Looking for something good to take along for a picnic on Friday? Eat/Drink asked a few of our favorite local food and beverage industry professionals what one drink they’d like to enjoy at a 4th of July picnic. From bartenders and brewers to chefs and sommeliers, the answers might surprise you. They might not, but then again, they might.
Max Stein, Butcher and the Rye: Westmalle Trippel. It’s really light, it’s really refreshing and it’s nice and strong.
Greta Dunn, Tiki Lounge: There are so many options! Last year, we made up a big batch of mint juleps. We used some peach bitters and a simple syrup using mint tea. They taste like sweet tea and go down so easily.
Sarah Thomas, Bar Marco: I would take Jean-Paul Brun FRV 100 Beaujolais. It’s this effervescent, delightfully sweet, sparkly bottle of rosé which pairs well with everything.
Moss Clark, Maggie’s Farm Rum: Typically at BBQs rum punches are great—not too sweet, so you can have a few cups of it. If you’re going to do a rum punch, something light and refreshing with some lemonade, some rum in there, maybe some spice and some bitters. Anything with a coconut water base or an Arnold Palmer is good.
Trevett Hooper, Legume Bistro: Whatever pilsner-style beer from a Western Pennsylvania brewery I can get my hands on.
Giuseppe Capolupo, Bar Marco: I’d bring my puppy, my acoustic guitar and a handle of Jameson.
Rob McCaughey, Dreadnought Wines: It would probably have to be a hip flask of gin and grapefruit juice; proper London Dry gin, heavy on the juniper and fresh-squeezed pink grapefruit. It’s a good outdoor sipper.
Colin McNamee, The Livermore: I love to make a punch with gin, lemon juice, watermelon and rosemary syrup.
Steve Sloan, Roundabout Brewery: I’d say either a pilsner or pale ale, such as our Polish Hill Pils. It’s lighter but flavorful.
Matt Gouwens, Hop Farm Brewery: It’d be our Cherry Tart. It’s a double Berliner with sour cherries added.
Adam Henry, The Independent Brewing Company: Something low-alcohol, drinkable and sharable, like a growler of Four Seasons’ Local or the Brew Gents’ new Cucumber Wheat, or a pitcher of rum punch made with lemon and sugar, black tea, and fresh mint. I’ve been dialing in my recipe for that over the first couple of barbeques this summer.
Chad Townsend, Salt of the Earth: It would be a margarita. Just a straight up, old school style one. They’re one of those things where I like them anyway you cut ‘em. I even like them straight out of the bottle, the colder the better.
Asa Foster, The Brew Gentlemen: My go-to for BBQ is the Porch Swing, which is a mixed drink made with gin, Pimm’s, lime, pineapple juice and ginger beer.
Wes Shonk, Wigle Whiskey: What I usually do is I make margaritas by the growler. In my house, I have a couple growlers lying around and I have an awesome recipe down pat. You can just kinda pour it over the rocks and go. If you walk in with a big pitcher full of margaritas, it’s going to make a splash.
Matt Katase, The Brew Gentlemen: Something sessionable. Right now, I’d probably take our Cucumber Wheat because not only is it super light, sessional and refreshing, but I’d be able to make great beer cocktails with it.
Abbie Brehm, The Livermore: Tecate with lime and salt.
Jill Steiner, Wigle Whiskey: A Hard Arnie. It’s one part aged whiskey—I use the wheat—one part fresh lemon juice, one part simple syrup and two parts black tea. Cheap, easy, delicious, refreshing.
Dave Cerminara, Apis Mead & Winery: I’m a sucker for a great Kolsch. At about 4 percent ABV, it’s light, refreshing, easy to drink and for both connoisseurs and newbies.
Nick Gendell, Meat & Potatoes: You want people to kind of stay upright, you know? Moscow Mules are pretty good, pretty refreshing.
Mike Mills, Meat & Potatoes: Beer.
Deirdre Durant, Kelly’s Bar and Lounge: A bottle of Jameson, of course.
Allison Hillard, The Livermore: Mint julep!
Justin Blakey, Blowfish BBQ: Fathead’s Sunshine Daydream IPA. It’s a nice, easy-drinking beer, but it still has the big flavor you look for in an IPA.
