Look No Further Than These Patriotic Party Offerings to Host a Gathering This Memorial Day Weekend

Australia-based custom neon sign shop Sketch & Etch can light up your Memorial Day-centered event with its “USA” offering, a clear acrylic-backed neon sign that glows in America’s colors. This 37.4-inch-wide, 13.8-inch-tall indoor sign is available for $1,022 and can be shipped anywhere in the U.S., U.K., Canada, and Australia. Custom sizing is also available, and for hosts who want to give guests a stand-out favor, Sketch & Etch signs can be ordered in bulk. Customers are asked to inquire within about bulk pricing (and mention “BizBash” in their initial outreach), which is determined on a per-order basis. Other patriotic concepts? Sketch & Etch also has neon signs in the shape of Americana stars and fireworks, an American Flag, and a U.S. map.

To celebrate Memorial Day in style, Taylor Creative Inc. has appropriately colored furniture to rent for patriotic-themed events. The Coast Collection Blue offering is a perennial crowd-pleaser. Made of solid oak and upholstered in royal blue fabric, pieces of the collection can be mixed and matched to create a sectional of any size. All furniture can be rented and shipped nationwide from its locations in New York and LA.

The Soren Sofa, Sven Chair, and Sigrid Stool are available at $400, $175, and $75 per piece, respectively, and come in either a plush white (pictured) or sapphire blue velvet. Taylor Creative Inc.’s team suggests adding vibrant pillows for the ideal mini lounge setup.

Los Angeles-based Cocktail Academy’s latest libations are designed with summer top of mind. Curated to evoke feelings of al fresco dining, beachside days spent abroad, and boozy backyard barbeques, sip on the “American Summer.” Made with bourbon, lemon, cherry, bitters, and garnished with a cherry, Cocktail Academy founder Matt Landes called this drink “America in a glass.”

Recipe:
1.25 oz. Bonded Bourbon
0.75 oz. Contratto Bitter
0.5 oz. Leopold Michigan Cherry Liqueur
0.25 oz. Cherry Cordial
0.5 oz. lemon juice
4 dashes of Peychaud Bitters
Garnish: 1 Maraschino cherry

Sparklers aren’t the only smoky things on the MDW menu. Cue “Mi Corazón Picante,” a mezcal mixed drink complete with Nixta Licor de Elote, a liqueur made from corn; Ancho Reyes, a liqueur made from chilis; plus lime, Mole Bitters, and a Guajillo-chile garnish. Described as “the perfect mix of tangy, smoky, and spice,” Landes says this thirst-quencher is a “sure-fire way to get guests talking” while “cooling them down on a hot day.”

Recipe:
1.5 oz. Mezcal
0.25 oz. Nixta Licor de Elote
0.25 oz. Ancho Reyes
1 oz. lime juice
2 dashes of Mole Bitters
Garnish: big ice cube and 1 Guajillo chili

To celebrate the brand’s 25th anniversary, Tito’s Handmade Vodka—an American liquor company based out of Austin, Texas—released four specialty cocktail recipes for fans to sip on. “Tito’s Berry Sparkler” is the perfect selection for MDW for its red, white, and blue color, which comes from a mix of cranberry juice, soda water, and fresh blueberries. Give it a try using the recipe below.

Recipe:
1.5 oz. Tito’s Handmade Vodka
3 oz. soda water
2 oz. cranberry juice
Garnish: 5 fresh blueberries
(For a layered, red-and-white-striped effect, mix the vodka and cranberry juice first, then top off by slowly pouring in the soda water.)

For an “All-American”-themed bash produced by planner Carolyn Bender Events, Stamford, Conn.-based Marcia Selden Catering was tapped for F&B and went all-out with American fare. Cue hot dogs with all the fixings and hamburgers by the wooden crate, served in blue-and-white-checkered wrapping. To place a similar order with all the crowd favorites, customers can call Marcia Selden Catering’s offices to speak with a catering planner. All orders are custom, for gatherings of 10 and into the 10 thousands, and executive chef Robin Selden said she and her team “could not love a themed party more!”

A simple, yet impactful way to simultaneously amp up F&B and event design? Serve mini hot dogs with a dollop of mustard on a dart board, like Marcia Selden Catering did here.

In a tongue-and-cheek nod to SpaghettiOs, a classic American brand, Marcia Selden Catering elevated the meal, which consists of canned, “O”-shaped pasta pieces in tomato sauce. Guests could grab an open-topped can filled with a cheesy pasta dish from a table boasting a red-white-and-blue tablecloth. A fun touch? Jubilee flatware. Oh, and a label that read “Uh-Oh SpaghettiOs” with Marcia Selden Catering’s logo in place of Campbell’s.

MDW isn’t all about patriotism—after all, it’s also known as the unofficial kickoff of summer (which truly begins on June 21 this year). So, to start the season off sweet, Katherine Anne Confections in Chicago has a margarita truffle available to order at $3.25 per piece, in boxes of seven or 16 for gatherings small and large, or $8 two-piece boxes to hand out as a tasty favor. Each bite tastes of tequila, lime juice, lime zest, fleur de sel, and bittersweet chocolate. The treats can be delivered within Chicago, or customers can pick up the truffles from Katherine Anne Confections’ location in Logan Square. This summer season, the cafe is also offering a banana daiquiri truffle, a piña colada truffle, a merlot pecan caramel, and a rosemary margarita caramel.