Summer Fun

Now available in the U.S., VNC Cocktails are low-calorie and ready-to-serve.

Hotel Sofitel's Le Bar served a Pink Fog martini made with vodka, lemon, cherry puree, egg whites, and a dash of ginger beer. Chandon-sponsored bars served a signature cocktail of rosé poured over a dollop of lemon sorbet and garnished with a lemon wedge.

Boqueria paired a cherry-lime sangria with bowls of pickled cauliflower, endive, cherry, Valdeón cheese, and walnut salad.

Edgar Bar and Kitchen served small cups of white chocolate cherry panna cotta topped with dark cherries.

The evening’s specialty cocktail will be the Red Carpet, a mix of pear-infused vodka, St. Germain, and champagne, complete with a paper Oscar statuette frozen inside an ice cube. "It's Oscar on the rocks," Boulud quipped.

At Stella McCartney's Resort 2013 collection preview, waitstaff passed citrus-infused cocktails in Mason jars.

Loopy Doopy, the rooftop bar at Conrad New York, has created a boozy Popsicle. The frozen fruit puree treat from executive chef Anthony Zamora is dipped in prosecco and served in a prosecco-filled wine goblet. The summery flavors include white peach, blood orange, mango, strawberry, and mojito.

Pumpkin Pie mocktail

Boston’s Wicked Good Cupcakes puts a new spin on the classic dessert with its Wicked Good to Go cupcake-in-a-jar treats. Each glass jar holds the equivalent of two cupcakes, and there are 15 flavor options, including vanilla birthday cake, sea-salted caramel, and red velvet. For corporate orders, the jars can include custom labels or colored sprinkles and fondant toppers. Custom Wicked Good to Gos start from $8.50 for an eight-ounce jar; shipping is available nationwide.

New York-based Stick & Pop has whipped up its cake pops and bonbons for brands including Swarovski, Tory Burch, Valentino, Joie, and Patrón. In addition to the company’s original menu of cake-ball flavors such as Griswald (vanilla graham cake with a marshmallow center and chocolate chips dipped in dark chocolate) or Nutty Bunny (carrot cake dipped in white chocolate with walnuts), it also specializes in custom-designed packaging, as well as custom flavors, colors, and toppings. Place orders five business days in advance for 100 or more.

For unique candies that will get guests talking, check out online sweets shop Sugarfina. The California-based company travels the world in search of gourmet candies and chocolates (think Belgian ale gummies, absinthe chocolate cordials, and matcha green tea caramels). The treats can be ordered for candy buffets in five-pound boxes ranging from $65 to $80, and consultants can be called upon to recommend a mix of candies for certain themes. Also available: stylishly packaged corporate gift options.

For events in Manhattan, Brooklyn, or Queens, Heartbreaker Baker offers its chewy, heart-shaped bar cookies. The treats come in 10 main cheekily named flavors, including Stuck on Yous (chocolate with gooey caramel and sea salt) and Fig It About Hers (oatmeal fig with an orange glaze). The mini versions go for $1.25 each, while the regular size costs $2.50, with a minimum order of 40 minis or 20 regulars. The cookies can come on platters or come individually wrapped with custom labels. Three days' advance notice is required, or five days' notice for custom labels; delivery is $15.

More stylish than your average Blow Pop: Designer Lollipop peddles spherical sweets that contain edible images—everything from fireworks and vintage lace, to world flags and the Aurora Borealis. Owner Priscilla Briggs can also create custom corporate logo lollipops. The handmade, individually wrapped treats start from $14 for six and can be shipped worldwide. There is a discount for orders of more than 120; large orders of from 600 to 1,000 take between 10 and 13 weeks to process.

Send a few favorite photos to Texas-based Manjar (Spanish for “delicacy”) and the bakery can turn them into edible Instagram posts for you, as well as create sugar cookies frosted to look like the popular social media company’s camera icon. There is no minimum order, and clients can send in as many different photos as they’d like. For larger orders, call at least two weeks in advance. Also on Manjar’s hipster-approved cookie menu are sweets shaped and frosted to look like Wayfarer sunglasses, mustaches, Polaroid photos, and vintage cameras.

Cotton candy gets a sophisticated makeover in the hands of Sugar & Spun. The company uses all-natural and artisanal ingredients, including organic raw sugar and dried toppings and powders, to create unconventional flavors such as black sesame, spiced mango, salted chocolate almond, and latte. The spun sugar comes in 32-ounce tubs for $4.50 each, or 16-ounce tubs for $3 each (additional sizes are available on request). There is a 20-count minimum; pickup at one of the company’s locations along the San Francisco Peninsula is free, and delivery within San Francisco costs $20. Allow three days' advance notice.

Gourmet flavors take a simple-sounding treat—chocolate-covered pretzel rods—to another level at Fatty Sundays: think pumpkin spice, peanut butter and jelly, banana cream, peppermint crunch, berry granola, and more. Bonus: The colorful, dipped pretzels would look especially eye-catching on display at a candy station. Custom labels, flavors, and color combos can be created for events and favors, with a minimum of 20 boxes of two or five pretzels. The treats can be shipped throughout the United States.

It’s obvious Robyn Frank, owner of Thumbs Cookies, makes her tiny shortbread cookies by hand—her thumbprint is pressed into each one. A mixed batch of 60 cookies costs $30 and includes signature flavors such as ginger clove, apricot with pistachio and cardamom, candied pecan with rosemary, and original cinnamon-sugar topped with a chunk of Mast Brothers chocolate. Frank also makes Thumb Pies (pictured), miniature cookie sandwiches bonded together with colored frosting or chocolate hazelnut filling. The cookies can be customized with tiny edible letters and can be packaged as favors or gifts. Large orders of 500 or more must be placed two weeks in advance, and price breaks are available for large quantities.

Handmade, in small batches, Crack Caramel creates its addictive caramel bites using only brown sugar, sweet cream butter, organic heavy cream, Madagascar vanilla, and pink Himalayan salt. Individually wrapped two-bite caramels can be purchased by the quarter, half, or full batch (a full batch costs $45 for 40). Or opt for the Crack Pops: paper-wrapped caramel lollipops on wooden sticks. Order at least two weeks in advance.

The Beverly Hills Brownie Company offers—yup, you guessed it—brownies. With 23 unconventional flavors, including new arrivals s’mores and no-gluten classic buttercream, the brownie boutique makes the rich treats individually, so each one has a crisp-edged crust and moist center. For events in the Los Angeles area, there is a brownie bar service that includes a full display setup and uniformed servers, and it typically involves a 10-dozen minimum order (but owner Bobbie Greenfield says there is flexibility). The company also offers custom brownie flavor and logo options, and gift packages can include custom parchment inlays and tags. Signature brownies are $39 for a dozen, with special pricing available for volume orders.

Health-conscious guests will be happy to pop a few of New York-based Elegant Affairs’ gluten-free lemon-scented hummus and zucchini roulades into their mouths while lounging poolside.

Canned cocktails are trending in the world of mixology right now. At the Manhattan Cocktail Classic gala in May, Campari served up canned Negronis, made with gin, sweet vermouth, and the Italian aperitif. Red-and-white-striped straws added a summery touch.

A warm-weather take on the food-and-drink pairings trend: one-bite paella skewers served with red and white sangria, by KG Fare Catering & Events in New York.

Like strawberry shortcake in a glass: the Red Velvet Shortcake cocktail includes 1½ ounces of the new Zing Red Velvet vodka, two ounces of cream soda, two muddled strawberries, and a splash of lemon juice.

Nothing beats an ice pop when temperatures rise. At the 2013 mtvU Woodie Awards and Festival, held in March in Austin, Texas, guests beat the heat with more than 7,000 custom-flavored all-natural frozen pops from Mom & Pops.

This summer, Ainsworth Park in New York will offer its take on sweet tea, made with Belvedere Lemon Tea vodka, Aperol, lemon juice, simple syrup, and iced tea, served in a summer-appropriate Mason jar.

Nothing says summer quite like fresh fish. At the Carlu’s recent 10th anniversary gala in Toronto, L-Eat Catering was in charge of the fish station. Among the offerings were individual portions of liquid-nitrogen-chilled, fennel-crusted tuna with green apples and pomegranates.

L-Eat Catering also served smoked trout caviar and pickled red onion relish canapés at the Carlu anniversary gala.

The Skybar at the Mondrian Los Angeles is offering a few new takes on the classic mojito, including a spicy mango mojito muddled with serrano peppers.

For an upscale camp-themed affair, try KG Fare Catering & Events' mess-free take on s'mores, displayed on clothespins.

This summer, Fourty Four at Royalton in New York is featuring a garden-to-glass cocktail menu of fruit-, herb-, grain-, and veggie-based drinks. The Jackrabbit Margarita includes Tequila Avión, carrot juice, agave nectar, grapefruit, and lemon, with a garnish of parsley and lime.

A perfect passed hors d’oeuvre for a beachside bash: Trufflebery Market’s Fish on Chips, with key lime zest and Sriracha aioli.

Served at this year’s Great GoogaMooga festival in Brooklyn was a sophisticated tropical tipple called the Uncle Buck that included Tequila Don Julio Blanco, pineapple juice, fresh lime juice, ginger syrup, and green Chartreuse.

A lighter summery take on beef stroganoff from Truffleberry Market in Chicago includes seared Meyer lemon zest gnocchi.

Keep guests alert at a late-night bash with this boozy take on iced coffee: mix one part Avión Espresso, one part espresso, and one part soda water, then garnish with espresso beans.

This summer, the Ritz-Carlton Los Angeles is serving cocktails made with freshly picked herbs and fruits from its rooftop garden. The drinks include the Kalamansi Lemonade, made with vodka, lemon puree honey-lemongrass syrup, Sprite, and lemon juice; the Rhubarb Shiso Fizz, made with Ketel Oranje, rhubarb simple syrup, and shiso leaves; and the Pinarita, made with pineapple tequila, Luxardo Triplum, lime juice, simple syrup, and Thai basil.

Chicago’s Truffleberry Market reports recently receiving requests to create finger-friendly versions of classic desserts. The catering company's banana split cones feature strawberry mousse in a mini waffle cone dipped in dark chocolate and topped with fresh strawberries, banana chips, and shaved hazelnuts.

From Elegant Affairs’ clean eating menu, cilantro lime-infused crab salad cucumber cups make for a light, refreshing hors d’oeuvre.

To preview its new summer menu of regional American barbecue flavors, Burger King tapped Peter Callahan to style bite-size versions of the new burgers for a tasting party at the Glasshouses in New York on May 16. The mini sandwich options included barbecue chicken salad, pulled pork, and a Carolina BBQ Whopper.

If you’re looking for easy, classic summer barbecue fare, Weber Grill Restaurant just launched Weber on Wheels, a mobile grill party offering available in Chicago and Indianapolis. Staffers grill up the company's signature meats on giant Weber Kettles, and the extensive menu options include a build-your-own burger bar.  Set up and clean up are included, and a minimum order of $500 is required. Delivery and pick-up packages are also available.

The Floozy, a cheekily named cocktail served at Hill & Dale, a new gastro-lounge in New York, is made with vodka, fresh lime, simple syrup, and muddled strawberries, then topped with a fresh daisy.

SBE’s XIV Summer Sessions parties will serve the Corzo Watermelon Margarita featuring fresh watermelon juice and Corzo tequila strained over ice with a splash of soda.

Maria Zoitas of Maria’s Homemade recommends adding fruit-infused ice cubes to drinks at summer parties. Just add berries, grapes, or pomegranate seeds to the water in ice cube trays, then toss the final product into champagne mixed with hibiscus syrup.

V.I.P. guests at GoogaMooga also sipped on Quiet Storms, a mix of Bulleit bourbon, lemon juice, extra-dry vermouth, simple syrup, and ginger beer.

For an updated take on the classic margarita, mix Cointreau orange liqueur, Tequila Avión, blood orange juice, and fresh sour mix.

Chicago restaurant Allium served a swimsuit-friendly 500-calorie lunch at a recent beachwear fashion show at the Four Seasons Chicago. The three-course menu included beet salad with Greek yogurt, fennel, and mache lettuce; wild Alaskan halibut with smoked fingerlings, pickled ramp bulbs, asparagus, and English peas (pictured); and 99 percent pure chocolate sorbet.

Created by Otis Florence of Pouring Ribbons in New York City, the From the Vine cocktail includes the new Skyy Infusions Moscato Grape, Cynar, lime juice, simple syrup, and Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao, garnished with basil leaves and grapes.

For a recent meeting, the Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort Bonnet Creek put together stations themed around local fare from the various areas of Florida. The north Florida station included May Port shrimp and scallop ceviche marinated in Florida citrus.

The south Florida station at the Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort Bonnet Creek meeting included spiny lobster-and-blue-crab cocktails.