Serve-Your-Own Drinks

Just inside the front door, staff offered samples of five cocktails made with Patrón XO Cafe. Guests could try as many as they liked, and then go inside the party for full portions of their favorites.

Guests helped themselves to water-cooler cocktails at the Museum of Contemporary Art’s 2009 ArtEdge benefit.

The splash marks made by Rubell's drinkable paintings subtly referenced Jackson Pollock.

As a playful touch, the vignette styled after a WWD editor's office included a water cooler that doled out cups of "WWD Kool-Aid," a nonalcoholic mix of orange, cranberry, and pineapple juice.

Guests could choose from a selection of Patrón-based cocktails, which were displayed on a wall.

Timberland celebrated its Chicago opening with an in-store fete on August 22, and to underscore the brand’s natural, earthy vibe, organizers set up an organic beverage bar. Drinks were made with Veev organic spirits and specialty juices, and served in mason jars. Garnishes included fresh herbs and skewers of tomatoes soaked in vodka and dusted with sea salt.

As a unique way to allow guests to create their own drinks, Fresh installed a wall of drink tanks, two- by two-foot clear containers that each held five-and-a-half gallons of liquid (or roughly 123 glasses). Each tank held a different type of juice, including summer-mixed citrus black tea, pomegranate hibiscus, rosemary-infused grapefruit juice, cucumber basil, and strawberry lychee.