Fire Up All Your Summer Parties With These Grilled Cocktails

When you’re cooking out this summer, go beyond hotdogs and hamburgers. Take your summer sips to the next level by adding some smoke. Grilled garnishes are a fun way to deepen the flavor of your drinks—and impress your party guests. When you muddle grilled fruits or vegetables into the base of a drink, you weave in a warm, bold flavor that is quintessentially summer. Keep reading for tips on how to grill your cocktails to perfection!  

• Experiment with everything! Our favorites are citrus halves, slices of jalapeño peppers, grapefruit wedges, pineapple rounds, and watermelon slices.

• Choose fruit that is ripe but not too ripe, so that it still holds up on the grill.

• The acidity of citrus makes it extra complimentary to smoke, so it's great as a garnish. For an extra caramelized flavor add them as a juice or infused syrup.

• To achieve the perfect grill marks without burning your ingredients, keep the grill hot but make sure the coals aren’t flaming. If you’re using a gas grill, keep the burners on low. Check on your ingredients every 30 seconds to make sure they aren’t ashy.

• Have a pair of long tongs on hand for easy fruit transference.

• Use a mini-smoke box to smoke more delicate ingredients like berries and herbs.

• Let your glassware rest upside down over a burning wood-chip on a glass plate for more smoldering flavor.

If you've got a sweet tooth, sprinkle some cinnamon sugar on your grapefruit halves, then grill until caramelized. Grilled peppers are a great addition to margaritas. Find the perfect grilling companion cocktail with Cocktail Courier!