The Best Campfire Cocktails & Snacks

INGREDIENTS

Ingredients for a crowd:

• 1 bottle of your favorite Bourbon
• 1 pint of your favorite vanilla ice cream
• 12 bottles of your favorite artisan root beer
• Some cute straws and a sturdy cup

DIRECTIONS

Directions for individual drinks:

2 oz of bourbon

2 small scoops of vanilla ice cream

¾ of a bottle of cold root beer

Put a cute straw in your cup… stir gently and enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

• 3 parts white wine
• 1 part sparkling lemonade

DIRECTIONS

This really is an easy drink to make, which besides being freshy-fresh, is another reason to make it.

Ready for the ease? You don’t even need to write this down…To make this refreshing spritzer stir together 3 parts of an aromatic white wine such as Sauvignon Blanc, to one part sparkling lemonade.

Sparkling Lemonade can be accomplished in two ways. 3 parts lemonade to 1 part club soda or… you can just buy a pre-made French sparkling lemonade from World Market or Trader Joe’s. I prefer to keep it simple and go with the pre-made because we have enough to do and the premade is delicious! Whichever way you go, mix it all together in the Rabbit Wine Cooler to serve. The centerpiece of the cooler keeps the wine spritzer at the perfect temperature.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 oz. of your favorite blackberry jam
• 1 pint of blackberries
• 2 gallons of store bought Lemonade
• 1 liter of Club Soda
• Optional: 1 pint of raspberries and an additional pint of blackberries for a colorful garnish. I like to place a few whole blackberries and raspberries in each drink

DIRECTIONS

Gently stir all of the ingredients together, garnish with berries, put on ice and let the spout flow! Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

Make Ahead Cheese Topping

• 2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
• 2 tablespoons granulated garlic
• 2 lemons, zested and juiced

Make Ahead Garlic Butter

• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 1 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup hot sauce
• 1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup chopped garlic
• 24 oysters, shucked on the half shell using the handy-dandy Hutzler Oyster Knife
• 1-2 loaves of Italian bread, sliced, buttered and charred on fiery grate!

DIRECTIONS

Cheese Topping

Mix the Parmesan, mozzarella, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest and parsley in a bowl and reserve.

Garlic Butter

Place the butter, lemon juice, hot sauce, Worcestershire, chopped garlic, granulated garlic and 1/2 cup water into a small pot on the stove. Slowly melt and whisk ingredients until incorporated. Ladle this into a thermos to be used at the campsite! Making things ahead makes parties a lot more fun for the host, yay!

Preparing your Oysters

To make your life easy, prepare the oysters ahead of time. Shuck the oysters. If you have never shucked an oyster before, you will need an oyster shucker. I have a really cute Hutzler Oyster knife that looks like an oyster! #socute. Place your shucked oysters in a super cool Outset Cast Iron Oyster pan. Top each oyster with a liberal amount of the cheese mixture.

Take the top of the shell and place it over the shucked, dressed oyster and wrap the pan with tin-foil. Then place the oysters in a cooler with crushed ice around it. Once you are ready to serve, bring the oysters out of the cooler for 10 min prior to putting them on the fire.

Charring your oysters

First things first, get that fire roaring!

Lay down a grate over the flames. Place your prepared oyster pan (foil removed) on the grate for 7-10 min. until the cheese is melted. You will need long tongs and a sturdy oven mitt for pulling the pan off the grate. Remove the oysters from the grate with tongs and place them onto a cookie sheet or a heat-proof surface.

Ladle some melted garlic butter over the oysters and serve with grilled bread to soak up the juices and butter! Make sure to spritz with a little lemon to add a touch of brightness. So fresh and delicious!

OR…

Not in the mood to shuck and make ahead? You can simply place un-shucked oysters in your pan, then, place on the campfire and wait about 5-10 min. for them to sizzle, spit, and pop open. Serve them with a spritz of lemon, hot sauce and maybe, if you like, cocktail sauce.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 large watermelon, rind off, diced into 1 inch cubes
• 4 limes- Juiced
• ¼ cup of honey
• Chiffonade of one bunch of mint leaves
• 1 cup of your favorite tequila
• Optional: Sea salt

DIRECTIONS

In a large bowl gently toss the above ingredients. Scoop the mixture into extra small canning jars that are small enough to be individual servings for the guests. Close the top and place on ice in your cooler. I attach a fork with kitchen twine to each jar so that you can easily pull them out of the cooler in the adorable wicker picnic basket and serve ready-to-go!

Sprinkle a little bit of flaky sea salt on the top of each individual salad for an extra taste sensation!

By the way, slurping the spiked “watermelon” juice is encouraged!

INGREDIENTS

• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/2 cup of chocolate graham cracker crumbs
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips or larger chunks
• 1 6-8 oz. jar of marshmallow fluff

DIRECTIONS

In a bowl, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Combine the flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking soda and salt to mixture. Stir in chocolate chunks.

Using a tablespoon, drop the dough 2 in. apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375° for 8 min. Cool.

Add a smear of (about a tablespoon) of marshmallow fluff to the bottom of one S’more Cookie and sandwich it with the bottom of another…Voila! You have a S’mores Cookie Sandwich! I suggest you freeze these and keep them in a cooler to thaw prior to serving at your campfire soiree!