails, desserts, and parties!
Simple Garden Cocktail Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ounce citrus
- 1 ounce simple syrup
- 2 ounces spirit
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
- Shake for at least 30 seconds, this is an important part of diluting the ingredients,
- Then, strain over ice and garnish.
Hi, could you tell me how many people roughly one set — 3 bottles of each will cater for? I’m having 20-30 people over and wanna make sure everyone has enough.
Also such a cool post — thank you for making our party so much more fun!
Hi! A 750-ml bottle will make about 16 drinks. So if you have 3 bottles you’ll get about 48 drinks. I would say 2-3 drinks per person, so you’ll need at least 5 bottles.
I would love to know if anyone has used champagne or even sparkling cider (non alcoholic) as the clear spirit? I can’t wait to recreate this. How beautiful.
Where is your jig from!
Did you make that outdoor table? It’s so beautiful!!
We did! We had it made 🙂
Love everything about this. Thank you so much for sharing! This is random but I would love to know where you found your jigger if you remember!
I absolutely loved this article! Thank you for sharing. So excited to try the recipes and cannot wait to get those bottles! I searched high and low for something like it and you found them for $5.99! I’m curious to know too what brand of jigger you used in the photo above. My husband likes the style. Do you happen to know where I might find one?
please tell us where you get the beautiful bottles for citris and simple syrup. With the gold lids.
yes! our most popular purchase on the site and they’re under $6! https://rstyle.me/+5pnccnT8RmEsm9-AX8wXsw
where are the bottles from?
Form here https://rstyle.me/+g3xiaYxCUsxycEQbAx3-vQ 🙂
Do you know anywhere that sells those bottles and ships to Australia? That store only ships to America!
Any help would be very appreciated!
Where are the bottles from?
Hi! I am wondering where the syrup containers are from? Thank you!!!
Beautiful !!!! I love all I just saw here. Thanks a lot for sharing with us.
I love this! I actually have these jars and was planning to do some simple syrups and flavored oils. Question: was it hard to get the fruit and herbs out of the jar when done. That was all I was worried about because the opening isn’t very large. Thanks for the inspiration!
Hi Amy! It actually wasn’t too hard! I had left them in there for a while, so the fruit was pretty soft and come right out with a few shakes! It looks so pretty with them in there!
Thanks so much for your response! I agree, it all looks so beautiful!
Loved every bit!
Question: where did you find those lovely white(marble?) bowls? I am obsessed with acquiring some????
I found those at Target!! I use them ALL the time!
This is so cute, and such a great idea! I love those bottles too!
Thank you Lisa!! We had so much fun putting this together and my guests loved it too!
This party is so dreamy!! <3
Karly
http://www.kpapreps.com
Thank you so much Karly!!