Strawberry Gin and Tonic Cocktail Recipe

August 31, 2020

Let’s soak up the last bits of summer with a fresh fruit take on a classic! This strawberry gin and tonic is soo tasty, we know you are going to love it.

When local strawberries are in season we just can’t get enough of them. If you don’t have fresh strawberries right now, you can use frozen too! You’ll still get that amazing fruity taste.

For this sweet strawberry G&T, you’ll need:

Gin
Tonic
Strawberries (fresh preferred)
Lime
Sugar
Mint (optional)

To infuse the strawberry flavor, we’re making a simple strawberry syrup. It’s easy and quick to make and really packs a punch when it comes to flavor!

Ready to whip up this delicious summer cocktail? Let’s go!

Strawberry Gin & Tonic

Ingredients

2 cups strawberries sliced (fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1.5 oz Gin
4 oz Tonic
½ fresh squeezed lime
Mint (optional garnish)

Directions

Combine the sliced strawberries, sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to a simmer for 10 minutes. Allow to cool completely, and then blend until smooth.
To make the G+T, fill a glass with ice and add gin, lime juice and 0.5 oz simple syrup. Stir.
Top with cold tonic and strawberries and mint to garnish.
Enjoy!

Did you make this recipe? Let us know! Tag us with your creation on Instagram @partyontherocksseattle.

Sex On The Beach Cocktail Recipe

July 29, 2020

Summer vacations put on hold? We know the feeling. What we wouldn’t give to be sitting on the beach somewhere sipping a tasty cocktail!

Well, we can’t transport you to the beach, but we can bring some summertime vacation vibes to your home with our favorite Sex On The Beach cocktail recipe.

Sex On The Beach is a delightfully fruity drink that screams summer sun and good times. It’s easy to make and oh so beautiful to look at.

To really bring the relaxing vibes into your home, we suggest you put on your swimsuit and set yourself up for a little stay-cation. Head outside, maybe dip your toes in a kiddie pool, and sip on this tasty summer drink and we promise — you will feel like you are on the beach!

We made this recipe earlier this summer during our live cocktail class with Northwest Event Show (see the video here) and we just had to share it with you here! You’ll need vodka, peach schnapps, orange juice, cranberry juice, and an orange and lemon to make your drink. Optional: add a cherry for extra garnish!

This recipe is the classic Sex On The Beach cocktail, but there are lots of tasty variations out there. One we love has vodka, pineapple juice, cranberry juice, Chambord, and Midori (melon liqueur). Yummm!

Sex On The Beach is known for its beautiful layered look of orange and red. To get this effect, make sure you follow the order below as the cranberry juice will sink to the bottom of the glass!

We hope you enjoy your trip to the beach, and if you make this drink, make sure to let us know by tagging us at @partyontherocksseattle on Instagram!

Ingredients

1.5 oz Vodka
0.5 oz Peach Schnapps
Lemon wedge
2 oz Orange juice
2 oz Cranberry juice
Orange round (for garnish)

Directions

Fill a tall glass with ice and set aside
Add vodka, peach schnapps, and the juice of one lemon wedge into another glass with ice. Cover with a shaker or stir for 15 seconds.
Strain into your collins glass.
Pour in orange juice and stir.
Pour in cranberry juice on top (do not stir!). The cranberry will bleed into the orange juice to create the signature Sex On The Beach layered effect!
Garnish with a slice of orange (and maybe a cherry), and enjoy!

Venue Spotlight: Gray Bridge Wedding Venue

June 22, 2020

It’s time for another venue spotlight! Today we are sharing one of our favorite Sky Valley venues, Gray Bridge Wedding Venue! We sat down with owner Stacy to learn more about this incredible venue. We also got the scoop on some exciting 2020 wedding packages they are offering. Let’s dive in!

The Space

Gray Bridge is a 16-acre outdoor garden estate that was previously a private residence until 2018. There are many things we love about this venue, but the big one has to be their private big water features. While many venues offer small water features, Gray Bridge has large private ponds that are exclusively theirs, making for the most gorgeous water backdrop for photos.

Their pond-side ceremony site includes a picturesque dock and a built-in amphitheater with seating for 250+ people.

Photo by Lisa Girvens Photography

Their namesake feature is a gorgeous gray bridge that spans the west pond. It’s the perfect location for a first look, processional arrival, or final send-off!

Other venue highlights include a large grass reception wedding tent, a built-in bar, a fire pit with S’mores bar, and a pool deck perfect for appetizers and dancing. They also have a 1200 square foot swanky suite and stag shack for the wedding parties to get ready in.

What’s Included

Another thing we absolutely love about this venue is that everything is included! Pricing gives you access to all of the unique spaces and features of the Gray Bridge Venue. From farm tables and cross-back chairs to the tent and clean up, absolutely everything is included. The owners even do the initial furniture set-up for you!

COVID-19 Small Event Packages

Gray Bridge has put together unique wedding packages for intimate 50-person small ceremonies for 2020. This is perfect for couples who have had to reschedule their event but still want to have a small ceremony this year, or anyone experiencing planning fatigue! The package includes amazing pre-vetted vendors for all of the open 2020 dates, with additional discounts available for July events.

The venue covers over 3 acres and is designed to allow for social distancing during the ceremony and reception. Over 100 guests can be seated for dinner with social distancing under the tent and still have space for dancing and entertainment during inclement weather. The pool deck dance floor can be configured with plenty of space for social-distance dancing and lawn games.

Visit their website to learn more about the special small event packages!

Venue Spotlight: Twin Willow Gardens

May 4, 2020

We are proud to be part of the community of wedding vendors in Snohomish and the greater Seattle area. From the couples who have had to postpone weddings, to the venues, planners, and wedding vendors that have pressed “pause” on business for the time being, all of us in the event space are navigating this uncertain time together. It hasn’t been easy, but a bright spot has been the tremendous sense of community that we have felt throughout it.

We want to continue building up this amazing support system of local businesses, and we are excited to do that by sharing some of our favorite venues and vendors over the coming weeks with you all.

Today we are thrilled to highlight Twin Willow Gardens, one of our favorite wedding venues in Snohomish County. We sat down to talk with new owner Rebecca to learn more about this incredible venue.

Rebecca and her husband Brian are the new owners of Twin Willow Gardens, which has been a staple wedding venue in the community for the last 12 years. They are no strangers to hosting weddings and events though, as Rebecca has been a wedding planner for 16 years and is the owner of New Creations Weddings. After searching for a property for three years, Twin Willow Gardens was just the venue that they were looking for. The previous owners made some upgrades before selling, and Rebecca was excited to take these upgrades to the next level by leveraging her insight as a wedding planner.

Ceremony Space

This garden wedding venue sits on six acres in Snohomish County. Twin Willow Gardens is located just a few minutes from downtown, but you would never know it once you enter this beautiful forest and garden oasis.

The venue is most well-known for their outdoor ceremony space that is tucked away in the woods. Ceremonies are surrounded by old-growth cedars and pine trees and housed under the enchanting tree canopy. It provides a gorgeous wedding backdrop and is very protected from rain. It is truly a dream come true for a pacific northwest woodland-inspired wedding!

Reception Space

The amazing thing about this venue is the combination of forested wonder and gorgeous lush gardens. Receptions are held on the large lawn, which is made of synthetic grass that is always pristine and perfect! There are two large tents that house the reception and a bar/lounge area, and guests can stroll through the winding paths through the gardens. There are also two tiny homes which offer the perfect dressing rooms for couples to get ready in.

If you are looking for a romantic and magical wedding venue in the Snohomish area, Twin Willow Gardens just might be for you! This outdoor venue is available from May through October. We are so excited to see how Rebecca and Brian take this incredible venue to the next level in the years to come! Contact them to learn more about this incredible space.

The Best Summer Cocktails

April 20, 2020

Warm weather cocktails are some of our absolute favorites! They are light, refreshing, and citrusy and usually have a great dose of fresh herbs.

We’re rounding up some of our best summer cocktail recipes to keep you busy all summer long! These all require minimal ingredients and no specialty tools, most of the items you will likely have on hand.

Is your mouth watering yet? Let’s dive in!

Moscow Mule

What’s better than a cool, refreshing Moscow mule on a warm summer night? The answer is … nothing! This classic vodka cocktail is a crowd-pleaser with freshly squeezed lime juice, slightly spicy ginger beer, and of course – a copper mug.

Get our classic Moscow Mule recipe here, plus ideas to customize your mule and scale it up for a party!

Homemade Margarita

Forget the store-bought, sickly sweet, margarita mix. With our classic margarita recipe of simple tequila, lime juice, and triple sec you’ll be choosing to make your own cocktail well into the future.

We love adding a chili salt rim for a little kick to go along with this classic recipe. Get it here.

Aperol Spritz

The Aperol Spritz is the perfect lay on the beach daydreaming kind of cocktail. It’s bubbly, full of flavor, and oh so pretty to look at.

Get the recipe here.

Enjoy! If you make any of these recipes make sure to tag us on Instagram at @partyontherocksseattle!

Celebrating Community Over Competition

March 13, 2020

When we started Party On The Rocks, there were so many unknowns that we had to face as new business owners. One thing that we certainly didn’t expect is the sense of community that came along with starting a business in the event and wedding industry.

At first glance, it may seem like venues, caterers, bar services and the like would have fierce competition among them. Instead, we’ve found a great deal of support for everyone working in the event industry in Washington. Today we want to talk a little bit about the idea of community over competition, and what it means to us.

As a business, our primary goal is to make sure that our clients have the best experience possible. This means we not only need to offer superb service, but we also need to know how to profitably run a business and keep up with evolving trends and policies.

We are so thankful to be a part of organizations like the Snohomish Wedding Guild, ILEA, Seattle Wedding Network, and others that help make it possible for us all to share in the wealth of knowledge out there and help each other to tackle obstacles.

By taking the time to learn from others in the industry and have open dialogs about challenges and trends, we are all able to grow and serve our clients better.

We’ve also learned that we have a lot to gain by banding together. Events like the Snohomish Wedding Tour and Sky Valley Celebrates Tour brings together groups of venues and vendors for one big open house. With joint marketing and organization, ALL of the vendors can meet potential clients and grow their businesses.

We also recognize that not every client is right for every service. We love being able to refer clients to other services if we are not available or are not the right fit for an event.

Entrepreneurship can feel like a lonely journey at times. But it doesn’t mean that you have to go through it alone. We are so grateful to have a community of other business owners who are going through the same process to learn from and bounce ideas off.

What does community over competition mean to you? Comment below or join the conversation on social media. Let’s all keep supporting and lifting each other up!

Aperol Spritz

February 10, 2020

We are in the mood for something light and refreshing, which is why we are sharing our Aperol Spritz recipe with you all!

This classic cocktail reminds us of summertime vacations, relaxing away on a beach somewhere. We know it is still February, but a girl can dream, can’t she?

The Aperol Spritz is easy to make with only four ingredients, but don’t let the simplicity fool you! It is bubbly, full of flavor, and oh so pretty to look at.

For this recipe, you’ll need Aperol, an orange-flavored apéritif, that you can usually find near the liqueurs. Its unique flavor is described as being derived from a “secret and original recipe, that has remained unchanged over time”. We told you this was a classic.

You’ll also need prosecco, club soda, ice, and a slice of fresh orange or lemon.

The Aperol Spritz is traditionally made with equal parts Aperol and Prosecco, and just a splash of club soda. Aperol is slightly bitter, so depending on your preference you may want to tweak the ratios slightly. Adding slightly more Prosecco will result in a sweeter drink.

This Spritz is incredibly easy to make, and is a great choice to serve at weddings or other events. If you make this recipe, tag us on Instagram at @partyontherocksseattle!

Ingredients

Ice
3 ounces Aperol
3 ounces Prosecco
1 ounce club soda
Orange slice, for garnish

Directions

Fill a wine glass with ice
Add Aperol, Prosecco, and Club Soda to the glass
Stir and top with an orange slice for garnish

Why We Have a Liquor License

January 21, 2020

Party on the Rocks loves serving the Puget Sound with bartenders and event staff for all of their party needs. But, what you may not know about us is that we are also one of the only mobile bartending companies in Seattle with a liquor license. What does that mean for you? We can provide the beer, wine, and liquor for your next event!

Obtaining and maintaining our license was a lengthy process, but we decided to take that step because it provides so much extra value for our clients. Here’s what having our liquor license means to you.

Support Local Companies

Washington is stocked full of amazing alcohol producers, and we are thrilled to have partnerships with several local breweries, wineries, and distilleries. Through our partnerships, we are able to offer competitive pricing and a great selection for you and your guests. Some of our tasty options include Columbia Valley wines from Snoqualmie Vineyard and Skyfall Vineyard, as well as a variety of beers from Georgetown Brewing, Fremont Brewing, and Pike Brewing. We are always updating and expanding our offerings, too!

Simplify Your Party

When it comes to party planning, the fewer details you need to take care of, the better! We are finding that more and more couples don’t want to supply the alcohol at their wedding, or only want to pay a certain amount before turning it into a cash bar. When you hire Party on the Rocks for your event you can bundle your bartender and liquor purchase all-in-one. We will save you time by providing everything you need for your bar and make sure you don’t end up with excess alcohol. This option works great whether you are providing a hosted bar for your guests or having them pay for drinks individually.

Maintain a Fun and Safe Event

Our liquor license requires us to meet strict requirements, such as monthly reports of all events we pour alcohol at and inspections of the alcohol we carry. When you hire us, you know that we will create a safe and fun environment for you are your guests. All of Party on the Rocks bartenders are MAST12 certified and are covered by our liability insurance.

Interested in learning more? View our menu here for information on selection and pricing. Contact us with any questions and to start your booking request!

Bourbon Old Fashioned

November 19, 2019

In our humble opinion, an Old Fashioned is THE classic cocktail that every home bartender should know how to make. We love to make our Bourbon Old Fashioned recipe to sip on throughout the fall and winter season – it’s full-bodied, strong, and oh so tasty!

While it may be a classic, there are a ton of variations you can make that will affect the flavor. As with any classic cocktail, the liquor you choose will have the biggest impact on the final product. We love making our Old Fashioned cocktail with Bourbon, one of our local favorites is Oola’s Waitsburg Bourbon Whiskey!

With only a handful of ingredients, it’s important to measure to ensure the proper balance. Too much or too little simple syrup or bitters can throw off the flavor profile. Ice is the fourth critical ingredient for an Old Fashioned, preferably the large round ice cubes. Often called a Whiskey Ball, the ice will slowly melt into the drink and change the flavor and strength over time. You can find molds online or in most home stores. If you don’t have one, use a few traditional ice cubes instead!

Let us know if you make our classic Bourbon Old Fashioned! Tag us on Instagram at @partyontherocksseattle, and check out some of our other great recipes!

Ingredients

2 oz Bourbon

1 T Simple Syrup

1 Dash Bitters

Ice

Garnishes

Orange rind

Cocktail Cherry

Bourbon Old Fashioned Recipe

Combine simple syrup and a dash of bitters in a glass
Stir in bourbon until simple syrup is dissolved
Add a large ice cube and garnish with an orange twist and a cocktail cherry (optional)

Enjoy Your Own Party By Hiring Event Staff

October 28, 2019

Wedding season is winding down, and we are gearing up for house party season! Now, we aren’t talking about the kind of house parties you had in college. We’re talking about a more refined, private party, and how you can take it to the next level by hiring event staff or bartenders.

We all know how stressful hosting can be—so many details, so little time! If you are already offering up your home for an event, why not ease the burden a bit? Whether you are planning family gatherings, a corporate holiday party, a private fundraiser, or an engagement party—hiring a few event professionals can help everything run smoothly. It also frees you up to actually enjoy your event!

Here are the top ways event staff or bartenders can help you enjoy your private party.

Help with Event Setup

Event staff are your go-to helpers for party setup and management. We can install decor, set up tables and place settings, and help manage your other vendors. We’ll take care of the details, freeing you up to engage and have fun with your guests.

Serve Food Efficiently

Planning a lovely cocktail party? Enhance the experience with one or more servers offering passed hors-d’oeuvres to your guests. Servers can also support a seated dinner or help set up for a buffet-style meal. Servers keep you out of the kitchen and bring a whole new level of class to your event.

Offer Specialty Cocktails

Add a unique touch to your event by offering a specialty cocktail, mixed and served by a professional bartender no less. Your guests will appreciate the delicious beverage without the hassle of making it themselves.

Ensure a Safe Drinking Environment

When you are hosting a private event and offering alcohol, you take on liability for the actions of your guests. Protect yourself by outsourcing to a licensed, insured bartender who will maintain a safe drinking environment and prevent over-consumption. Party on the Rocks is covered by a $1 million liability insurance policy and only hires professionally licensed bartenders.

Avoid the Cleanup

After planning and hosting an event, we know that the last thing you want to do is deal with the cleanup. Event staff can do the dishes, take out the trash, and everything in-between. We work behind the scenes keeping everything running. At the end of the night, you won’t even be able to tell you had a party!

If you’re ready to elevate the experience of your next event, visit our website to submit a booking request! We offer competitive bartending and event staffing services. Party on the Rocks is also pleased to be able to supply the liquor for your event. Contact us to learn more!