During one section of her performance, Perry appeared onstage with costumed dancers dressed as beach balls, sharks, and other seaside tropes. To give an event a similar vibe, consider adding beach balls to the decor or even serving thematic snacks. For example: Claire Crenshaw of Chicago's Moto Restaurant created the “100 Days of Summer” dessert with coconut macarons painted to look like beach balls. The treats were plated with white-chocolate seashells and pineapple starfish, as well as “sand” made from brown sugar.
In Austin, Texas, catering firm Royal Fig makes a summery nonalcoholic punch using fresh-pressed watermelon juice, pureed cucumber, agave, water, and mint.
Entertaining Company in Chicago makes a wintry hot toddy punch. The drink is made with ingredients such as fresh ginger, honey, crushed red pepper, orange pekoe tea, and whiskey.
A Perfect Event in Chicago works with Pure Kitchen Catering to create custom "smoking punches" for all seasons. One that's particularly suited to October bashes is the "Zombie Punch," made with ingredients that include three types of rum, grapefruit juice, cinnamon syrup, fresh lime juice, and Herbsaint liqueur.
Rebar, the bar at the ritzy Chicago hotel, serves a cold-weather punch dubbed "Winter Magic." The drink combines mulled red wine with cloves, oranges, cinnamon, and cherries marinated in cognac.
Incorporating traditional fall flavors, the nonalcoholic "Cranberry Cobbler" punch at hotel restaurant Highball & Harvest in Orlando combines muddled lemon and raspberry with cranberry juice and honey syrup; it's topped with soda. The drink was created by bartender Blake Herndon and can be made alcoholic with the addition of vodka.
The Orlando catering firm Puff 'n Stuff creates a nonalcoholic fusion of lemonade and fresh herbs that suits warm-weather gatherings.
Chicago firm Paramount Events' summery drink contains fresh strawberries and strawberry preserves, mezcal, grilled tangerine, and basil.
The firm also makes a springy punch with fennel-infused gin, rosemary syrup, and fresh rhubarb and pink grapefruit juices.
Chicago catering company Limelight makes a summery drink that puts a spin on the usually fruity sangria. The Vegetable Sangira Punch incorporates white wine, fresh herbs, heirloom tomatoes, watermelon radish, and cucumber.
Tanta, a Peruvian restaurant in Chicago, serves its Pisco punch in a cup decked with a mermaid. The drink contains Pisco Portón, zucca, lime, cinnamon, and Cusqueña beer. National Pisco Sour day is celebrated in February to help bring summery vibes to the dead of winter, but the drink is served at Tanta year-round.
New Chicago restaurant the Duck Inn has "Bath Tub Punch" on its event menu. Created by senior executive bar director Brandon Phillips, the punch is served in a tabletop bathtub with a large chunk of ice that typically holds a frozen rubber duck. The punch is suited to all seasons, but in the summer the venue hosts outdoor "backyard parties" that offer smoked ribs, sausages, and signature Duck Fat Dogs.
For three nights in 2011, the then-unfinished lobby of the Sanctuary Hotel in New York was bedecked with colorful Pop Art-style graphics and filled with diners supping on a menu created by a 15-year-old chef, Greg Grossman. In a makeshift kitchen adjacent to the hotel lobby, Grossman and a team of chefs provided by Guerrilla Culinary Brigade prepared a menu inspired by Pop Art works like "Balloon Dog (Orange)" by Jeff Koons and Takashi Murakami's "Flower of Joy" (pictured).
Global nutrition company Herbalife hosted its annual President’s Summit March 4 to 7. At a Wizard of Oz-theme reception, an all-red assortment of desserts recalled the ruby slippers from the classic story.
Marquee letters spelled out "cheers" at the welcome reception.
Casual snacks accompanied the free-flowing Pepsi. At a nacho bar, guests could top corn tortilla chips with pico de gallo and cilantro.
The event's promotional signage was printed onto rustic chalkboards.
Menu items were served in rustic vessels arranged on slabs of wood. Heirloom LA handled catering, and the menu was designed by chef Aliya Leekong.
