Secret Summer
The fourth annual Secret Summer, a farm-to-bar cocktail festival, took place August 12 at the Foundry in Long Island City in New York. Hangar 1 Vodka featured a hanging herb wall, inviting guests to garnish their lavender lemonade cocktails. The festival was produced by Tyler Hollinger of HighLife Productions, Andrew Maturana of hospitality company Rapt NY, and Alison DuVal of the Foundry.
Photo: Travis W Keyes
Elements Music and Art Festival
The fifth annual Elements Music and Art Festival, a Burning Man-inspired music and immersive art festival, took place August 11 at the industrial waterfront location Hunts Point in the Bronx. Bassnectar headlined the festival, with a performance that featured a massive laser show from the "Earth" stage. The laser show was created by audiovisual rental company Gateway Productions. Nightlife event production company BangOn produced the festival.
Photo: Andrew Rauner
Elements Music and Art Festival
Festival activities included a sound healing session, a wellness activity that uses instruments and vibrations to slow down brainwaves. Wellness brand Temple Turmeric hosted the session in a room that featured psychedelic decor. The festival's decor was helmed by event producer and art director Julianne Irene, in collaboration with 30 artists.
Photo: Tony Colasurdo Photography
HBO’s Insecure Fest
Ahead of the season three premiere of comedy series Insecure, HBO hosted a carnival-inspired music festival July 21 at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles. The event, which was produced by Team Epiphany, featured classic carnival games with cheeky twists, such as "friend zone"-theme cornhole. There was also larger-than-life Connect 4, Pop-A-Shot basketball, and more.
Photo: Dorothy Hong
HBO’s Insecure Fest
Stadium vendors offered food and drinks inspired by the show. The different areas had names such as "Tasty-Like," and "Thirsty-Like," as a reference to season three's episode titles.
Photo: Dorothy Hong
L.L. Bean Be an Outsider at Work
For its “Be an Outsider at Work” campaign, L.L. Bean partnered with co-working space Industrious to create pop-up work stations for people to work outside. The pop-up debuted at Madison Square Park in New York this summer. Jack Morton Worldwide designed and produced the activation, which included fabricating the custom workspace pods in its Princeton, New Jersey, facility.
Photo: Amy Sussman/AP Images for L.L.Bean
L.L. Bean Be an Outsider at Work
The pop-up featured cycling desks to provide a more active seating option. A variety of seating was meant to encourage different ways of working.
Photo: Amy Sussman/AP Images for L.L.Bean
Bacardi Sound of Rum
Bacardi celebrated the first day of summer with its Sound of Rum kick-off event with Major Laser, which celebrated the music of the Caribbean islands and featured rum cocktails and on-theme installations by local artists. The event, which was produced by Mosaic, displayed a fresh fruit stand with Bacardi branding, inspired by Caribbean street markets. The event took place at Hubbard’s Cave in Chicago.
Photo: Jeff Schear/Getty Images for Bacardi
Maison St-Germain
Elderflower liqueur brand St-Germain held its second annual summer soiree July 10 at Little Beach House Malibu. Production designer Marla Weinhoff created 1,000 LED “flowers,” meant to resemble the 1,000 elderflowers used in every bottle of St-Germain.
Photo: Sansho Scott/BFA.com
Aperol Spritz Soiree
Italian aperitif Aperol hosted an event celebrating the first day of summer in June at Bocce restaurant at Union Square Pavilion in New York. Attendees could play bocce ball on an orange court. The event was produced by Swell.
Photo: Courtesy of Aperol
Akos Orosz, bar manager at craft cocktail bar Westbound in Los Angeles, is known for making a hot Christmas Tree Punch with Becherovka, one of his favorite herbal liqueurs. He combines it with cranberry, lemon, and pineapple juice, then adds a dash of bitters and a handful of pine tree needles before warming it up.
Photo: Courtesy of Westbound
“Punches can be a little more user-friendly to people that aren’t in the mood for such a strong cocktail,” says Ann-Marie Verdi, co-owner and beverage director of Los Angeles’s the Bellwether. “We make the perfect punch for fall and winter by infusing tequila with fresh cranberries, really capturing the colder season’s best flavors.” The punch is known as the #5 Cocktail on the menu.
Photo: Marie Buck
![Bartender Noel Bughao of the Ballantyne Hotel & Lodge in Charlotte, North Carolina, serves up the Last Leaf, which contains Maker’s Mark Private Select bourbon, sour apple liqueur, pomegranate and lemon juices, and a syrup made with cinnamon and cardamom; it’s garnished with a spiced apple chip. “The result is a memory of home—the leaf is a tribute to fall and [leaves] falling.”](https://img.bizbash.com/files/base/bizbash/bzb/image/2017/10/last_leaf_002.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&q=70&w=400)
Bartender Noel Bughao of the Ballantyne Hotel & Lodge in Charlotte, North Carolina, serves up the Last Leaf, which contains Maker’s Mark Private Select bourbon, sour apple liqueur, pomegranate and lemon juices, and a syrup made with cinnamon and cardamom; it’s garnished with a spiced apple chip. “The result is a memory of home—the leaf is a tribute to fall and [leaves] falling.”
Photo: Ray Sepesy
“This has a lot of the appeal of an Irish coffee, but with more delicate, nuanced flavors,” says Morgan Schick of the San Francisco Proper Hotel about the Mile End Toddy, which contains rye whiskey, Cointreau, and Earl Grey tea with marmalade. “The pithiness of the marmalade and the floral notes in the Earl Grey make a nice counterpoint to the rich vanilla and toffee of the whiskey. Perfect for looking out over the fog next to a fire.”
Photo: Courtesy of San Francisco Proper Hotel
![“During the winter months, I love working with Dram Pine Syrup. It can be incorporated into so many different types of cocktails and personifies the taste and smell of the season,” says Teodora Bakardzhieva, partner and beverage director at Publico Kitchen & Garden in Boston. “The pine garnish [of the Pine Old Fashioned] brings that element of surprise and delight to the cocktail that makes it memorable for guests.”](https://img.bizbash.com/files/base/bizbash/bzb/image/2017/10/img_381.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&q=70&w=400)
“During the winter months, I love working with Dram Pine Syrup. It can be incorporated into so many different types of cocktails and personifies the taste and smell of the season,” says Teodora Bakardzhieva, partner and beverage director at Publico Kitchen & Garden in Boston. “The pine garnish [of the Pine Old Fashioned] brings that element of surprise and delight to the cocktail that makes it memorable for guests.”
Photo: Courtesy of Publico Kitchen & Garden
“Love it or hate it, pumpkin infusions are here to stay,” say Parker Boase and Gregory Lucas of Liquid Lab NYC. “We personally like to pair it with egg whites to give it that frothy consistency and additional spices for an added kick.” The Allspice Pumpkin Flip contains spiced rum, five-spice pumpkin syrup with allspice and pumpkin spice, fresh lemon and pineapple juices, plus an egg white.
Photo: Courtesy of Liquid Lab NYC
Adil Yamin, beverage director at Heirloom Hospitality in Detroit, serves up a RyeChai with WhistlePig 10-year rye whiskey, Averna Amaro, angostura, and hot chai tea. It’s garnished with angostura and Averna-infused whipped cream, a cinnamon stick, lemon spiral, and shaved dark chocolate.
Photo: Courtesy of Heirloom Hospitality
Mixologist Kristy McKinney at the Havana Beach Bar & Grill at the Pearl Hotel in Rosemary Beach, Florida, offers up a flight of eggnog concoctions, including Eggnog Brulée with Bulleit rye whiskey, whipped cream, and turbinado sugar; Havana Nog with Coco Lopez cream of coconut, Appleton Jamaican dark rum, pineapple juice, and freshly toasted coconut; traditional eggnog; Merry Cherry Eggnog with Spring 44 gin, Luxardo maraschino liqueur, and whipped cream; and Eggnog Espresso with Kahlua, Godiva white chocolate liqueur, and espresso ganache.
Photo: Courtesy of Havana Beach Bar & Grill
The Hesitant Elephant cocktail at Cindy’s in Chicago contains Rittenhouse rye, Sailor Jerry rum, Campari, Averna, cold-brewed coffee, cinnamon, and fresh citrus juices. It’s then topped with Edmund Fitzgerald porter.
Photo: AJ Trela
The High ‘n Dry cocktail from mixologist Leigh Lacap at Campfire in Carlsbad, California, combines gin, Douglas fir bitters, blanc vermouth, Indian tea, and cucumber.
Photo: Courtesy of Campfire
“Around the holidays you’ll find most bartenders diving into ingredients that are both seasonal and have the ability to really bring people back to holiday memories,” says Brian Stewart, Belvedere Vodka’s U.S. mixology ambassador. “Warm drinks that use ingredients including nutmeg, cinnamon, apple cider, and cranberries are very popular as the temperature dips. I had a pear tree in my backyard growing up that had a rosemary bush right under it. Because of this, winter herbs with sweet fall fruit remind me of home, which is why you see that combo a lot in my cocktails.”
Photo: Courtesy of Belvedere Vodka
For an Irish-theme wedding shoot in Fullerton, California, Heather Benge Events and Alexi Events teamed up to create a St. Patrick’s Day-inspired tablescape. Shades of green and gold featured throughout the design, with florals from Intrigue Designs and linens by Nuage Designs. Green candlesticks in gold holders offered an on-theme touch.
Photo: Gina Pucell
At the Irish-theme wedding shoot, a cake from Nicole Bakes Cakes continued the holiday-appropriate color scheme of green and gold.
Photo: Gina Pucell
Toronto's the One Eighty restaurant from Eatertainment serves a seasonal bloody mary dubbed the Green Caesar. The cocktail includes Absolut Vodka mixed with a blended mix of tomatillos, yellow grape tomatoes, English cucumber, garlic, lime juice, Thai chile, cilantro, horseradish, green Tobasco sauce, and Worcestershire sauce.
Photo: Courtesy of Eatertainment
Blueprint Studios designed a green-theme after-party in 2017 for Palo Alto Networks in San Francisco. The event featured vibrant green decor that included Blueprint’s Jewel Highboy Tables, Gallagher Barstools, Grass Ottomans, and green candle holders.
Photo: Irja Elisa for Show Ready
Candy company Sugarfina has a dedicated St. Patrick’s Day line packaged in lucite cubes that cost $7.50 each. The Lucky Pints o’ Beer (left) are beer-shaped gummies with a citrus flavor, while the Pot o’ Gold Pearls are chocolate droplets in gold candy shells.
Photos: Courtesy of Sugarfina
Chef Andrea Correale, founder and C.E.O. of Elegant Affairs, has several elevated St. Patrick’s Day catering options available this year, including a corned beef taco made with Guinness, horseradish, mustard, and sour cream topped with corn and red onion. Correale suggests pairing it with Melon Ball Margarita Shots, which she makes with tequila, Midori, pineapple juice, and fresh lime wedges.
Photo: Courtesy of Elegant Affairs
Another holiday-appropriate appetizer from Elegant Affairs is the Rumpelstiltskin Deviled Eggs. The dish features a mix of egg yolk, avocado, lemon juice, mayonnaise, mustard, and Franks Hot Sauce presented in hardboiled eggs.
Photo: Courtesy of Elegant Affairs
For a spring-inspired tradeshow lounge, Taylor Creative Inc. used a seasonally appropriate green and white color scheme. In addition to the Aston sofa in white ($450), the Tufted Ottoman Square in white ($285), and the Reflection Side Table ($95), green touches included a green Boheme Stool ($60), the Infinity Area rug ($400), and Peridot and Tangier pillows ($30 each).
Photo: Courtesy of Taylor Creative
Taylor Creative Inc. rents faux hedges for indoor or outdoor use. The 70-inch hedges are available with a black, white, or oak base, and cost $325; the hedges are also available in a 30-inch option. Add a spring-like touch with the Cane Ottoman, which comes in two sizes and starts at $125 or $150 with a glass top.
Photo: Courtesy of Taylor Creative
St. Patrick’s signature color can extend beyond the decor and the food. Give a festive gift like Gifts for the Good Life’s flapper-inspired party prep kit. The green package features engraved collar stays, shoe shine wipes, heel protectors, bobby pins, and more.
Photo: Allan Zepeda
New Los Angeles cocktail lounge Birds & Bees offers a cocktail dubbed the Celtic Knot. The drink features three distinct flavors woven together, including Jameson, Oloroso Sherry, honey syrup, lemon juice, and Creme de Menth.
Photo: Courtesy of Birds & Bees
For the Art Gallery of Ontario's Picasso Gala, designer Jeffry Roick of McNabb Roick used bold colors to evoke Picasso’s work. Kelly-green carpeting and yellow Victorian-inspired lounge furniture were complemented by golden trees and green lighting by AusCan Media Productions.
Photo: Christina Gaspic
Butcher & Banker in New York has a variety of modern twists on classic Irish dishes, such as corned beef steak with mashed potatoes, cabbage, leeks, and horseradish cream.
Photo: Michael Tulipan
Hanging installations covered in greenery and blooms, like this one from New York-based B Floral, is an out-of-the-box way to incorporate St. Patrick’s Day green into an event.
Photo: LV Photo & Design
St. Patrick’s Day events don’t need to be green. Give it an upscale twist with a pot-of-gold-inspired event, like HBO’s 2016 Golden Globes party in Los Angeles. HBO’s Cindy Tenner oversaw the production, working with longtime design partner Billy Butchkavitz, giving it a “winter garden” theme with a color palette of gold, black, and cream.
Photo: Gabor Ekecs
Elegant Affairs’ Luck o’ the Mojito features lime juice, fresh mint leaves, rum, sugar, club soda, and Creme de Menthe.
Photo: Courtesy of Elegant Affairs
To kick off its yearlong 75th anniversary campaign in 2016, M&M's celebrated the milestone with a media and consumer event in New York that offered guests an inside look at the residences of the brand's six “Spokescandies": Red, Yellow, Ms. Green, Blue, Orange, and Ms. Brown. As the green-colored M&M, Ms. Green, is billed as having star quality and a fabulous, flirty demeanor, the St. Patrick’s Day-appropriate green room included eye-popping wallpaper, framed pictures of the character's fake magazine covers, and a green vanity with green makeup. The activation was designed and produced by Jack Morton Worldwide.
Photo: Shannon Sturgis
STK locations around the country are serving the Leprechaun’s Libation this year. The cocktail is made from Absolut Elyx, fresh lime juice, simple syrup, jalapeño, and basil leaves.
Photo: Courtesy of STK
Monochromatic food can create an eye-catching, on-theme touch for holiday events. At a comic-book-inspired industry party in Toronto for architecture firm Raw, Sublime Catering worked with event producer Kim Graham Associates to create vibrantly colored event menu. Dishes included a chicken salad with green peas and pesto, served in a green pepper cup.
Photo: Kyle Burton
“An all-white table runner with pops of green is the perfect way to create a subtle St. Patrick’s Day tablescape,” says Bronwen Smith of B Floral.
Photo: Hunter Abrams/BFA.com
City Tap House in Boston is offering four days of Irish-inspired specials, including corned beef and cabbage spring rolls paired with Guinness.
Photo: Courtesy of City Tap House
For Halloween, the Lollipop Brew at the Sugar Factory American Brassiere in Miami Beach comes dressed up with gummy snakes, spiders, and brains, along with lollipops and a candy necklace. The cocktail, which is served year-round minus the extra creepy crawlies, contains a wicked mix of Monin cantaloupe syrup, Bacardi coconut rum, Ketel One Citroen, grenadine, and pineapple juice.
Photo: Courtesy of Sugar Factory American Brassiere
For Capital C's holiday party in December 2009, the Martini Club in Toronto created a series of fairy-tale-theme cocktails, including a drink called Santa's Beard made with white chocolate liqueur and peppermint and garnished with crushed candy cane.
Photo: Nikki Leigh McKean/BizBash
The Turquoise Fairy at the Capital C party included vodka shaken with passion fruit liqueur and fresh lemonade and was rimmed with colorful blue sugar crystals.
Photo: Nikki Leigh McKean/BizBash
To modernize an old-fashioned, BLT Steak Atlanta infuses Whistle Pig bourbon with Werther’s Original hard candies and combines it with sweet vermouth and aromatic bitters. A bourbon-macerated cherry and a crushed sea salt rim garnish the drink.
Photo: Courtesy of BLT Steak Atlanta
The seasonal Pumpkin Soufflé Martini at the Sugar Factory American Brassiere features Stoli vanilla vodka and Godiva white chocolate liqueur and is garnished with a pinch of pumpkin pie spice, whipped cream, and pumpkin-spice-flavored Hershey's Kisses.
Photo: Courtesy of Sugar Factory American Brassiere
As an homage to surrealist artist René Magritte, guests sipped on "Magritte-Ahhs," a concoction of cotton-candy clouds, tequila, agave, and lime-kaffir salt at the Woman's Board and Board of Trustees gala in June 2014 at the Art Institute of Chicago.
Photo: Cheri Eisenberg
For a sweet twist on a simple cocktail, BLT Steak Atlanta mixes Red Vine-infused Stoli vodka with club soda and garnishes the glass with a strawberry and strands of the licorice candy.
Photo: Courtesy of BLT Steak Atlanta
The vintage ice cream parlor theme of Washingtonian magazine's annual AT&T's Best of Washington party, held at the National Building Museum in July 2012, inspired the blue rock candy drink stirrers in the signature cocktail, which was called the AT&Tini.
Photo: Tony Brown/BizBash
