Gin-up your summer BBQ party with these 5 simple steps!

Summer is more than officially here and it’s time to fire up the grill for your friends and family! Sure, they love your grilled chicken, veg and shellfish. But don’t just give them the same ol’ recipes you’ve been making forever. To really spice up your BBQ and give your guests something to remember, have a gin-themed BBQ! Here are several suggestions which will help you turn your typical grilled meal into a gintastic event.

First impressions are everything, so perhaps the most important step in your Gin BBQ is the drink with which you welcome your guests. You want something easy to make since you’ll be serving a group of people yet you will also want to have at least two varieties of drink to satisfy all tastes. Fortunately, our favourite drink, the Gin & Tonic (we have an excuse to be biased;-) covers both categories! Here are fifteen recipes to choose from. We suggest choosing one more citrusy like a Grapefruit & Tarragon G&T and one more fruity like a Raspberry Rose G&T.

Apart from the quality of the meat you’ll be grilling, the most important aspect of your juicy BBQ main dish is how you flavour the meat - the marinade. Here are a few suggestions:

• Beetroot, gin and juniper
• Gin & Rosemary Marinade
• Sloe Gin, Juniper and Thyme marinade

Beetroot, gin and juniper

Gin & Rosemary Marinade

Sloe Gin, Juniper and Thyme marinade

Your meat will need some accompaniment and gin makes the perfect ingredient to spice up a number of dishes. Here are three different sides that will fit perfectly with your gin-marinated meat: Gin Penne Pasta, Salmon Gravalax with gin, and Gin Vinaigrette for salads. 

Mmmmm! That BBQ is delicious! But you still have to wash it down with something. Since you’ll have a bunch of people to serve and it’s a nice, hot, sunny afternoon, we suggest you choose a gin pitcher drink - easy to make and easy to serve. Why not try this Strawberry Gin Smash.

Make sure your guests leave with a great taste in their mouth and something to remember the wonderful time they had at your BBQ. There’s: Gin & Orange Ice Cream, Gin & Tonic Ice Cream, or you could make your own variety of gin ice lollies.